Jörg Schäfer

Interim Manager / Consultant

Oberursel (Taunus), Germany
Experience
Aug 2023 - Mar 2024
8 months
Nonnweiler, Germany

Interim Manager / Consultant

A.Mueller group (part of Sunlight Industries, GR)

Market-leading corporate group for energy storage; group: 6500 employees, revenue: USD 1800m.

  • After majority takeover of the Müller Group by Sunlight, following restructuring and integration projects of subsidiaries.
  • Restructured 3 subsidiaries in Germany, UK & Portugal.
  • Profitable realignment of the German company; integration, sale or closure of the UK & PT companies.
Sep 2020 - Dec 2022
2 years 4 months

Interim Manager / Consultant

ecoATM, LLC

Market leader for automated buyback of small electronic devices (smartphones, etc.); group: 480 employees, revenue: USD 65m; business model based on AI and e-commerce.

  • Majority owned by Apollo Global; after financing rounds, international expansion & market entry into Europe & Japan; decision to fully exit international markets by Q4 2022.
  • Market entry, advisory, marketing and business development for D/A/CH and Benelux.
  • Acquisition of partners with testing and scaling rounds: electronics retail (MediaMarkt/Saturn); malls (ECE, MEC, ILG); grocery/DIY retail (Globus, Rewe); banks/savings banks.
Mar 2019 - May 2020
1 year 3 months

Interim Manager / Consultant

it luggage Ltd.

UK market leader for suitcases; group: 400 employees, revenue: GBP 120m.

  • Market entry strategy and business development in German-speaking countries (D/A/CH).
  • New customers Tchibo, Metro and Woolworth (+EUR 5m) and expansion of business with Primark.
Oct 2018 - Jul 2019
10 months
Düsseldorf, Germany

Interim Manager / Consultant

DataLab GmbH

Restructuring & strategy development for new business and customer segments for a major Big Data provider; company focus on loyalty, analytics and campaigns.

  • Further development of the Insight Navigator product based on the Tableau platform.
  • New clients in new segments and support (Rewe Austria, Aldi Süd).
Jun 2018 - Aug 2018
3 months
Munich, Germany

Interim COO & Restrukturierung/Reorganisation

Aquarius Deutschland GmbH

Consumer electronics in personal care and household. Germany: 60 employees, revenue: EUR 18m.

  • Strategy to end the Carrera brand business & focus on core private label business for the largest non-food retailers, especially Aldi International.
  • Cost reduction planning for HR, locations, marketing, development, SCM.
May 2017 - May 2018
1 year 1 month
Bayreuth, Germany

Head of Sales – DACH Region

Steiner Optik GmbH (Beretta Gruppe)

Market-leading manufacturer of spotting and targeting optics + opto-electronics. Manufacturer, Germany: 155 employees, revenue: EUR 40m, group: 3000 employees, revenue: EUR 700m.

  • Restructured and completely realigned sales in the DACH region.
  • Domestic market in Germany represents half of commercial sales.
  • Reorganized customer structure and intensified cooperation with key accounts.
  • Developed and introduced a new pricing and sales model.
  • Pushed e-commerce internally (own webshop) & externally (Amazon, eBay), balancing with offline sales.
  • Turned revenue decline of -24% into growth of +2% within 12 months.
Apr 2016 - Sep 2016
6 months

Interim Manager / Consultant

Martin-Braun Gruppe (Dr.Oetker Gruppe)

FMCG (F&B), group: >13,000 employees, >EUR 2700m revenue.

  • Market analysis / UK market entry.
  • Various wholesale customers around London. No concept for UK market existed. Considered more extensive direct supply to wholesalers and retailers or switching to an exclusive importer for the UK.
  • Analyzed potential of different sales channels (retail, e-commerce, convenience, horeca).
  • New business approaches with leading retailers.
  • Decision for direct sales to multiple buyers with two national sales reps to hire.
  • First lasting successes by adding new items to the permanent range of a leading national retailer.
  • New contracts >GBP 3m annually, previous revenue <GBP 2m per year.
Jan 2016 - Mar 2016
3 months

Interim Manager / Consultant

Feetures

Sports goods manufacturer, 18 employees, sales volume: 1.5m pairs, revenue: USD 16m.

  • US market leader for high-performance sports socks looking for a new German distributor.
  • Dissatisfied with current partner’s performance.
  • Active search and placement with minimal budget.
  • Presented 2 new partners after 6 weeks.
May 2015 - Nov 2016
1 year 7 months
Telford, United Kingdom

Interim Manager / Consultant

CML F&L Ltd. (Teil der Culina Gruppe)

FMCG (F&B); fulfillment & distribution, 400 employees, Culina group: >5000 employees, >GBP 550m revenue.

  • New business & development of new business areas, reporting to owners/MD.
  • Developed new business with higher margins > own import with exclusive distribution rights > earnings from distribution/import and own logistics/fulfillment.
  • Expanded service range to include exclusive own import.
  • Searched for leading DACH companies in F&B without exclusive UK distributions.
  • Set up a new specialist department to secure support and further development.
  • Developed proposals to optimize rollout through group-wide exchange with department heads.
  • Signed exclusive contracts with leading F&B companies from Austria and Germany, revenue GBP 11m in 2016, profit GBP 1.2m and 3-year plan revenue >GBP 40m.
May 2014 - May 2015
1 year 1 month

Interim Manager / Consultant

Afar Group

Sports goods and optics / trading, 28 employees, revenue: USD 24m.

  • Taiwanese trading company has ongoing need to place new items in the European market, especially UK.
  • Matched items with potential buyers.
  • Active search at trade shows, e-commerce, distribution firms.
  • Sales successes with UK buyers GBP >1.5m p.a.
Jul 2005 - Dec 2013
8 years 6 months
Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Vorstand - Verkauf, Marketing, SupplyChain, Einkauf, Projekte, Finanzen

MCP AG

Manufacturing & European distribution of electronics & accessories (focus on production equipment: lighting systems, computers, safety, opto-electronics) capital: EUR 1.3m, staff: 24/group: 2100; revenue: EUR 18m / group: USD 270m. Sales responsibility: USD 85m and EUR 16.5m.

  • Realigned and restructured European sales in the interest of the main shareholder based in Hong Kong and its Chinese factories.
  • Created suitable product and project teams to integrate and further develop the 3 different business units:
    1. Full-service provider for the largest retailers and their suppliers (Aldi, Tchibo, Lidl, etc.).
    1. Leading manufacturer for top brands in sports electronics (Sigma, Bosch, etc.) and opto-electronic units for the two-wheel and automotive industries.
    1. Development and production for private label business of specialist retailers (Decathlon, Intersport Intl., Beurer, etc.).
  • Business unit 1 revenue growth from EUR 4m to EUR 16.5m.
  • Business units 2 & 3 direct factory > buyer, annual fee to MCP EUR 1.5m from USD 85m factory revenue.
  • 2012/3 decision by main shareholder to sell its factories and liquidate/sell the distribution companies.
Jul 1998 - Jun 2005
7 years
Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Head of new divisions & Intl. new business development

Medion AG (vorm. Phase GmbH)

Electronics and consumer goods, 1100 employees, revenue: EUR 1750m / personally responsible: EUR 158m / group staff: >60,000, revenue: USD 44,000m. Reporting directly to CEO Gerd Brachmann.

  • Developed processes from sourcing in Asia to B2C service provider for all new business and product areas.
  • Integrated and built new business areas: sports electronics, fitness, medical care, mobile computing, navigation, PNA/PDA and home appliances.
  • Together with Head of Notebooks, developed/structured the new Frankfurt site from 12 to 28 staff and integrated all new investments and acquisitions.
  • Coordinated project, product, logistics, aftersales, engineering and QA at headquarters in Essen/Mülheim with project/product teams in Frankfurt.
  • After taking over sole sales responsibility for Aldi Süd & Intl. from CEO, increased direct sales from EUR 31m to 74m in 12 months and international country sales from EUR 28m to 84m.
  • Successfully coordinated old and new clients in different areas; discount/high volume (Aldi, Tchibo, McD, ...) versus specialist retail chains/specialty suppliers (Media/Saturn, Karstadt, Decathlon, ...) and launched e-commerce platforms.
  • From July 1998 to February 2003 also served as managing director of PHASE GmbH (Frankfurt and Hong Kong): manufacturer and trader / sports electronics and medical technology, 9 employees, revenue: EUR 28m.
  • Oriented and restructured a pure patent tech company into an operating company, achieved profitability after 12 months.
  • Transferred planned production site Germany > Hong Kong; then > Shenzhen/China.
  • Medical tech clients (Siemens, Dräger) component sensorics (patient monitoring).
  • First and at that time only competitor to Polar heart rate watches in sporting goods retail; key accounts national brand Sport Scheck, Intersport, Karstadt, Lex Group.
  • OEM/ODM production of heart rate watches for various third-party brands and major buyers (Tchibo, Aral).
  • Very successful growth from EUR 0.5m to EUR 28m; initiated, negotiated and completed successful M&A process 2002 between Phase GmbH and Medion AG.
Jul 1992 - Jun 1998
6 years
Oberursel, Germany

Geschäftsführer, Verkauf/Einkauf/Marketing

Toho GmbH

Sports goods distribution with exclusive representation in Germany and Europe in cycling and outdoor sector, 14 employees, revenue: DM 11m.

  • Developed company into a Top 3 supplier for helmets & apparel (Louis Garneau/CAN).
  • Searched and set up exclusive trade agencies transitioning to permanent sales reps from 1996.
  • From 1996 significantly expanded brand/product program in cycling and outdoor.
  • LG so-called "IN" brand in 1995/96 integrated with all major specialist retail partners and associations (ZEG, Bico).
Jan 1989 - Jun 1992
3 years 6 months
Frankfurt, Germany

Organisationsleiter

Helvetia Schweizerische Versicherungen

Head of organization.

  • Headquarters for Germany / staff: 380, group: 7000 / group revenue: EUR 7766m.
Summary
  • Growth & Optimization

  • Restructuring & Organizational Development

  • Corporate Management

  • Cost Reduction

  • New Business Areas

  • Scaling

  • Exit Strategies

  • Electronics

  • Mobility

  • Sports

  • Big Data

  • International experience in general management, especially in Europe

  • Many years of expertise in leading and structuring sales teams

  • Instinct for spotting opportunities and mitigating risks

  • Experienced in complex project businesses with products that require explanation

  • Expert in multichannel sales models for B2B, B2C and DTC

  • Since 2014 high experience with UK companies built in UK

  • Knowledge in building and relocating production sites

  • Experienced in all supply chain models and their optimizations

  • Developing product strategies for own and third-party brands

  • Very successful in finding and securing brand and distribution rights

  • Good contacts, long experience and sales history with leading retail major clients, especially in Germany and the UK

Languages
German
Native
English
Advanced
Spanish
Intermediate
Chinese
Elementary
Education
Sep 1985 - Dec 1988

Berufsakademie Mannheim

Diploma in Business Administration · Business Administration, major in Insurance · Mannheim, Germany

Sep 1982 - Jun 1985

Gesamtschule Oberursel

High School Diploma · Oberursel, Germany

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