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Astrid (Kühne) Benker
Co-Founder & Project Director
Experience
Jan 2019 - Dec 2020
2 yearsKenya
Co-Founder & Project Director
UTU Food4Good
- Responsible for successful series A and B equity financing which secured USD 11 Mil
- Established governance, HR, finance and operations structures and policies
- Expanded, trained and led team from 2 to 10 full-time staff members
- Managed set up of first of its kind test kitchen in Africa
- Managed development of 3 new recipes to be launched in East Africa
Jan 2016 - Present
10 years 2 monthsGermany
Co-Founder & Project Manager
Bradora.com
- Received invitation to take part at "Die Höhle der Löwen" to pitch business idea to venture capitalists
- Assessed global market and its drivers – derived top-line potential and market needs
- Created marketing material for stakeholders and potential business partners
- Managed external communication including set up of website
Jan 2014 - Dec 2015
2 yearsTanzania, United Republic of
Co-Founder
Financial Access Solution
- Used human-centred design approach to develop an innovative cash-free, branch-free, paper-free micro-finance model to promote financial inclusion of waste collectors
- Set up loyalty program that increased plastic waste collections from pilot group by 35%
- Conducted extensive research of bottle collectors which became basis for the creation of collection app
- Conducted interviews with bottle collectors and leadership team of recycling company to understand pain points and user experience of new collection app
- Assessed end-to-end customer and user journey and mapped key pain points for bottle collectors
Jan 2010 - Present
16 years 2 monthsKenya
Co-Founder & Director
School4Life.org
- Fundraised over USD 2,5 Mil, with 100% of funds reaching the projects
- Turned mud hut for 200 orphans and 7 untrained teachers into permanent kindergarten, primary and secondary school, greenhouse and kitchen for 800 orphans and 100 trained full-time staff members with fixed monthly overheads of USD 10 k
- Set up first school for 30 disabled children in the area
- Set up 2 orphanages for 60 needy children with permanent care
- Set up leavers program to support 100+ graduates with university and college fees
- Distributed over 3,5 Mil free school lunches
- Leading volunteer team consisting of 25 core team members in Europe and Kenya
- Managed over 250 international volunteers onsite
Industries Experience
See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time. Longer bars indicate deeper hands-on experience, while shorter ones reflect targeted or project-based work.
Experienced in Education (16 years), Information Technology (10 years), Food and Beverage (2 years), and Banking and Finance (2 years).
Education
Information Technology
Food and Beverage
Banking and Finance
Business Areas Experience
The graph below provides a cumulative view of the freelancer's experience across multiple business areas, calculated from completed and active engagements. It highlights the areas where the freelancer has most frequently contributed to planning, execution, and delivery of business outcomes.
Experienced in Finance (16 years), Human Resources (16 years), Project Management (16 years), Marketing (12 years), Strategy (10 years), and Product Development (4 years).
Finance
Human Resources
Project Management
Marketing
Strategy
Product Development
Summary
As an all-rounded Senior Strategy Consultant, certified in Change (Prosci), Project Management (GPM) and Agile (Scrum), I help leaders and organizations to embrace change, creating high performance teams and delivering long-term success. I have worked as a Manager at a top-tier consulting company for FTSE100 multi-nationals on complex, international and multi-cultural projects across various industries, business functions and countries.
Skills
- Change Management (Stakeholder Management, Change Impact Analysis, Change Strategies, Change And Communication Plans, Corporate Communications (Internal And External), Resistance, Conflict And Crisis Management, Culture Change, Change Kpis)
- Training And Development (Training Needs Analysis And Plans, Train-the-trainer Concepts, Designing And Delivering Training Programs, Leadership And Team Development, Coaching, Team Building, Performance Development, Moderating Workshops)
- Project Management (Agile Methodologies, Risk And Issue Management, Timeline And Resource Planning, Project Lifecycle Management)
Languages
German
NativePortuguese
NativeEnglish
AdvancedSpanish
AdvancedFrench
Advanced ...and 1 more
Education
Oct 2008 - Jun 2010
Leuphana University of Lüneburg
PhD, Intercultural Teams - New Strategies on Effective Global Collaboration · Lüneburg, Germany · magna cum laude
Oct 2005 - Jun 2008
University of Hildesheim & University of Coventry
Bachelor of Arts · International Communication and Translation · Coventry, United Kingdom
Oct 2003 - Jun 2008
Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Diploma, Masters · Organizational Behaviour, Technology Management & Decision Modelling · Lüneburg, Germany
Certifications & licenses
Certified Project Manager
International Project Management Association
Certified Problem Solver And Change Manager
GAQM
Certified Professional Scrum Master TM I
Scrum.org
Certified Prosci Change Manager
Prosci
Profile
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Frequently asked questions
Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.
Where is Astrid based?
Astrid is based in Zürich, Switzerland and prefers 100% remote projects.
What languages does Astrid speak?
Astrid speaks the following languages: German (Native), Portuguese (Native), English (Advanced), Spanish (Advanced), French (Advanced), Swahili (Elementary).
How many years of experience does Astrid have?
Astrid has at least 16 years of experience. During this time, Astrid has worked in at least 4 different roles and for 4 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 4 years. Note that Astrid may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.
What roles would Astrid be best suited for?
Based on recent experience, Astrid would be well-suited for roles such as: Co-Founder & Project Director, Co-Founder & Project Manager, Co-Founder.
What is Astrid's latest experience?
Astrid's most recent position is Co-Founder & Project Director at UTU Food4Good.
What companies has Astrid worked for in recent years?
In recent years, Astrid has worked for Bradora.com and School4Life.org.
Which industries is Astrid most experienced in?
Astrid is most experienced in industries like Education, Information Technology (IT), and Food and Beverage. Astrid also has some experience in Banking and Finance.
Which business areas is Astrid most experienced in?
Astrid is most experienced in business areas like Finance, Human Resources (HR), and Project Management. Astrid also has some experience in Marketing, Strategy and Planning, and Product Development.
Which industries has Astrid worked in recently?
Astrid has recently worked in industries like Education and Information Technology (IT).
Which business areas has Astrid worked in recently?
Astrid has recently worked in business areas like Project Management, Finance, and Human Resources (HR).
What is Astrid's education?
Astrid holds a Doctorate from Leuphana University of Lüneburg, a Master in Organizational Behaviour, Technology Management & Decision Modelling from Leuphana University of Lüneburg and a Bachelor in International Communication and Translation from University of Hildesheim & University of Coventry.
Does Astrid have any certificates?
Astrid has 4 certificates. Among them, these include: Certified Project Manager, Certified Problem Solver And Change Manager, and Certified Professional Scrum Master TM I.
What is the availability of Astrid?
Astrid is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.
What is the rate of Astrid?
Astrid's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.
How to hire Astrid?
To hire Astrid, click the Meet button on the profile to request a meeting and discuss your project needs.
Average rates for similar positions
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
1400
1050
700
350
Market avg: 1100-1260 €
Market avg: 1100-1260 €
The rates shown represent the typical market range for freelancers in this position based on recent contracts on our platform.
Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
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