John C.
Product & Strategy Leadership
Experience
Jan 2020 - Present
6 yearsMunich, Germany
Product & Strategy Leadership
Glenevis
- Working hands-on with companies and founders on products, strategy, and execution to turn ideas into results
- Built and now operate a Direct-to-Consumer e-commerce brand, integrating Shopify, Fulfilment, Meta and Google Ads (2025)
- Developed IoT Strategy and then Solutions for a large German corporate (2021-2024)
- Project Lead for a Design House developing an IoT Device (HW/SW) using Agile (2025)
- Coaching start-ups and teaching students on Product Management and Leadership
- Provided interim support and advisory work to around 10 start-ups and CEOs, covering Products, Marketing, Sales, Pitches, and more
Jan 2013 - Dec 2020
8 yearsMunich, Germany
Manager of Products, Marketing & Campaigns
Telefónica (o2) Germany
- Led a cross-functional team of Product Managers, Marketers, Campaigners and Data Scientists in a player/coach capacity, quickly adapting to the advertising industry and gaining deep experience in personal data, targeting, and analytics
- Project and Product lead for o2 More Local, Germany’s most successful location-based advertising solution used by most major consumer brands
- Led go-to-market and full product ownership for o2 Get, a personal data rewards service created in partnership with start-up People.io
- Delivered solutions from concept to market, covering legal, privacy, vendor integration, and dual B2B/B2C launches
Jan 2009 - Dec 2011
3 yearsMunich, Germany
Director of Automotive Product Management
Intermap
- Entered the automotive sector via a global role promoting Intermap’s high-precision 3D road data for energy and driver-assistance systems (ADAS)
- Engaged with most of the top 10 global automotive OEMs and their Tier 1 suppliers
- Led product positioning and trials for 3D Roads, a high-precision dataset acting as a digital sensor of the road ahead
- Sole author of the Map Data for ADAS chapter in the Springer Handbook of Intelligent Vehicles at BMW’s invitation
Jan 2006 - Dec 2008
3 yearsMunich, Germany
VP Product Management and Marketing
Destinator
- Led product and marketing for full-stack satellite navigation solutions across mobile, automotive, and consumer devices
- Managed up to 100 development and QA staff in China and Israel, delivering both core and customer-specific navigation systems
- Navigated cross-cultural challenges with frequent work in Asia and the Middle East
- Served as interim CTO, representing the company to investors and potential acquirers on product and technology strategy
Jan 2002 - Dec 2006
5 yearsLondon, United Kingdom
VP Product Management and Marketing
Cambridge Positioning Systems
- Transformed advanced mobile location technologies (Matrix, Enhanced GPS) into commercial products during a regulatory-driven phase in telecoms (e.g. US E911)
- Led product strategy and positioning after CPS’s exit from the US E911 programme, focusing on technical differentiation and market fit
- Created and launched the first commercial deployment of CPS technology by coordinating eight partners into a single asset-tracking solution
Product Management roles
Ericsson
- Held a series of product and leadership roles during the global rise of GSM across the UK, France, Germany, and Sweden
- Signed off on major network deals, drove business transformation, and secured multi-€100M contracts
- Presented technology and product strategy to operator boards
- Helped shape Ericsson’s early Mobile Internet initiatives and led two of its first internal Innovation Cells to stimulate new ventures and spin-outs
Summary
I’ve built products and led teams in Germany, the UK, Sweden, and France. Those years taught me how to get things done with all kinds of people. I have a strong track record in both B2B and B2C, working across mobile networks, services, and devices, as well as geolocation, mapping, IoT, mobility, and personal data. Beyond core product roles, I’ve shaped strategy, guided startups, mentored teams, and bridged the gap between technology and market realities. I’ve managed hundreds of product launches, most successful, and I’ve learned just as much from the ones that weren’t. I now apply that experience to building products and getting customers to buy them.
Languages
English
NativeGerman
IntermediateFrench
IntermediateSwedish
IntermediateEducation
Heriot-Watt University
Master of Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering · Electrical and Electronic Engineering · Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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