Björn Kowarsch - Epic Owner, Business Process Consultant

Q: Where is Björn based?

Björn is based in Munich, Germany .

Q: What languages does Björn speak?

Björn speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Elementary), Russian (Elementary) .

Q: How many years of experience does Björn have?

Björn has at least 17 years of experience. During this time, Björn has worked in at least 15 different roles and for 12 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 2 months . Note that Björn may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Björn's latest experience?

Björn's most recent position is Product Owner at ING Retail Bank .

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

In recent years, Björn has worked for ING Retail Bank , Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG , equensWorldline SE , DG Nexolution (formerly DG Verlag) , and Bertelsmann BFS Finance GmbH .

Q: Which industries is Björn most experienced in?

Björn is most experienced in industries like Banking and Finance , Information Technology (IT) , and Telecommunication . Björn also has some experience in Media, Entertainment and Publishing , Retail , and Aerospace and Defense .

Q: Which business areas is Björn most experienced in?

Björn is most experienced in business areas like Information Technology (IT) , Product Development , and Project Management . Björn also has some experience in Quality Assurance (QA) , Business Intelligence , and Legal and Compliance .

Q: Which industries has Björn worked in recently?

Björn has recently worked in industries like Banking and Finance and Telecommunication .

Q: Which business areas has Björn worked in recently?

Björn has recently worked in business areas like Information Technology (IT) , Quality Assurance (QA) , and Product Development .

Recommended expert

Munich, Germany

Experience

Aug 2025 - Feb 2026

7 months

Frankfurt, Germany

Hybrid

Product Owner

ING Retail Bank

Organizational and technical process development and design of the digitalization and online use of bank powers of attorney. Responsible for accurately capturing requirements in epics and user stories, including backlog management, MVP, implementation support, and end-to-end testing of the implementation according to the SAFe Agile Framework methodology. Created process and interface documentation and sprint demos. Built a knowledge management system based on Confluence and SharePoint, including employee training and workshops.

Dec 2022 - Dec 2024

2 years 1 month

Munich, Germany

Epic Owner, Business Process Consultant

Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG

Conceptual migration and organizational/technical process development of payment and billing processes from legacy systems to a new B2B and mass-market technology stack.
Responsible for correctly capturing requirements into epics and user stories, blueprinting, implementation support, and end-to-end testing of the implementation according to the SAFe Agile Framework methodology.
Created process and interface documentation and sprint demos.
Built a knowledge management system based on Confluence and SharePoint, including employee training.

Dec 2021 - Aug 2022

9 months

Frankfurt, Germany

Business Analyst, Solution Consultant

equensWorldline SE

Conceptual migration of card processes (issuer migration) and client reporting to banks and card schemes from legacy systems to a new platform.
Organizational/technical process development for taking over mandatory and required reporting and implementation into a new output system.
Standardized the service and reporting portfolio and related processes.
Built a knowledge management system based on Confluence and SharePoint, including employee training.

Sep 2021 - Dec 2021

4 months

Wiesbaden, Germany

Provider Management and Consulting

DG Nexolution (formerly DG Verlag)

Supported the provider management department in ensuring IT security requirements (BAIT, MaRisk, KWG) in outsourcing.
Created internal emergency plans (BCM, DR) and control systems (ICS) to comply with and enhance these requirements.
Handled VISA and Mastercard mandates.

Sep 2020 - Sep 2021

1 year 1 month

Gütersloh, Germany

Product Owner, Business Analyst, Solution Consultant

Bertelsmann BFS Finance GmbH

Conceptual development of a fully automated, AML-compliant company and business partner identification platform module, including determination of the ultimate beneficial owner(s).
UI/UX design of a web interface to control and configure the module as well as template-based output of results.
Organizational and technical process development for GDPR-compliant data processing.
Reading, understanding and applying various regulatory requirements and capturing them in epics and user stories for software implementation.
Created a fork for alternative scenarios such as the supply chain/sustainability law.

Jan 2020 - Jun 2020

6 months

Wiesbaden, Germany

Project Management, Product Management Support, Consulting

DG Nexolution (formerly DG Verlag)

Project management and product management support for an HCE-based Android payment app to achieve certification from the industry association.
Project management for a new physical credit card program (personalization and production, validation and approval).
Consulting and support in setting up a provider management department and managing service providers.

Jan 2019 - Oct 2019

10 months

Gütersloh, Germany

Data Analyst / Interface Analyst

Bertelsmann BFS Finance GmbH

Analysis of regulatory and business requirements to build a company data warehouse with the leading credit bureaus.
Analysis, testing, and business intelligence of company data and interface specifications for technical integration.
Advising the client on regulatory requirements and the technical implementation of an AML-compliant credit information agency.

Jan 2018 - Dec 2018

1 year

Munich, Germany

Senior Product Consultant

Wirecard Bank

Analyzing regulatory and business requirements and creating implementation proposals and concepts.
Coordinating and agile project management of technical integrations and improvements around the core banking system and card-based banking products.
Implementing regulatory requirements (NPP, POG, MaRisk).
Standardizing the product portfolio and processes.
Consulting fintech companies in the areas of lending and factoring, such as Billie and Face Value.

Sep 2013 - Dec 2017

4 years 4 months

Germany

Senior Technical Consultant

Wirecard Technologies

Analyzing regulatory and business requirements and creating implementation proposals and concepts for card-based financial products.
Agile project and product management in financial services, such as issuing, acquiring, payment gateways and mobile payment apps and wallets.
Handling RFIs and RFPs.
Coordinating and leading technical integrations and client projects in eCommerce, savings & loyalty, credit cards, and mobile payments with HCE and NFC.
Consulting fintech companies like Savedroid, N26 and others.

Sep 2012 - Aug 2013

1 year

Germany

Software Development Project Manager

RatePAY GmbH

Implementing payment and credit decision solutions in client and partner systems.
Further developing shop plugins and interfaces.
Managing internal and external development resources.

Nov 2011 - Aug 2012

10 months

Germany

Project Manager for Technical eCommerce Integration

RatePAY GmbH

Integration of credit agencies, risk management systems and Payment Service Providers (PSPs) into the systems of RatePAY GmbH and the Otto Group.
Integration with online retailers' systems and marketplace platforms.

Sep 2009 - Apr 2011

1 year 8 months

Germany

Technical Consultant

it-testpro GmbH

Requirements analysis and test case creation for the trial operation of the European train control and signaling system ETCS / ERTMS on the Munich-Ingolstadt-Nuremberg test track.
Establishment of an in-house software and hardware testing department and test automation for VoIP network devices and services.
Coordination and execution of quality assurance and acceptance tests for eCommerce and CRM systems.
Team leadership of Quality Assurance and User Acceptance Testing for Adidas AG in Herzogenaurach.

Feb 2009 - Aug 2009

7 months

Frankfurt, Germany

Subproject Lead System Integration

Lufthansa Systems AG

Subproject leadership for system integration in the large-scale "Refactoring Miles & More" loyalty platform project.
Collaboration with Loyalty Partner Solutions in Munich (Payback).

Aug 2008 - Jan 2009

6 months

Los Angeles, United States

QA Analyst and Team Leader

Jamba GmbH / Fox Media Entertainment

Launch of the music download platform "MySpace Music" for the MySpace business unit.
Quality assurance of WAP and SMS services, mobile music and video streaming, content delivery, and mobile billing for the Fox Media Entertainment markets in Canada, USA, and Brazil via mobile network operators.

Aug 2006 - Jul 2008

2 years

Berlin, Germany

Quality Assurance Analyst

Jamba! GmbH

Quality assurance of content and platform for the launch of the music download platform "Jamba Music".
Quality assurance of WAP and SMS services, mobile music and video streaming, content delivery, and mobile billing for all German providers: E-Plus, Vodafone, T-Mobile, and O2 (Telefonica).

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 (11 years), Information Technology (9 years), Telecommunication (6 years), Media and Entertainment (2.5 years), Retail (1.5 years), and Aerospace and Defense (0.5 years).

Banking and Finance

Information Technology

Telecommunication

Media and Entertainment

Retail

Aerospace and Defense

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 Information Technology (15 years), Product Development (8 years), Project Management (8 years), Quality Assurance (6.5 years), Business Intelligence (1.5 years), and Legal (1 year).

Information Technology

Product Development

Project Management

Quality Assurance

Business Intelligence

Legal

Skills

Extensive Knowledge Of Standard Industry Solutions, Web And Application Servers, Databases And Operating Systems, As Well As Network Technologies And Protocols, Interfaces (Api), Virtualization And Container Solutions, Cloud Solutions And Blockchain Technologies, Including Smart Contracts.
Very Experienced In Using Jira & Confluence Including Many Plug-ins, And Working Remotely Via Ucc, Even Before The Pandemic.

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

French

Elementary

Russian

Elementary

Education

Apr 2003 - Sep 2004

TU Berlin

Materials Science · Berlin, Germany

Oct 2001 - Mar 2003

FHTW Berlin

Telecommunications Electronics · Berlin, Germany

Certifications & licenses

MMAI - Master Management with AI

MMAI / SGO Business School

PMP Project Management Professional

ITIL V3 IT Service Management

Profile

Created

January 2023

Last Update

February 2026

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Frequently asked questions

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

Where is Björn based?

Björn is based in Munich, Germany.

What languages does Björn speak?

Björn speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Elementary), Russian (Elementary).

How many years of experience does Björn have?

Björn has at least 17 years of experience. During this time, Björn has worked in at least 15 different roles and for 12 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 2 months. Note that Björn may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Björn be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Björn would be well-suited for roles such as: Product Owner, Epic Owner, Business Process Consultant, Business Analyst, Solution Consultant.

What is Björn's latest experience?

Björn's most recent position is Product Owner at ING Retail Bank.

What companies has Björn worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Björn has worked for ING Retail Bank, Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG, equensWorldline SE, DG Nexolution (formerly DG Verlag), and Bertelsmann BFS Finance GmbH.

Which industries is Björn most experienced in?

Björn is most experienced in industries like Banking and Finance, Information Technology (IT), and Telecommunication. Björn also has some experience in Media, Entertainment and Publishing, Retail, and Aerospace and Defense.

Which business areas is Björn most experienced in?

Björn is most experienced in business areas like Information Technology (IT), Product Development, and Project Management. Björn also has some experience in Quality Assurance (QA), Business Intelligence, and Legal and Compliance.

Which industries has Björn worked in recently?

Björn has recently worked in industries like Banking and Finance and Telecommunication.

Which business areas has Björn worked in recently?

Björn has recently worked in business areas like Information Technology (IT), Quality Assurance (QA), and Product Development.

What is Björn's education?

Björn attended TU Berlin for Materials Science.

Does Björn have any certificates?

Björn has 3 certificates. These include: MMAI - Master Management with AI, PMP Project Management Professional, and ITIL V3 IT Service Management.

What is the availability of Björn?

Björn will be available from March 2026.

What is the rate of Björn?

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