01/2021 - present

CTO, Roadsurfer GmbH, München, Germany

Roadsurfer is Europe's largest outdoor travel expert in renting, selling and subscribing campervan. Founded in 2016, the company has doubled in size every year, with a current fleet of 2500 campervans on the streets of Europe. With over 500 employees, Roadsurfer is well-placed to continue its rapid growth.

Reporting directly to the CEO, responsible for Roadsurfer's digitalization strategy and vision, and for all technical aspects of the company. Mission: build a world-class tech organization.

11/2018 - 12/2020

CHECK24 Finanzvergleich GmbH, München, Germany

CHECK24 is the leading consumer comparison portal in Germany. Founded in 1999 and privately owned, it gives consumers the ability to compare prices and other aspects of product and service offers including loans and other financial products, travel, insurance, electricity, electronics, mobile phone contracts, and many more. The individual products are organized as largely independent subsidiaries; the Loans subsidiary is one of the oldest and largest.

Co-Head of IT, Loans

Reporting directly to the CEO, responsible for improving the technical excellence of the software development process. Specific areas of responsibility and actions:

• Introducing modern DevOps practices, moving Ops engineers into the development teams

• Improving the implementation of Scrum (hired two agile coaches)

• Refining the hiring process, insisting on excellence in hiring

• Bringing a vision for a true Continuous Delivery process and helping drive the implementation

01/2015 - 10/2018

FlixMobility Tech GmbH (FlixBus), München, Germany

FlixBus, founded in 2011, is a long distance bus operator connecting cities and towns throughout Europe. Since the end of the railroad monopoly and the privatization of the intercity bus market in Germany, FlixBus has been offering modern mobility at excellent prices. FlixBus launched its first route, in Germany, on February 13th 2013, and was the first long distance bus provider to operate under the new laws. A strong partner network and an innovative ticketing system have made FlixBus a leading long distance bus company, with a fast growing, extensive European route network.

Senior People Manager, Software Engineering (since October 2016)

Guided our company's further Agile transformation as People Manager for up to four Scrum teams, with up to 35 direct reports. Managed relationships with outsourcing partners and freelancers. As member and later elected representative of the People Manager Chapter drove the implementation of career development structures and processes for all software engineering professions. Continued to report to and work closely with the company's founder and CIO.

Head of Java Software Development (up to September 2016)

Increased the software team from 4 to 20 developers (consisting of three cross-functional scrum teams). Reported directly to the company's founder and CIO. Managed the teams' development of three applications (built on Java 8 and AngularJS):

• planr - a web-based network planning application

• FlixCharter - a web application allowing customers to charter buses

• settlr - a web-based financial settlements application for our bus partners

Actively involved in application development and DevOps activities

04/2014 - 12/2014

WMC Healthcare GmbH, München, Germany

Head of Software Development

WMC Healthcare, founded in 2013, advises hospitals and clinics, helping them develop and implement restructuring and remedial processes IT is used to guide and support these processes.

Responsible for building software platform giving hospitals expanded reporting and logistics functionalities (ETL, BI). Was hired with the task of building a software team; unfortunately this was delayed by the company's strategic planning.

01/2011 - 04/2014

DENT-iV GmbH, Grünwald, Germany

Head of Software Development, Procurist

DENT-iV GmbH was a dynamic healthcare company, offering innovative, custom-made services for doctors, health insurers and other principals in the health care industry. The central focus of its activities was winning doctors and and other contract partners for new and innovative contract types.

Responsible for our extensive software platform, managing and coordinating numerous external contractors and companies, building an internal software development team. Member of the management board.

09/2009 - 12/2010

Jentro Technologies GmbH, Munich, Germany

General Manager, from 12/2009 sole managing director

Jentro was Europe's leading provider for mobile phone navigation. It provided white label solutions with numerous end customer brands, featuring a modular concept from hardware to customer support. Jentro's customers included Motorola, Das Örtliche, ADAC, Mio, mobilcom and many more.

Responsible for managing all company operations, reporting directly to the board of directors. Management of shareholder relations, cash flow management, overseeing of annual report, closure of strategic deal with an American company worth over $2 million. Execution of orderly operations shutdown including staff cuts and customer management. Represented the company in labor court and in district court. Monitoring compliance with extensive, complicated customer contracts.

03/2009 - 09/2009

Jentro Technologies GmbH, Munich, Germany

Vice President, Engineering

Responsible for coordinating all software development, project management and QA activities, reporting directly to the COO. Weekly activity reports to the board of directors. Frequent technical presentations of company technology to customers in Europe and the US.

06/2007 - 03/2009

Jentro Technologies GmbH, Munich, Germany

Director, Research and Development

Managed all software development activities as department head reporting to CTO. Two team leaders reported to me. Implemented key Agile practices, time/resource tracking and resource forecasts, detailed project estimation. Responsible for hiring new staff. Technical project management of key customer projects, outsourced software porting project (India).

Execution of restructuring (reduction of headcount from 53 to 20 employees and strategy refocus due to economic crunch): handover and documentation of skills and know-how, review and adoption of processes, team meetings with strategy briefings, team building events. Integrated project management and QA team members into my team.

09/2006 - 06/2007

Jentro Technologies GmbH, Munich, Germany

Project Manager, Research and Development

Responsible for R&D team resource planning, regularly meeting with customers to discuss project progress. Introduced usage of issue-tracking process and tool. June 2007 took over Director of R&D post on mutual agreement with executive management and previous head of R&D. Technical management of international software project with Motorola, delivered on schedule.

04/2000 - 09/2006

Jentro Technologies GmbH, Munich, Germany (initially Jentro AG)

Software Developer

Responsible for development of product Jentro Pilot, distributed server/client resource management and monitoring software. Developed and implemented specifications for the product. Later implemented J2EE code for the server platform supporting Jentro?s prize-winning mobile phone based navigation solution.

09/1993 - 07/1999

Nordharzer Städtebundtheater, Halberstadt, Germany

Resident Conductor and Associate Music Director

Conducted 70 performances a year of opera, operetta, musical and orchestral concerts, coordinating up to 80 performers. Responsible for scheduling rehearsals of musical staff. Rehearsal pianists reported directly to me. Direct involvement in the audition process for prospective orchestra members and vocal soloists.