Axel Zabel - Independent Management Consultant

Q: Where is Axel based?

Axel is based in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany .

Q: What languages does Axel speak?

Axel speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Advanced) .

Q: How many years of experience does Axel have?

Axel has at least 33 years of experience. During this time, Axel has worked in at least 9 different roles and for 9 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 3 years . Note that Axel may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Axel's latest experience?

Axel's most recent position is Independent Management Consultant at Independent Management Consultant .

Q: What companies has Axel worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Axel has worked for Independent Management Consultant .

Q: Which industries is Axel most experienced in?

Axel is most experienced in industries like Banking and Finance , Professional Services , and Energy . Axel also has some experience in Advertising , Aerospace and Defense , and Insurance .

Q: Which business areas is Axel most experienced in?

Axel is most experienced in business areas like Customer Service , Operations , and Project Management . Axel also has some experience in Product Development , Information Technology (IT) , and Strategy and Planning .

Q: Which industries has Axel worked in recently?

Axel has recently worked in industries like Energy , Banking and Finance , and Professional Services .

Q: Which business areas has Axel worked in recently?

Axel has recently worked in business areas like Customer Service , Information Technology (IT) , and Marketing .

Recommended expert

Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany

Experience

Apr 2020 - Present

5 years 11 months

Independent Management Consultant

Advising companies and institutions in customer service, customer experience, customer centricity, user journeys, CRM strategy, operations, digital banking, payments, and energy
Selecting and implementing CRM systems
Selecting and implementing billing/ERP systems
Selecting and implementing omnichannel systems
Selecting and implementing knowledge management systems
Interim management roles (COO, CCSO)
Project management for CRM and IT projects as well as software solution rollouts
Incident management (leading task forces)

Jan 2019 - Mar 2020

1 year 3 months

Chief Operating Officer

Velvon GmbH (Mobile Banking)

Strategic leadership of cross-site operations units including customer service, payments, transaction processing, card management, compliance, and complaints management
Ensuring the smooth operation of all processes in customer service and transaction processing
Responsible for about 200 employees and technical and disciplinary leadership of five direct reports
Planning and implementing change processes, including a successful restructuring of the organization and functions
Steering and optimizing customer centricity using KPIs and weekly participation in customer calls in the call center
Digitization and automation of service processes
Implementing product optimizations in cooperation with the Chief Product Officer
Agile project management and sprint planning with Jira
Stakeholder management of internal and external service providers
Designing, developing, and implementing CRM/ticketing software
Introducing an ACD system (Genesys)
Implementing a digital KYC process (video identification)
Rolling out digital onboarding and digital workflow processes (omnichannel)
Creating process documentation via Confluence and introducing a knowledge management system
Building KPI dashboards, production checkpoints, as well as C-SAT and NPS scorings

Nov 2015 - Dec 2018

3 years 2 months

Eschborn, Germany

Director Customer Service

Concardis GmbH (Payment Acquirer)

Managing customer service (inbound and outbound) across multiple locations with direct reporting to the COO
Leading about 150 employees
Building a digital onboarding process
Developing and launching a merchant service platform
Key account management for large clients in aviation and retail
Leading various large-scale projects, e.g. designing and implementing a CRM and ticketing system (Salesforce)
Digitizing workflows and process chains (omnichannel)
Implementing extensive change initiatives
Strategically building outbound and operationally optimizing inbound calls
Establishing a site in Eschborn including defining organizational structure, processes, and selecting team leaders

Oct 2014 - Oct 2015

1 year 1 month

Independent Management Consultant

Advising companies and institutions in project management, customer service, operations, and CRM strategy
Consulting on the acquisition and integration of a bank into a large German banking group in Frankfurt
Optimizing customer service and CRM strategy for a major German university hospital in Berlin

Oct 2010 - Sep 2014

4 years

Stuttgart, Germany

Director of Private Customer Service

Wüstenrot & Württembergische AG

Leading payment processing, account setup, and account management with direct reporting to the COO of W&W AG and the bank’s board
Managing about 250 employees
Project management for the strategic setup of outbound calls and operational optimization of inbound calls within the group with 20 project members
Designing a CRM solution and integrating social media interfaces into customer service
Developing new banking products with a focus on customer service
Leading the cross-group project "Free Waiting Line" to change service numbers from 0180 series

Aug 2007 - Sep 2010

3 years 2 months

Ludwigsburg, Germany

Director Customer Service

Wüstenrot Bank AG Pfandbriefbank

Nov 2005 - Jul 2007

1 year 9 months

Munich, Germany

General Manager

Teleperformance Deutschland GmbH

Apr 2003 - Oct 2005

2 years 7 months

Munich, Germany

Head of Data Operations

telegate AG (11880)

Jan 2001 - Mar 2003

2 years 3 months

Ditzingen, Germany

Head of Product Management | Executive Application Licensing

Schober Information Group

Oct 1997 - Dec 2000

3 years 3 months

Ditzingen, Germany

Assistant to the Holding Executive Management and Head of Sales Controlling

Schober Information Group

Mar 1993 - Jun 1997

4 years 4 months

Stetten am kalten Markt, Germany

Company Commander of Panzergrenadier Battalion 294

German Armed Forces

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 Banking and Finance (18.5 years), Professional Services (7.5 years), Energy (6 years), Advertising (5.5 years), Aerospace and Defense (4.5 years), and Insurance (4 years).

Banking and Finance

Professional Services

Energy

Advertising

Aerospace and Defense

Insurance

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 Customer Service (20.5 years), Operations (15.5 years), Project Management (15.5 years), Product Development (9 years), Information Technology (8.5 years), and Strategy (7 years).

Customer Service

Operations

Project Management

Product Development

Information Technology

Strategy

Summary

Goal-oriented and action-driven graduate in business administration with extensive experience in strategic and operational business alignment and development
Demonstrable successes in planning, execution, and leadership of large-scale projects with a focus on customer service, process optimization, digitization, as well as change and innovation management
Authentic and motivating leader with over 20 years of experience in managing and developing employees through a participative leadership style
Diplomatic communicator with strategic vision and entrepreneurial acumen
Proactive – result & solution-oriented – reliable – loyal

Skills

Digitization & It
Project Management & Leadership
Operational & Strategic Management
Process Analysis & Optimization
Customer Service
People Management
Change Management
Sap Cx (V1, V2, Sales, Service, And Marketing Cloud)
Salesforce Energy & Utilities Cloud
Ms Dynamics
Freshdesk
Hubspot
Thinkowl
Novomind
Bsi
Zendesk
Smart Crm
Sap Crm Cx
Sap Is-u
Sap Erp
Atlassian Jira
Confluence
Power Bi
Bpmn
Adonis
Aris
Ms Office
Talkdesk
Genesys Cloud
Avaya
Alcatel
Invision
Sas
Usu
Sabio

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

French

Advanced

Education

Oct 1989 - Jun 1993

University of the Federal Armed Forces

Diploma in Business Administration · Business Administration · Munich, Germany

Oct 1976 - Jun 1985

Humboldt High School

General University Entrance Qualification · Karlsruhe, Germany

Profile

Created

December 2023

Last Update

February 2025

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.

Where is Axel based?

Axel is based in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany.

What languages does Axel speak?

Axel speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Advanced).

How many years of experience does Axel have?

Axel has at least 33 years of experience. During this time, Axel has worked in at least 9 different roles and for 9 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 3 years. Note that Axel may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Axel be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Axel would be well-suited for roles such as: Independent Management Consultant, Chief Operating Officer, Director Customer Service.

What is Axel's latest experience?

Axel's most recent position is Independent Management Consultant at Independent Management Consultant.

What companies has Axel worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Axel has worked for Independent Management Consultant.

Which industries is Axel most experienced in?

Axel is most experienced in industries like Banking and Finance, Professional Services, and Energy. Axel also has some experience in Advertising, Aerospace and Defense, and Insurance.

Which business areas is Axel most experienced in?

Axel is most experienced in business areas like Customer Service, Operations, and Project Management. Axel also has some experience in Product Development, Information Technology (IT), and Strategy and Planning.

Which industries has Axel worked in recently?

Axel has recently worked in industries like Energy, Banking and Finance, and Professional Services.

Which business areas has Axel worked in recently?

Axel has recently worked in business areas like Customer Service, Information Technology (IT), and Marketing.

What is Axel's education?

Axel attended University of the Federal Armed Forces for Business Administration.

What is the availability of Axel?

Axel is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Axel?

Axel's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.