Marc Hammerschmidt - Head of Programmatic

Q: Where is Marc based?

Marc is based in Cologne, Germany and can operate in on-site , hybrid , and remote work models.

Q: What languages does Marc speak?

Marc speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), Spanish (Elementary) .

Q: How many years of experience does Marc have?

Marc has at least 16 years of experience. During this time, Marc has worked in at least 5 different roles and for 4 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 3 months . Note that Marc may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Marc's latest experience?

Marc's most recent position is Head of Programmatic at WeightWatchers .

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

In recent years, Marc has worked for WeightWatchers and Wolters Kluwer .

Q: Which industries is Marc most experienced in?

Marc is most experienced in industries like Food and Beverage , Retail , and Healthcare . Marc also has some experience in Automotive , Tourism and Hospitality , and Information Technology (IT) .

Q: Which business areas is Marc most experienced in?

Marc is most experienced in business areas like Information Technology (IT) , Finance , and Operations . Marc also has some experience in Marketing and Product Development .

Q: Which industries has Marc worked in recently?

Marc has recently worked in industries like Healthcare and Information Technology (IT) .

Q: Which business areas has Marc worked in recently?

Marc has recently worked in business areas like Marketing and Product Development .

Recommended expert

Cologne, Germany

Experience

Aug 2023 - Sep 2025

2 years 2 months

Head of Programmatic

WeightWatchers

Responsible for global programmatic buying (USD 40M media budget p.a.) with a team of five, successfully bringing eight markets in-house
Developed budget allocation and conversion optimization recommendations based on KPI analysis: +25% sign-ups with only +9% budget, -15% CAC
Defined and tracked success KPIs (e.g., conversion rate, LTV:CAC) and built scalable reporting and testing structures (playbooks, A/B frameworks, automated pipelines in Python, Looker, Google Analytics)

Mar 2022 - Jul 2023

1 year 5 months

Market Lead Acquisition DE/CH (Interim Performance Lead)

WeightWatchers

Advised and managed cross-channel media strategy (TV, search, social, programmatic, affiliate) with a focus on data-driven optimization
Achieved 35% efficiency gains YoY (LTV:CAC), 20× growth in online video (OLV), and top TV KPIs globally
Advised and coordinated internal stakeholders (website, creative, CRM) and external partners (Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Outbrain, The Trade Desk)
Saved over €100,000 per quarter by consolidating paid social at the global agency level and bringing Criteo (DSP) in-house

Sep 2020 - Feb 2022

1 year 6 months

Digital Product Manager

Wolters Kluwer

Led product and business development for an AI-based SaaS product in IP management
Developed the business case, product vision, and market validation
Managed the portfolio of digital solutions in the IP space

May 2010 - Aug 2020

10 years 4 months

Co-Founder, CTO & CFO

Cognac-Expert

Built an international, profitable e-commerce platform selling in over 30 markets and developed scalable commerce structures
Scaled in a 100% KPI-driven environment with an average 100% YoY growth
Established three autonomous teams (product, finance, operations) and introduced agile product management (Kanban, CI/CD, Git)
Implemented marketing optimizations, internationalization, and automation

Apr 2009 - Aug 2012

3 years 5 months

Product Owner & Lead UX Manager

Billiger-Mietwagen

Led an interdisciplinary team for data-driven conversion and UX optimization (+45% conversion rate increase) with Google Analytics
Introduced systematic product development (Agile, Jira, Confluence) and process optimizations for customer service and billing
Worked closely with marketing (SEO, SEA, CRM) and business development to drive growth

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 Food and Beverage (10.5 years), Retail (10.5 years), Healthcare (3.5 years), Automotive (3.5 years), Tourism (3.5 years), and Information Technology (1.5 years).

Food and Beverage

Retail

Healthcare

Automotive

Tourism

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 Information Technology (11.5 years), Finance (10.5 years), Operations (10.5 years), Marketing (7 years), and Product Development (5 years).

Information Technology

Finance

Operations

Marketing

Product Development

Summary

I am an expert in KPI-driven management of digital sales and marketing processes with two decades of experience at the intersection of product, data, and technology. I advise companies on building strategic frameworks and decision-making processes for measurable, profitable growth.

Skills

Mindset

Analytical
Growth-oriented
Hands-on
Entrepreneurial
Agile ("Fail Fast")

Marketing & Analytics

Bi Reporting And Performance Dashboards (Google Analytics, Excel, Google Looker & Data Studio)
Defining And Tracking Key Success Kpis (Cac, Ltv:cac, Conversion Rate)
Analyzing Optimization Opportunities (Ux, Customer Journeys, Conversion Funnel)
Increasing Conversions And Revenue (E.g., Through A/b And Incremental Testing)

Leadership & Management

Project Management And Leadership
Strategic Consulting
Creating Management Reports
Certified Product Owner & Scrum Master (Psm I / Pspo I)

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

Spanish

Elementary

Education

Oct 2005 - Jun 2008

Fresenius University of Applied Sciences

Diploma · Media Economics · Idstein, Germany

Certifications & licenses

Certified Product Owner & Scrum Master (PSM I / PSPO I)

Profile

Created

March 2022

Last Update

October 2025

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Frequently asked questions

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

Where is Marc based?

Marc is based in Cologne, Germany and can operate in on-site, hybrid, and remote work models.

What languages does Marc speak?

Marc speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), Spanish (Elementary).

How many years of experience does Marc have?

Marc has at least 16 years of experience. During this time, Marc has worked in at least 5 different roles and for 4 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 3 months. Note that Marc may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Marc be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Marc would be well-suited for roles such as: Head of Programmatic, Market Lead Acquisition DE/CH (Interim Performance Lead), Digital Product Manager.

What is Marc's latest experience?

Marc's most recent position is Head of Programmatic at WeightWatchers.

What companies has Marc worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Marc has worked for WeightWatchers and Wolters Kluwer.

Which industries is Marc most experienced in?

Marc is most experienced in industries like Food and Beverage, Retail, and Healthcare. Marc also has some experience in Automotive, Tourism and Hospitality, and Information Technology (IT).

Which business areas is Marc most experienced in?

Marc is most experienced in business areas like Information Technology (IT), Finance, and Operations. Marc also has some experience in Marketing and Product Development.

Which industries has Marc worked in recently?

Marc has recently worked in industries like Healthcare and Information Technology (IT).

Which business areas has Marc worked in recently?

Marc has recently worked in business areas like Marketing and Product Development.

What is Marc's education?

Marc attended Fresenius University of Applied Sciences for Media Economics.

Does Marc have any certificates?

Marc has 1 certificate: Certified Product Owner & Scrum Master (PSM I / PSPO I).

What is the availability of Marc?

Marc is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Marc?

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