Christian Wolf
Head of Innovation
Experience
Head of Innovation
C. Josef Lamy GmbH
- Full-time: Hybrid home office/Berlin/Heidelberg
- Set up an innovation division at the new Berlin location, recruited the core team and defined a repeatable innovation process in just 2 months
- Conceptualized 4 innovative digital product ideas beyond the writing instrument range in just 3 months
- Fully developed a complex product (software/hardware) for higher productivity and mental health of creative workers (kōno), including business planning, independent market testing and launch strategy recommendations
Interim Head of Sales and Business Development
Wunderflats GmbH
- Covered a vacancy: Hybrid home office/Berlin
- Led a department with 2 team leaders (Sales, Business Development) and managed 27 team members
- Coached low performers in the team, leading to significant performance improvements
- Handled recruitment to support the company's continued above-average growth
Consultant and Interim Manager
nu technologies GmbH
- Advised innovative companies on founding, business setup and financing strategy
- Interim management in leadership positions
Co-founder and Managing Director
parlamind GmbH
- Full-time: Hybrid home office/Berlin
- Exited the company to a call center software provider in 2018, generating a profit for early-stage investors
- Built the company from an AI research project (University of Potsdam), developing & implementing all company processes (HR, accounting, etc.)
- Raised over €2.3M in seed funding from public grants & private early-stage investors, responsible for investor relations
- Built a B2B sales process and acquired the first >120 beta customers (B2B)
Member of the Advisory Board
asgoodasnew electronics GmbH
- Advised executive management on strategy matters
- Negotiated two additional funding rounds of €7M and €15M
Startup Fundraiser and Strategy Consultant
nu technologies GmbH
- Advising innovative companies on business development and financing strategy
Founder and Managing Director
asgoodasnew electronics GmbH
- Full-time: Berlin/Frankfurt (Oder)
- Company independently profitable (> EUR 100M annual revenue, 150 employees)
- Built the company from scratch to > 100 employees and > EUR 20M in revenue (B2C)
- Set up company processes (software development, device testing, refurbishment, HR, accounting, etc.), recruited a junior management team, mentored the management team
- Raised funds from Seed to Series C (> EUR 10M), negotiated a TV advertising contract worth > EUR 25M
- Expanded the business internationally to Austria, Poland, and Spain
Consultant and Interim Manager
Self-employed
Co-founder and Managing Director
Qiro GmbH
Innovation Lab Project Manager, Customer Behaviour & Needs Intern
Deutsche Telekom Laboratories
Marketing Assistant, Apprenticeship as Industrial Clerk
Rastal GmbH & Co. KG
Summary
I love problems. Finding and solving them is my life's mission. That's why I became an entrepreneur and innovator.
My heart beats for radically innovative products and business models—especially digital ones. But I'm equally excited to tackle any kind of entrepreneurial challenge and support other entrepreneurs as a partner at the first or second leadership level.
As an entrepreneur or managing director (CEO/COO/CDO), I build agile structures (People, Tools, Processes) from the ground up or reshape them for future challenges. I draw on my broad business management knowledge and my many years of experience as a GmbH managing director. When I can't make progress alone, I tap into my extensive international network.
As the person responsible for innovation at the second management level (Head of Innovation, VP, division head), I define fitting innovation processes for the whole organization and recruit top creatives and technicians. I guide concepts from idea generation to market launch. In finding and developing innovative product ideas, I rely above all on user- and customer-centered methods (e.g., Design Thinking).
As an interim manager at the first or second management level, I solve acute problems of any kind. From covering a vacancy to radically restructuring a non-performing division or team. I'm most effective where a user- and customer-centered approach is needed: innovation, product management, marketing, sales or operations.
My greatest strengths are building and leading creative, multidisciplinary teams (from recruiting to peak productivity). I lead in an agile and participative way with elements of visionary and servant leadership. An open, honest company culture with communication at eye level is very important to me, and I put great effort into contributing to it.
Skills
- Ey Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012 Finalist
- Brandenburg Future Prize 2011
- Internet World Business Five People To Watch 2010
Languages
Education
Jönköping International Business School
Erasmus Exchange Semester · Jönköping, Sweden
Europa-Universität Viadrina
Diploma in Business Administration · International Business Administration · Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany · 1.7 – good
Certifications & licenses
Organizational Design And Management
HEC Paris
Design Thinking For Innovation
University Of Virginia
Profile
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