Niels Gernant - Managing Director and Founder

Q: Where is Niels based?

Niels is based in Troisdorf, Germany .

Q: What languages does Niels speak?

Niels speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Advanced), Dutch (Intermediate) .

Q: How many years of experience does Niels have?

Niels has at least 23 years of experience. During this time, Niels has worked in at least 7 different roles and for 5 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 4 months . Note that Niels may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Niels's latest experience?

Niels's most recent position is Managing Director and Founder at rheinsprung UG .

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

In recent years, Niels has worked for rheinsprung UG .

Q: Which industries is Niels most experienced in?

Niels is most experienced in industries like Utility Services , Energy , and Professional Services . Niels also has some experience in Retail .

Q: Which business areas is Niels most experienced in?

Niels is most experienced in business areas like Strategy and Planning , Project Management , and Finance . Niels also has some experience in Human Resources (HR) , Operations , and Customer Service .

Q: Which industries has Niels worked in recently?

Niels has recently worked in industries like Professional Services and Retail .

Q: Which business areas has Niels worked in recently?

Niels has recently worked in business areas like Customer Service , Information Technology (IT) , and Strategy and Planning .

Recommended expert

Troisdorf, Germany

Experience

Feb 2021 - Present

5 years 2 months

Troisdorf, Germany

Managing Director and Founder

rheinsprung UG

Coaching, business consulting, and investments in growth companies
Digital transformation consulting in the central customer service of a retail company

Oct 2019 - Dec 2020

1 year 3 months

Managing Director COO/CFO

Livisi GmbH

Responsible for the entire commercial area (accounting, controlling, reporting, HR, procurement, billing)
Optimizing sales, particularly the customer journey in the app
Building partnerships to develop a data-driven digital business model, including a partner revenue-sharing system
Winding down the company and managing all employees following the E.ON acquisition

Feb 2014 - Sep 2019

5 years 8 months

Senior Project and Team Lead New Way of Working (NWoW)

innogy SE

Carve-out and building the Livisi Smart Home ecosystem (Feb–Sept 2019)
Introducing an agile mindset and project approach, developing training programs and certifications (Lean Practitioner, Scrum Master, Agile Product Owner, Design Thinking)
Project lead NWoW@Süwag B2B (approx. 125 FTE), organizational development and leadership coaching
Co-project lead for operational excellence NWoW@RWE GBS Shared Service Center in Krakow, Poland, introducing digital performance and capacity management
Operational excellence project team NWoW@LEW, energy provider Augsburg in B2C customer service, end-to-end process optimization and interface management
Building and scaling the central NWoW engine (approx. 50 FTE), communicating program objectives and progress with the executive board and works councils

Jan 2012 - Jan 2014

2 years 1 month

Essen, Germany

Senior Project Manager Group Mergers & Acquisitions

RWE AG

Project management for the sale of RWE's stake in Excelerate Energy (deal volume >€500M, approx. 30 team members)
Leading negotiations, market outreach, and due diligence, as well as coordinating internal and external resources
Various M&A projects and strategic sales analyses with Essent

Mar 2010 - Dec 2011

1 year 10 months

's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

Head of Strategy

Essent N.V.

Establishing and leading the strategy department
Implementing corporate strategy processes and deriving the segment strategy for company goals
Developing Essent's strategy for sales and generation
Conducting strategic analyses and projects, e.g., sales development options in Belgium

Mar 2004 - Feb 2010

6 years

Essen, Germany

Project Manager Group Mergers & Acquisitions

RWE AG

Core deal team for strategic analysis and acquisition of Essent (deal volume around €7.5 billion, approx. 60 employees)
Integration of Essent into the RWE Group (2009 in Arnhem, NL)
Restructuring and sale of Harpen AG
Sale/management buyout of SSM Coal in Rotterdam, NL
Sale of RWE Umwelt
Conducted strategic market and competitive analyses and assessed potential acquisition projects in Central and Eastern Europe

Oct 2002 - Feb 2004

1 year 5 months

Germany

International Graduate Program Participant

RWE AG

Project assignments with RWE Group Mergers & Acquisitions, RWE Gas Regulatory Affairs (Prague), RWE Trading Key Account Management
Strategic planning in the RWE Group Strategy team
Operational sales for private and corporate customers at Emscher Lippe Energie GmbH (ELE)

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 Utilities (13 years), Energy (11.5 years), Professional Services (5 years), and Retail (5 years).

Utilities

Energy

Professional Services

Retail

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 Strategy (16.5 years), Project Management (13.5 years), Finance (9 years), Human Resources (7 years), Operations (5.5 years), and Customer Service (5 years).

Strategy

Project Management

Finance

Human Resources

Operations

Customer Service

Summary

Digital transformation expert Over 9 years of experience and expertise in the digital transformation of various industries, including retail companies, regional energy providers, shared service centers, as well as implementing sustainable concepts in leadership, process optimization, and operational excellence.
Extensive leadership experience Over 15 years of experience leading large projects and serving as a division head and managing director. My leadership style is shaped by motivating through challenge, purpose, and contribution, and by fostering individual strengths and abilities.
M&A and PMI expert End-to-end expert in M&A (strategic analysis, due diligence, contract negotiations, signing, and closing) and post-merger integration (business, people, and culture).
Change and culture driver Strong change management skills from leading large and complex culture and transformation programs at the company, team, and organization levels, acting as a coach, driver, and trainer.
Personal approach I bring strategic thinking with a hands-on mentality and a strong solution orientation. I also have the ability to question myself to get the best out of myself, my team, and the organization. Targeted networking and building trust-based relationships with various stakeholders are part of my daily business.

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

French

Advanced

Dutch

Intermediate

Education

Jan 2000 - May 2000

San Diego State University (SDSU)

San Diego, United States

Sep 1999 - Dec 1999

Ecole Supérieure de Commerce (ESC) Lille

Lille, France

Oct 1997 - Dec 2001

European Business School (ebs)

Diploma in Business Administration · Entrepreneurship Management and Finance · Oestrich-Winkel, Germany

...and 2 more

Certifications & licenses

Certified Scrum Master

Scrum.org

Certified Lean Leader

IFSS - Institute for Lean Six Sigma

Profile

Created

January 2024

Last Update

May 2025

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Frequently asked questions

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

Where is Niels based?

Niels is based in Troisdorf, Germany.

What languages does Niels speak?

Niels speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Advanced), Dutch (Intermediate).

How many years of experience does Niels have?

Niels has at least 23 years of experience. During this time, Niels has worked in at least 7 different roles and for 5 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 4 months. Note that Niels may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Niels be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Niels would be well-suited for roles such as: Managing Director and Founder, Managing Director COO/CFO, Senior Project and Team Lead New Way of Working (NWoW).

What is Niels's latest experience?

Niels's most recent position is Managing Director and Founder at rheinsprung UG.

What companies has Niels worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Niels has worked for rheinsprung UG.

Which industries is Niels most experienced in?

Niels is most experienced in industries like Utility Services, Energy, and Professional Services. Niels also has some experience in Retail.

Which business areas is Niels most experienced in?

Niels is most experienced in business areas like Strategy and Planning, Project Management, and Finance. Niels also has some experience in Human Resources (HR), Operations, and Customer Service.

Which industries has Niels worked in recently?

Niels has recently worked in industries like Professional Services and Retail.

Which business areas has Niels worked in recently?

Niels has recently worked in business areas like Customer Service, Information Technology (IT), and Strategy and Planning.

What is Niels's education?

Niels attended San Diego State University (SDSU).

Does Niels have any certificates?

Niels has 2 certificates. These include: Certified Scrum Master and Certified Lean Leader.

What is the availability of Niels?

Niels is immediately available for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Niels?

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