Ioana-Cristina Ognibeni - Senior Product Lead

Q: Where is Ioana-Cristina based?

Ioana-Cristina is based in Augsburg, Germany and can operate in on-site , hybrid , and remote work models.

Q: What languages does Ioana-Cristina speak?

Ioana-Cristina speaks the following languages: Romanian (Native), English (Advanced), French (Advanced), German (Intermediate), Portuguese (Elementary) .

Q: How many years of experience does Ioana-Cristina have?

Ioana-Cristina has at least 12 years of experience. During this time, Ioana-Cristina has worked in at least 9 different roles and for 7 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 3 months . Note that Ioana-Cristina may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Ioana-Cristina's latest experience?

Ioana-Cristina's most recent position is Senior Product Lead at Freelance .

Q: What companies has Ioana-Cristina worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Ioana-Cristina has worked for Freelance , Virtual Identity AG , and Xentral ERP Software GmbH .

Q: Which industries is Ioana-Cristina most experienced in?

Ioana-Cristina is most experienced in industries like Information Technology (IT) , Professional Services , and Automotive . Ioana-Cristina also has some experience in Retail , Energy , and Pharmaceutical .

Q: Which business areas is Ioana-Cristina most experienced in?

Ioana-Cristina is most experienced in business areas like Product Development , Human Resources (HR) , and Project Management . Ioana-Cristina also has some experience in Strategy and Planning , Business Intelligence , and Information Technology (IT) .

Q: Which industries has Ioana-Cristina worked in recently?

Ioana-Cristina has recently worked in industries like Professional Services , Information Technology (IT) , and Automotive .

Q: Which business areas has Ioana-Cristina worked in recently?

Ioana-Cristina has recently worked in business areas like Human Resources (HR) , Product Development , and Business Intelligence .

Recommended expert

Augsburg, Germany

Experience

Jan 2023 - Present

3 years 3 months

Senior Product Lead

Freelance

Coached product managers and engineers across multiple organizations, shaping team structures and ways of working to improve product outcomes.
Conducted market research for an AI-agentic library product idea in automotive, identified key assumptions, delivered a detailed Lean Canvas with product definition and a prototype in Lovable for validation with potential customers.
Facilitated the definition of the omnichannel vision for a German retail chain, created the opportunity–solution tree based on research and feedback, and collaborated with a cross-functional team to connect the vision to architectural principles.
Ensured successful product management transitions in several companies during interim periods, hitting the ground running with minimal handover time.
Delivered multiple trainings and workshops on product discovery best practices.

Oct 2021 - Dec 2023

2 years 3 months

Munich, Germany

Senior Product Manager/Product Lead for a counselling app

Virtual Identity AG

Led the company’s product initiative through MVP, go-to-market readiness, shaping value proposition, target segments, and success metrics while working towards product–market fit.
Partnered with top management on P&L-related analyses and product team recruiting decisions.
Successfully led client projects in the pharma and energy sectors, focusing on outcomes rather than output.
Mentored, trained, and supported teams in transitioning to product thinking within the project world.

Jan 2021 - Sep 2021

9 months

Augsburg, Germany

Senior Product Manager new User Experience Xentral ERP

Xentral ERP Software GmbH

Led the end-to-end redesign of the Xentral ERP user experience with a distributed team of four UX designers and multiple developers.
Conducted user interviews, performed competitive analysis, analyzed usage metrics and complex business processes, and designed TO-BE processes with UML diagrams.
Drove product development using Scrum.
Consulted top management on team topologies and agile implementation.

Jul 2020 - Present

5 years 9 months

Certified Personal, Leadership and Executive Coach

Feb 2019 - Jul 2020

1 year 6 months

Karlsruhe, Germany

Product Owner new abas ERP Web Client

abas software ag

Led a distributed team of developers and UX across Germany, Bulgaria, and the US to adapt and implement existing ERP functionalities, leveraging web advantages for client benefit.
Led internal and external adoption efforts of the new web UI.
Aligned efforts of multiple development teams in a complex organizational setup.
Hosted webinars to demo the product, delivered detailed user documentation, FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and provided direct support for partners and customers.

Mar 2018 - Jan 2019

11 months

Language-study year

Studied German from scratch to reach B2 level (certified B2 TELC).

Sep 2016 - Feb 2018

1 year 6 months

Boston, United States

Product Manager GoToMeeting/GoToAssist

LogMeIn, Inc.

Provided input for defining strategic product direction in collaboration with multiple product managers.
Defined and assessed new product initiatives using Lean Canvas, working with UX and architects to frame problem and solution spaces, and data analysts to understand adoption and retention drivers.
Coordinated multiple distributed teams across time zones to deliver new value to customers in a timely manner.
Acted as single point of contact for go-to-market activities, aligning product, technical writers, care, sales, marketing, product marketing, and customer engagement to ensure GTM readiness.

Sep 2014 - Oct 2016

2 years 2 months

International Project Manager – eCommerce, ERPs, HRIS implementations

Various Clients

Implemented a Magento-based eCommerce solution for a Switzerland-based food industry client, leading a distributed team of up to 18 members across Romania, the US, and Argentina for China and Hong Kong markets.
Implemented a Magento-based eCommerce solution for a Portuguese fashion industry client using agile methodology with a distributed team across four time zones.
Localized and implemented a NAVISION-based ERP application for the tire industry, deploying in 14 stores.
Implemented a new retail ERP system for 3,000 stores and migrated 120 stores to the new platform (modules: Retail POS and BOS, Purchase, Stock, Sales, Analytics).
Implemented HRIS modules including Payroll, Personnel, and Time & Attendance for a Romanian client with over 8,000 employees.

Sep 2014 - Aug 2016

2 years

Montabaur, Germany

Product Owner & Scrum Master Internal Customer Care Tooling

1&1 Internet Development

Defined business value for new functionality and product ideas.
Conducted extensive business analysis sessions with stakeholders, analyzed existing documentation and tools, and delivered detailed process analysis and designs in Signavio for abuse and fraud operations.
Led the development team to deliver new features based on the prioritized backlog.

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 Information Technology (10 years), Automotive (5.5 years), Retail (5.5 years), Professional Services (5.5 years), Energy (2 years), and Pharmaceutical (2 years).

Information Technology

Automotive

Retail

Professional Services

Energy

Pharmaceutical

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 Product Development (10 years), Human Resources (8 years), Project Management (6.5 years), Strategy (4.5 years), Business Intelligence (3 years), and Information Technology (2 years).

Product Development

Human Resources

Project Management

Strategy

Business Intelligence

Information Technology

Skills

Product Management

B2b And B2c
Product/feature Definition: Lean Canvas, Business Model Canvas
Discovery: Conduct Effective Customer/user Interviews, Data Analysis, Customer Journey Mapping, User Story Mapping
Delivery: Ability To Drive A Product/feature From Ideation To Market Release; Plan And Drive Go-to-market Readiness, Analytics To Measure Success
Ability To Collaborate Across Disciplines And To Coagulate The Teams’ Efforts Towards Achieving The Goal
Ability To Navigate Complex Competitive, Partner, And Stakeholder Ecosystems.

Project Management

Project Management Experience In Both Waterfall And Agile Environments
Know-how And Proven Experience In All Process Groups And All Project Knowledge Areas, According To Pmi Standard
Contract Negotiation, Budget Monitoring.

Soft Skills And Competencies

Team Leadership
Highly Creative Thinking Combined With Keen Analytical Skills
Problem Solving Oriented, Conflict Resolution Skills
Time Management
High Interest In Interpersonal Communication, Transactional Analysis.

Languages

Romanian

Native

English

Advanced

French

Advanced

German

Intermediate

Portuguese

Elementary

Education

Oct 2006 - Jun 2008

Academia de Studii Economice – Faculty of Cybernetics, Statistics & Computer Science

Master Degree in Project Management · Project Management · Bucharest, Romania

Oct 2002 - Jun 2006

Academia de Studii Economice – Faculty of Cybernetics, Statistics & Computer Science

Bachelor Degree in Computer Science · Computer Science · Bucharest, Romania

Certifications & licenses

Certified Personal, Leadership And Executive Coach

Kingstown College

Certified Scrumm Product Owner

Scrum Alliance

Certified Trainer

Schultz Consulting

Profile

Created

January 2026

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Frequently asked questions

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

Where is Ioana-Cristina based?

Ioana-Cristina is based in Augsburg, Germany and can operate in on-site, hybrid, and remote work models.

What languages does Ioana-Cristina speak?

Ioana-Cristina speaks the following languages: Romanian (Native), English (Advanced), French (Advanced), German (Intermediate), Portuguese (Elementary).

How many years of experience does Ioana-Cristina have?

Ioana-Cristina has at least 12 years of experience. During this time, Ioana-Cristina has worked in at least 9 different roles and for 7 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 3 months. Note that Ioana-Cristina may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Ioana-Cristina be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Ioana-Cristina would be well-suited for roles such as: Senior Product Lead, Senior Product Manager/Product Lead for a counselling app, Senior Product Manager new User Experience Xentral ERP.

What is Ioana-Cristina's latest experience?

Ioana-Cristina's most recent position is Senior Product Lead at Freelance.

What companies has Ioana-Cristina worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Ioana-Cristina has worked for Freelance, Virtual Identity AG, and Xentral ERP Software GmbH.

Which industries is Ioana-Cristina most experienced in?

Ioana-Cristina is most experienced in industries like Information Technology (IT), Professional Services, and Automotive. Ioana-Cristina also has some experience in Retail, Energy, and Pharmaceutical.

Which business areas is Ioana-Cristina most experienced in?

Ioana-Cristina is most experienced in business areas like Product Development, Human Resources (HR), and Project Management. Ioana-Cristina also has some experience in Strategy and Planning, Business Intelligence, and Information Technology (IT).

Which industries has Ioana-Cristina worked in recently?

Ioana-Cristina has recently worked in industries like Professional Services, Information Technology (IT), and Automotive.

Which business areas has Ioana-Cristina worked in recently?

Ioana-Cristina has recently worked in business areas like Human Resources (HR), Product Development, and Business Intelligence.

What is Ioana-Cristina's education?

Ioana-Cristina holds a Master in Project Management from Academia de Studii Economice – Faculty of Cybernetics, Statistics & Computer Science and a Bachelor in Computer Science from Academia de Studii Economice – Faculty of Cybernetics, Statistics & Computer Science.

Does Ioana-Cristina have any certificates?

Ioana-Cristina has 3 certificates. These include: Certified Personal, Leadership And Executive Coach, Certified Scrumm Product Owner, and Certified Trainer.

What is the availability of Ioana-Cristina?

Ioana-Cristina is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Ioana-Cristina?

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