Maks Celhar - Corporate Project Manager (Technical)

Q: Where is Maks based?

Maks is based in Koper, Slovenia .

Q: What languages does Maks speak?

Maks speaks the following languages: Slovenian (Native), English (Advanced), Italian (Advanced), German (Elementary), Spanish (Elementary) .

Q: How many years of experience does Maks have?

Maks has at least 7 years of experience. During this time, Maks has worked in at least 7 different roles and for 6 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 10 months . Note that Maks may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Maks's latest experience?

Maks's most recent position is Corporate Project Manager (Technical) at MOL Group .

Q: What companies has Maks worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Maks has worked for MOL Group and BASF .

Q: Which industries is Maks most experienced in?

Maks is most experienced in industries like Government and Public Administration , Chemical , and Transportation and Logistics . Maks also has some experience in Energy and Information Technology (IT) .

Q: Which business areas is Maks most experienced in?

Maks is most experienced in business areas like Project Management , Information Technology (IT) , and Procurement and Purchasing . Maks also has some experience in Sales and Strategy and Planning .

Q: Which industries has Maks worked in recently?

Maks has recently worked in industries like Chemical and Energy .

Q: Which business areas has Maks worked in recently?

Maks has recently worked in business areas like Information Technology (IT) and Project Management .

Recommended expert

Koper, Slovenia

Experience

Mar 2025 - Present

1 year

Corporate Project Manager (Technical)

MOL Group

Oversee SAP GOP & FICO upgrade, IT and business integration projects in the energy sector, coordinating cross-functional teams between the local teams and the global HQ in Hungary
Manage project delivery in a hybrid work environment, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives
Liaise between stakeholders, vendors, and internal teams to drive project success
Ensure timely delivery and quality standards across all project phases

Oct 2021 - Jan 2023

1 year 4 months

Global Project Manager (Freelance Contract)

BASF

Led global PLM Salesforce/SAP integration for BASF, managing 14 sites and more than 2000 users, resulting in streamlined business unit carve-out and system adoption
Managed a global role across 5 time zones (USA to Asia), overseeing 50+ individuals at 14 sites in a multi-vendor environment (Accenture, Specright)
Supported business unit carve-out, managing transition and migration of tools/software to the new entity
Established new vendor relationships, negotiated contracts, managed MVP phases, and integrated global QMS tools with SAP
Utilized tools: Salesforce/Specright Integration and implementation, SAP S4/Hana (R3 to S4 migration), MES, QMS, .NET, SAP-Salesforce integration, MDG, Azure DevOps, hybrid Agile

Jul 2020 - Jan 2021

7 months

Independent Consultant

Provided project management, strategic consulting, and business development services for NZ clients (EU based)
Led bidding processes (RFPs, RFQs, RFIs) for software companies
Supported new project opportunities through active involvement in sales and pre-sales activities

Sep 2019 - Mar 2020

7 months

Digital Project Manager (Contract)

Ministry of Social Development

Delivered the Accelerator Programme (hosted on Azure Cloud), an online platform designed to help young people get work experience and gain industry education using Agile delivery
Negotiated an overall 33% cost reduction for MSD's future 4-year contract and implemented a new MSA, SDA, and SOW
Resolved complex contractual, IP, and licensing issues, working closely with legal, IT procurement, and internal partners
Achieved a 3-year CISO accreditation by leading privacy & security assessments after failing a penetration test 6 months prior

Feb 2019 - Jul 2019

6 months

Project Manager (Contract)

Ministry of Social Development

Managed digital and IT initiatives (hosted on Azure Cloud and AWS) across two teams totaling 20 resources in a cross-functional environment using SAFe and Prince2 delivery styles
Initiated the Data and Insights Project to enable secure data sharing across government and NGOs
Implemented strategic oversight for three digital initiatives: Provider CMS, experimental e-learning platform, and debt helpline
Formalized a cross-sector partnership to co-fund redevelopment of NZ’s only debt and budgeting CMS
Led continuous improvement programs for two internal teams, including stand-ups, planning workshops, and project tracking
Managed budgeting, reporting, resource planning, timelines, risks, and issue resolution

Apr 2017 - Apr 2018

1 year 1 month

Technical Project Manager (Contract)

New Zealand Post

Migrated legacy and new applications to Azure Cloud and MuleSoft API platform as part of the Touchpoints Programme using Agile methods
Served as one of three PM leads on an integration team of 3 vendors, growing to 30+ members
Successfully migrated key services and applications to the Cloud, achieving a 95% reduction in critical IT incidents during peak periods
Tripled delivery output across three platforms using rapid bi-weekly SDLC cycles and CI/CD principles
Restored confidence in the Microsoft BizTalk middleware platform and halved API response times, enabling NZ Post to handle record Christmas traffic
Managed two internal teams (15 resources) and multiple vendors in a hybrid on-site/remote setup

Jul 2015 - Apr 2017

1 year 10 months

Project Coordinator (Contract)

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment - Immigration New Zealand

Planned and designed end-user training and distribution of the Biometric enrolment hardware and software component for IGMS, New Zealand's national biometric face and fingerprint matching system
Conducted on-site training for Immigration officers across border branches in the use of IDme biometric enrolment equipment
Coordinated and managed procurement, deployment, UAT, and training of biometric hardware
Managed primary ICT suppliers for delivery of equipment and services to time frame and budget

Dec 2014 - Mar 2015

4 months

Project Coordinator (Contract)

New Zealand Post

Supported the FMIS project involving the cloud migration and implementation of the ERP finance software package Agresso
Migrated existing and built new internal finance applications and interfaces into the cloud to replace NZ Post's internal finance system
Supported a technical team of 25 professionals and gained practical exposure to IT delivery with Agile methodologies, both Scrum and Kanban

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 Government and Administration (2.5 years), Chemical (1.5 years), Transportation (1.5 years), Energy (1 year), and Information Technology (0.5 years).

Government and Administration

Chemical

Transportation

Energy

Information Technology

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 Project Management (6.5 years), Information Technology (6 years), Procurement (2.5 years), Sales (0.5 years), and Strategy (0.5 years).

Project Management

Information Technology

Procurement

Sales

Strategy

Summary

IT Project Management, Agile Delivery, Salesforce, SAP, System Integration, Digital Transformation and Vendor Management.

Specialized in managing complex IT projects, vendor relationships. Worked for and across multiple government agencies, 20+ IT vendors, and private software companies for New Zealand and US clients.

Skills

Planning & Scheduling
Negotiation
System Integration
Commercial Skills
Relationship Building
Cross Functional Leadership
Cost Optimization
Vendor Management
Ict Delivery & Sdlc
Project Tracking Tools: Jira, Trello, Monday
Project Methodologies: Itil, Agile, Prince 2/waterfall

Languages

Slovenian

Native

English

Advanced

Italian

Advanced

German

Elementary

Spanish

Elementary

Education

Oct 2024 - Jun 2025

MIB Trieste

MBA, International Business · International Business · Trieste, Italy

Oct 2012 - Jun 2013

University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW)

Finance · Olten, Switzerland

Oct 2010 - Jun 2014

Faculty of Economics, Ljubljana University

Bachelor of Business and Economics · Business and Economics – Field of Specialisation International Business (English Track) · Ljubljana, Slovenia

Certifications & licenses

Professional Scrum Master Certification-PSM1

Profile

Created

November 2025

Last Update

December 2025

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Frequently asked questions

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

Where is Maks based?

Maks is based in Koper, Slovenia.

What languages does Maks speak?

Maks speaks the following languages: Slovenian (Native), English (Advanced), Italian (Advanced), German (Elementary), Spanish (Elementary).

How many years of experience does Maks have?

Maks has at least 7 years of experience. During this time, Maks has worked in at least 7 different roles and for 6 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 10 months. Note that Maks may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Maks be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Maks would be well-suited for roles such as: Corporate Project Manager (Technical), Global Project Manager (Freelance Contract), Independent Consultant.

What is Maks's latest experience?

Maks's most recent position is Corporate Project Manager (Technical) at MOL Group.

What companies has Maks worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Maks has worked for MOL Group and BASF.

Which industries is Maks most experienced in?

Maks is most experienced in industries like Government and Public Administration, Chemical, and Transportation and Logistics. Maks also has some experience in Energy and Information Technology (IT).

Which business areas is Maks most experienced in?

Maks is most experienced in business areas like Project Management, Information Technology (IT), and Procurement and Purchasing. Maks also has some experience in Sales and Strategy and Planning.

Which industries has Maks worked in recently?

Maks has recently worked in industries like Chemical and Energy.

Which business areas has Maks worked in recently?

Maks has recently worked in business areas like Information Technology (IT) and Project Management.

What is Maks's education?

Maks holds a Master in International Business from MIB Trieste and a Bachelor in Business and Economics – Field of Specialisation International Business (English Track) from Faculty of Economics, Ljubljana University.

Does Maks have any certificates?

Maks has 1 certificate: Professional Scrum Master Certification-PSM1.

What is the availability of Maks?

Maks is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Maks?

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