Florian (Dr.) Forster
Senior Director, Global Education Excellence
Experience
Senior Director, Global Education Excellence
IU.org - International University Group
Led agile transformations of 170 FTEs for Germany, the UK, and Canada, boosted efficiency by +15% and employee NPS by +36 bps.
Directed a 20-member AI/SaaS team to develop GenAI solutions for video/text development, cutting costs by 75% and increasing productivity by +50% through process training and workflow optimization.
Managed a €12M P&L, achieving €1.3M annual OpEx savings via organizational and process optimization and partner collaboration.
Country Manager - Germany, Austria, Switzerland (DACH)
Alibaba.com
Built and ran a go-to-market strategy for Mittelstand (SME) and built a high-performing sales and marketing team of 12 FTEs.
Negotiated and secured 10 strategic partnerships, grew B2B customer base to 100+, delivered the highest global basket value of +30%.
Served as media spokesperson at 25+ industry events, boosted brand visibility and sales pipeline to 1000+ qualified leads.
Head of Operational Excellence & Head of Customer Care & Head of Product (VP level)
zooplus.com
Delivered strategic guidance to the COO and board by establishing an agile Project Management Office (PMO, 12 FTEs), setting OKRs to prioritize operational and strategic improvement initiatives for 300+ FTEs across 9 departments. Delisting Hellman & Friedmann, EQT.
Initiated digital transformation of the global customer service team (30 FTEs, 600 agents) for 5M inquiries p.a. in 22 languages with 5 BPOs. Head of Product: launched new CRM, reduced budget by -15%, and improved customer satisfaction by +25%.
Championed a €900K carbon footprint offsetting program, optimized supply chain processes, and positioned Zooplus as the industry leader in sustainability.
Head of International Strategic Innovation
Dirk Rossmann - A.S. Watson Group
Established and led a European innovation hub, driving New Retail and digital transformation while enhancing cross-border collaboration for six European entities.
Advised C-level on strategies to optimize operations and redesign business processes (e.g., self-checkout, loyalty app), improving efficiency and fostering innovation.
Acting Country Leader - Marketplace Prime Now Germany
Amazon.com
Launched ultra-fast delivery service in 9 months, exceeding revenue targets by +50% through cross-functional collaboration with a team of 8 and 5 strategic partners.
Created a new logistics and organizational structure, reduced costs by 25%, and improved delivery efficiency and scalability through technical leadership.
Co-founded a recognized initiative promoting inclusivity across thousands of Amazon employees, improved cross-team collaboration, and drove employee engagement.
Founder, CEO, Strategic Consultant & Advisor
Forster&Co
- Helping organizations thrive in today’s fast-paced, ambidextrous world by proving excellence in digital, strategy, and transformation through principles grounded in academia and successfully applied at international corporations.
Senior Program Manager - Marketplace Germany & Europe
Amazon.com
Coordinated cross-functional collaboration between 50 stakeholders to launch the European Fulfillment Network, reducing fulfillment costs by -20% while enhancing delivery speed and customer satisfaction. Ownership Amazon Marketplace, focus FBA.
Developed and deployed an innovative data collection tool for EU Account Managers, improving seller insights by 5x accuracy and speed, driving business growth and customer satisfaction.
Streamlined operations procedures for long-tail selection and returns, driving a +5% to +25% increase in product assortment and profitability across key European markets.
Head of Business Incubator & Co-founder
HSG Entrepreneurship Campus
Co-founded a business accelerator, raising €1M+ in venture funding and supporting the launch of 13 start-ups.
Designed and led founder programs, boosting awareness and participation among entrepreneurial students and alumni.
Project Leader & Startup Coach
WHU Accelerator
Launched an entrepreneurial ecosystem engaging 100+ students, alumni, and corporations, securing €500K in venture funding.
Established a mentoring program for entrepreneurial students and successfully ran two prestigious international business plan competitions.
Head of Business Development Central Europe
FON Technology S.L.
Built strategic partnerships with major European corporations (e.g., DTAG, KPM, XING), driving market expansion in the telecom and media sectors.
Scaled a peer-to-peer business model to achieve 2M+ hotspots globally, pioneering pre-SaaS innovations.
Launched an urban Wi-Fi community showcase, increasing user engagement by 3x and enhancing public network visibility in key cities.
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 Professional Services (15 years), Retail (8 years), Education (6 years), Transportation (4.5 years), Information Technology (4 years), and Media and Entertainment (4 years).
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 Strategy (14 years), Information Technology (10 years), Project Management (9.5 years), Operations (9 years), Marketing (9 years), and Sales (6 years).
Summary
Decisive and empathetic leader in digital innovation and operations with 13+ years of global experience across 20+ countries.
Honored as a ‘Top 100 Thought Leader in E-Commerce‘, I excel in scaling high-performing teams from 0 to 650 FTEs, managing P&Ls exceeding €12M, and leveraging AI- and tech-driven solutions to drive growth, operational efficiency, and sustainable results.
Adaptable to complex VUCA environments, I combine hands-on execution with strategic vision to solve challenges and deliver transformative outcomes. Known for navigating ambiguity with agility and decisiveness, I thrive on creating lasting impact through strategic change, cross-functional leadership, and the development of positive, goal-oriented cultures.
Skills
- Team Leadership & Organizational Growth: Skilled In Building Cross-functional, High-performing Teams, Promoting Talent Development, And Aligning Strategic Initiatives With Business Goals. Adept At Computational Thinking And Forming Strategic Partnerships.
- Digital Transformation & Strategy: Expertise In Digital Ecosystems, Technology Adoption, And Innovation Frameworks, Leading Complex Digital Transformations To Drive Resilience And Efficiency.
- Stakeholder Communication: Expertise In Written And Oral Executive-level Reporting, Relationship Management, And Stakeholder Alignment, Ensuring Cross-functional Cohesion And Clear Communication Of Strategic Priorities.
- Technical Mastery: Proficient In Ai, Ai Agents (E.g., Chat Engine), Genai, Power Bi, Python, Sql, Tableau, Qualtrics, Looker, Aws, Oracle, And Salesforce. Experienced In E-commerce, Saas, Crm Systems, Predictive Data Analytics, And Ai-driven Decision-making.
- Project & Process Management: Proven Mastery In Agile Methodologies (Scrum, Safe, Less), Cip, Lean Six Sigma, Okrs, Business Intelligence, Pmi And Prince2, Process Optimization, And Kpi Management.
- Change Management & Csr: Proven Ability In Change Management, Crisis Navigation, Conflict Resolution, Training, And Fostering Resilient Organizations - Experienced In Csr, Sustainable Business Practices, And Esg Initiatives.
Languages
Education
Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Dipl.-Kfm. Univ., equivalent to Master in Business and IT · Management and Computer Science · Munich, Germany · Magna cum laude
University of California, Berkeley - Haas School of Business
Postdoctoral Researcher and SNCF Fellow · Sustainability and Cluster of Innovation · Berkeley, United States
University of St.Gallen (HSG) - Institute of Technology Management
Doctoral Student in Entrepreneurship · Entrepreneurship · St. Gallen, Switzerland
Certifications & licenses
Generative AI
Systemic Business Coaching
Profile
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