Pragmatic Agilist

Project: Pragmatic Sustainability

Objective: Create a product and service portfolio delivering a 360 degree approach to digital corporate sustainability covering KPI management, CSRD reporting and sustainable strategy.

• Created vision and business case
• Onboarded and aligned business partners, negotiated contracts
• Set up partner network as self-organized agile team
• Co-developed product and service portfolio
• Coordinated sales and marketing, go-2-market strategy, roadmap

Project: "Truma-Alde Framework" (TAF): Org-Transformation of RV Equipment Supplier

Objective: Agile & digital transformation of Truma and Alde R&D and S&S (ca. 120 FTE) towards a cross-functional, lean & agile organization to enhance customer centricity & employee engagement, raise efficiency and adaptiveness, shorten time to market, while integrating all product categories under one ecosystem.

• Analyzed and evaluated current organizational setup: org-structures processes, tools, management, communication, methods (traditional, hybrid, agile) of a larger SME.
• Iteratively developed scenarios for future "TAF" (Truma-Alde Framework) via workshop series in collaboration with "core team" of unit directors, heads of, PMO, technical leadership, team members / engineers.
• Presented the aligned approach and roadmap. Gathered approval by general management and Truma Group / business owners.
• Created "Big Picture" for the TAF ecosystem-centric process organization adapting elements from Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Kanban Flight Levels, Team Topologies to the company-specific context.
• Detailed the organizational and process template from strategy / ecosystem to crossfunctional team level conducting exercises & simulations with leadership, middle management, project management and teams.
• Handed over final TAF framework MVP "ready to go" for go-live and continuous adaptation.
• Integrated project "PEP-Up": streamlining of the existing product development process (PEP) and product lifecycle (PLM) introducing iterative and lean-agile methodologies.
• Led TAF "core team" and "heart core team", facilitated meetings and workshops, built a TAF community of practice.
• Supported project and product teams & internal project managers and coaches with team level planning events, reviews and retrospectives.

Project: Development of Household and Professional Cleaning Robotics Devices & Digital Platforms

Objective: Development, market launch and hypercare of award-winning cleaning robotics platforms and devices (software and hardware) for Vorwerk, Neato Robotics, and Nexaro. Achieving 7% increased revenue in Vorwerk's CLEANING category while dramatically increasing speed and cost efficiency of the delivery organization.

• Set up global Digital R&D and delivery organization for Neato Dx and Prime robots as well as Vorwerk VR7 and Nexaro robots and platforms.
• Designed, rolled out, orchestrated scaled agile organizational setup connecting teams in USA, Germany, Central & Eastern Europe (overall ca. 250 FTE with up to 15 parallel teams) covering product and program management, UX, embedded SW, cloud platform, middleware, mobile apps (native Android & iOS), IT tools and utilities.
• Introduced, communicated, faciliated agile development & collaboration processes, policies, tools across the whole development organization; lead coach for up to 10 Agile Masters.
• Organized and moderated big room stage plannings and international co-location events remotely during COVID and on-site.
• Coordinated dissolution and integration of Neato Robotics software R&D into Vorwerk resulting in 40% R&D cost savings.
• Supported build-up of local app development entity in Milan, Italy.
• Coach & support engineering managers, technical leads, product management, product owners, team leads.
• Insourced mobile app development from external provider to new internal unit allowing 60% reduction of FTEs and HR cost.
• Led and organized process restructuring of hardware development for the Nexaro NR 1500 professional cleaning robot connecting PDP / milestone-driven roadmap with lean-agile development following a "Scrumban" approach, resulting in 30% increased development speed, 100% faster integration of hardware and software, 50% earlier problem detection.
• Outsourced maintenance of legacy robots (Neato and Vorwerk) to cross-functional support teams in Canada. Get self-managing offshore team running as interim team lead & coach, freeing up 10 internal R&D FTE.
• Supported individual agile development teams ad-hoc with process ramp-up (Scrum, Kanban, Scrumban), role clarification & coaching, toolchain (Jira, Slack, Miro, O365, Polarion, Teamcenter, dev tools, etc.)
• Supported the company-wide agile transformation ("agile circle") in collaboration with the CULINARY category (Thermomix)

Project: Digital & Agile Transformation of Bank IT

Objective: Transform the client's IT organization (ca. 40 FTE) increasing customer centricity and business agility and enabling carve-out and sale of the local bank, raising market value to 55M EUR (acquisition by OTP Bank).

• Worked closely with leadership, CIO, IT directors and business representatives to create an aligned target vision for the IT transformation including transformation KPIs and OKRs.
• Introduced agile and hybrid methodologies with PMO and project managers
• Trained and certified people across the whole organization in agile and hybrid approaches (Pragmatic Agility, Agile Leadership, Scaled Agile Framework)
• Supported PMO and leadership setting up digital and agile processes, policies, and tools.
• Supported change management
• Hands-on project support as team & leadership coach (digital signatures, digital branch solution)

Project: Organizational Transformation Ad-Technologies

Objective: Lead and orchestrate the transition from matrix to squad-based organization (loosely following the "Spotify Model") supporting multiple stakeholders and business owners in programmatic advertisement laying the ground for standardization and scaling of the high-end ad-tech platform.

• Worked with CTO, directors, heads-of to provide status quo analysis of client organization's product, technical platform, process maturity, pains and potentials.
• Developed target model (structure, processes, roles, policies and governance) for agile target organization.
• Implemented and accompanied the change introducing new processes, cross-functional team structures, roles, methods (Scrum, Kanban, Scrumban).
• Trained, coached, consulted leadership (C-suite, directors, team leads, project managers) and teams

Project: AI-Driven Automation for Customer Service

Objective: Develop a new AI-driven platform to automate customer support across UCDS / UniCredit Group, starting with Bank Austria to streamline operations, reduce cost, increase availability to 24/7, raise service quality, leading to "Best Service" and "Market Leader" awards.

• Managed project on IT side in close collaboration with business project lead (Bank Austria)
• Led and coordinated several sub-projects
• Conducted pre-study for technology and supplier evaluation, incl. tender, RFQ, tech deep dives in areas of conversational AI, Machine Learning, neural networks, specific language models and implementations for the financial & customer service domain (chatbots, voice bots, automation).
• Conducted technology / supplier evaluation workshops in Vienna.
• Collaborated with Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) on pre-development.
• Led development of AI chatbot PoC based on Genesys CCaaS (Customer Center as a Service) Solution.
• Procured, steered, coordinated project resources and external implementation partners.

Project: Agile R&D and Product Delivery of Cleaning / Homecare Devices

Objective: Develop innovative home cleaning devices (handsticks, bagged / bagless vacuums, robots, plasma devices) in short cycles and with highest quality. Transform the matrix organization to an agile organization split into cross-functional teams to achieve customer-centric product development in short cycles.

• Worked with senior management (category business owner), category transformation leader and company-wide agile transformation initiative to define vision, org-structure, process landscape, roadmap for the new product-centric agile R&D and delivery organization.
• Set up new organizational structure, process and methodology templates (org and team level), scaling and collaboration framework for 10 teams (ca. 120 FTE).
• Supported 3 new agile teams hands-on as team coach in establishing agile processes, team building, integration of functions (industrial design, marketing, procurement, electrical and mechanical engineering, sales).
• Supported product innovation team developing a plasma cleaning device (FreshUp) in facilitating design thinking sprints and workshops, retrospectives, planning and review events.
• Coached Agile Coaches, (T)PO's, Team Coaches / Scrum Masters, other leading roles.
• Provided shadow coaching & mentoring for new internal Agile Masters.
• Co-organized and facilitated Agile COP within the Homecare category.
• Supported innovation and predevelopment leadership in providing overall prioritization (WSJF) of innovation initiatives, merging them with product roadmap and dev team roadmaps and backlogs.

Project: Agile Product Development of Fully Automated Coffee Machines

Objective: Increase product delivery speed and quality; develop future-proof technology platforms for next generation fully automatic coffee machines (Siemens EQ.Series) by introducing agile methodologies, standards and tools on team and department level (whole R&D department).

• Introduced agile methodologies Scrum, Kanban for ca. 140 engineers and leadership roles in mechanical and electronical engineering, industrial design, quality assurance, industrial manufacturing.
• Kickstarted 6 agile teams (2 in parallel) as servant leader and team coach introducing agile methodologies, tools, workflows, coaching roles and practices.
• Established coordination across teams using an adapted Kanban / Flight Levels methodology combined with Lean Shopfloor management practices.
• Established Agile PEP (product engineering process) policies and practices, integrated agile working mode into PMO.
• Provided lean-agile trainings and workshops for whole organization.
• Coached leadership team, PO's, new internal Agile Masters.

Project: Inspire, evangelize, develop competencies in leadership, lean-agile methodolgies, and pragmatic project & product delivery

Training Portfolio examples:

• Project Management Basics
• Pragmatic Agile Leadership
• Pragmatic Agility Introduction
• Professional Scrum Master (PSM-I)
• Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO-I)
• Leading SAFe (SAFe Agilist)
• SAFe PO/PM
• SAFe Lean Portfolio Management (LPM)
• SAFe for Teams

Workshop facilitation:

• Vision and mission
• Retrospectives (org- and team level)
• Mediation and conflict resolution
• Innovation and ideation (Design Thinking)
• Product and service design for startups and SME's

Meetup host:

• Piazza: Where Strategy meets Agility
• Pragmatic Agility

Project: Digital Commerce and e-Business Applications

Objective: Ensure development, maintenance, continuous evolution of e-Business and digital commerce applications for BayWa AG and RWA AG including subsidiaries and joint ventures.

• Delivered strategic project BayWa eCommerce in 3 phases: B2C Energy Shop, B2C Overall Shop, B2B Omnichannel Platform based on SAP Commerce (Hybris) as development lead, lead architect, interim global IT project manager adding new digital and blended distribution channels and strategic capabilities.
• Insourced RWA B2B & B2C retail platform based on SAP Commerce (Hybris), managed its maintenance and continuous evolution
• Delivered project TecParts 2.0 for agricultural machine parts (B2B and B2C)
• Delivered projects CLOP and TOPP – B2B order platforms for CLAAS and BayWa Technik.
• Ensured maintenance & gradual replacement of legacy e-business applications for RWA, Lagerhaus.at, BayWa.
• Led a team of 10 internal + 10 external software developers as direct reports with full disciplinary and budget / cost center responsibility.
• Coordinated external suppliers & project teams.
• Managed procurements, tenders, supplier selection and engagement. Negotiated contracts.
• Planned & negotiated budgets, development roadmaps.
• Coordinated programs, initiatives and projects in e-Business and e-Commerce.
• Assumed engineering management responsibilities in technology areas Java EE / Spring, .NET (C#, MS SQL), SAP ERP integration, web frontend design and development (JS).
• Standardized release & deployment management, coding guidelines, code repositories, architecture guidelines, requirements engineering, nontechnical and technical specification guidelines.
• Introduced agile methods and practices: Scrum, Kanban, XP, DevOps, CI/CD.
• Introduced agile management toolchains based on MS Azure DevOps (Team Foundation Server) + Atlassian Jira and Confluence, Omnitracker.
• Supported corporate mobile application development strategy and platform as technical lead.

Independent academic research, publications, lectures, mentoring and tutoring of students. Main research topics: Skepticism, History of Philosophy, Epistemology and Logic, German Idealism (Hegel), Analytic Philosophy, Pragmatism.

• Taught philosophy as university lecturer at universities Würzburg and Munich (scholarship by SNF) (2007 – 2008)
• Delivered seminars, lectures, research papers.
• Helped build up the new institute "Center History of Knowledge" (ZGW), a collaboration between ETH and University of Zurich as research assistant at the ex-Paul Feyerabend chair of philosophy at ETH Zurich (Prof. Dr. Michael Hampe), (2003 – 2006)
• Researched and taught philosophy classes at universities Munich and Bamberg as PhD student and university lecturer in Bamberg (scholarship DFG) (2001 – 2003)