Interim HR Director DACH

One of the market leaders in hygiene and health products (e.g., ZEWA, Tempo, TENA, and Tork) with around 34,000 employees worldwide, including about 5,400 in the DACH region. Bridged the vacancy, since the previous incumbent took another position within the group in October 2024 and the new incumbent will only return from the USA in July 2025. The focus of the assignment was on:

• Leading the team of 35 employees (HR Business Partners / Talent Acquisition and Compensation & Benefits)
• Maintaining the trusted collaboration with the various employee representative bodies
• Locally implementing company-wide HR projects (Pay Transparency, Employer Branding Plan, DEI Policy, etc.) in coordination with the corporate headquarters in Stockholm

Due to the planned, illness-related absence of the office manager in my husband's architecture firm, I stepped in as support during her absence. The main focus of the role was on tendering and awarding the relevant construction trades for energy-efficient renovation of existing buildings and upscale new constructions. I also monitored the timely completion of measures concerning KfW and BAFA funding.

After the process analysis in 2022, we worked on process optimizations together with the HR Operations team:

• Optimizing communication processes and channels with local service providers and the partly used ticketing solution (Ivanti)
• Supporting the change of the payroll provider in Spain
• Introducing, training, and creating a user guide for complex analyses using the EPI Use Query Manager
• Launching the selection process for an HR services solution with document management, electronic files, workflow design, and electronic signature
• Optimizing the collaboration with SAP regarding SF Preferred Service and the assigned Customer Success Partner

Medium-sized, family-run pharmaceutical company with 980 employees worldwide. In addition to leading and advising the HR team for the headquarters and the DACH region, the following consulting services were provided:

• Support of the business units with personnel planning for 2022
• Conceptual redesign and implementation of processes in the area of HR support and administration
• Conceptual and technical redesign of the interface and cooperation with the external payroll provider

Germany’s largest dairy cooperative with 7,800 employees internationally and over €5.6 billion in revenue. Provided consulting services in connection with the ongoing HR digitization project:

• Supported the sourcing phase for an HR Service Delivery Tool for the HR Shared Service Center as part of the company-wide digitization initiative
• Decision for UKG/PeopleDoc
• Advised and coached the project lead during the implementation project

Location with 98 employees of a globally operating hearing aid manufacturer. Local project management within the transition of HR processes from the Stuttgart site to the German headquarters in Erlangen:

• Supporting the transfer of all previously locally supported HR processes into the central HR Shared Service Center
• Supporting the transformation process and serving as the HR contact person for on-site employees and managers
• Preparing communication, designing and conducting workshops on the new processes and systems (SuccessFactors, myProtime)

European holding of an American Fortune Top 20 corporation. Due to recurring issues with payroll, an analysis of the existing processes and systems around payroll was carried out for the subsidiary in the UK with approx. 23,000 employees:

• Analysis of the existing process and system landscape regarding payroll and time management
• Deriving recommendations for action for process improvements and an HR IT strategy
• Supporting the tendering process for possible co-sourcing of payroll

As part of the implementation of SAP/ERP (processes FI/CO, O2C, P2P, Retail, Sales, MDM, BI) for the largest country subsidiaries in Norway, UK, France, and Germany, responsible for building the European Change Leadership function.

• Developing and implementing standard processes and tools (global toolbox) for change leadership focusing on:
• Communication and stakeholder engagement, change readiness, organization development, and training for project staff and end users
• Implementing a network of local change agents/super users and setting up the central change team from internal staff and external consultants
• Project planning for the entire change leadership workstream
• Overall responsibility for the successful implementation of all change leadership activities "in time, in quality, and in budget"
• Onboarding the new Head of Change Leadership

German subsidiary (80 employees) of an American Fortune 500 company. Established the newly created role of HR Business Partner and took over previous finance responsibilities. Implemented and optimized basic HR standard processes and rolled out group-wide HR guidelines (performance management, talent development).

• Implemented a new time tracking system (Time3010 by AZS), including approval workflow and training for managers and employees
• Collaborated with internal and external service providers for recruiting and temporary staffing
• Worked with HR teams in the USA and UK (HRIS, compensation & benefits, talent sourcing, etc.), including local rollout of group-wide policies and frameworks
• Partnered with controlling on annual planning (headcount and personnel cost budget)
• Supported the site in transferring payroll from the local tax advisor to the payroll provider ADP
• Built a trust-based relationship with the newly elected works council committee
• Recruited, selected, and onboarded the new HR Business Partner

Freelance interim manager with the following focus areas:

• Interim Head of HR / Business Partner in corporations at levels 2 and 3
• Interim HR Director in medium-sized companies
• Interim Project Manager in complex HR projects (e.g., implementation of HR IT systems, realignment of HR organizations and processes)
• Consulting on HR controlling and risk assessment, as well as HR process analysis, optimization, and design

Since 02/2012 a DDIM® interim manager, and therefore committed to the DDIM member code of honor in all projects. I guarantee my availability for all projects fully on site (national and international). Depending on client needs, also part-time.

• Led HR sub-project for establishing the offshore subsidiary in Pune, India; set up the local HR business partner organization, recruiting, HR policies, standard processes, and HR IT (implemented a local SAP HR). Grew the company to 1,300 employees in three years
• Supported the successful establishment of additional offshore and nearshore sites (Brazil, Hungary, Russia)
• Took over negotiations for the group works agreement „SAP HR“ for the sub-group (25,000 FTE) just before the conciliation committee was called and successfully concluded the agreement
• Negotiated and implemented a framework works agreement for the „Learning Management“ process and IT tool
• Served as employer representative on the IT committee of the central works council
• Supported a department in rolling out the T-Systems in-house collective agreement (union: Verdi)

• Overall HR responsibility for a business unit (focus on SAP consulting) with approx. 500 employees
• Designed and supported extensive employer branding and recruiting activities to hire new SAP consultants, resulting in approx. 20% staff growth per year
• Developed and implemented the „Arrive“ integration program for new employees
• Responsible for implementing the new supplementary collective agreement (union: IG Metall): job classification, contract conversion, deployment of new performance evaluation and goal-setting systems, and training of managers and employees
• Advised senior management and supported the implementation of new and reorganized structures, including associated business transfers (section 613a BGB)
• Contact person for managers and employees on all aspects of employee development – from potential assessment to individual development discussions

• General HR administration tasks
• Responsible contact person for apprenticeship support and coordinating with the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK)