Ole Himmel
Manager Post Merger Integration, Process Management and Digitalization (Software)
Experience
Senior Business Analyst IT
TÜV Süd AG
- Supported the team in the scheduling optimization area of the newly founded Digital Hub to anchor the digitalization strategy.
- Identified, documented, and created transparency across the group's entire IT application landscape in the scheduling area.
- Conducted market research on scheduling applications.
- Analyzed the existing Application Compass and created a sublist of scheduling applications.
- Identified key contacts and planned and conducted interviews with five lead IT architects per business unit.
- Planned and carried out around 40 interviews with the identified application owners in order of priority.
- Technically evaluated the interviews and prepared a management presentation.
- Analyzed existing infrastructure data and documented results in a logical structure.
- Technologies: MS Office, MS Outlook.
Migration Project Manager
DB InfraGo AG
- As part of consolidating the IT landscape, DB InfraGo AG wanted to harmonize its project management software for construction projects.
- A new software based on SharePoint is currently being developed to replace as many legacy applications as possible in the three business areas: DB Fahrweg, DB Personenbahnhöfe, and DB Energie.
- Took over the entire rollout management of this software and steered the migration of three legacy systems used by over 3,000 users.
- Ensured system availability in compliance with construction operation regulations and coordinated the handover to operations.
- Planned the full rollout for three legacy systems with over 3,000 users.
- Defined the migration methodology, coordinated with external vendors on export, drove the technical mapping and managed implementation planning using Sharegate and PowerShell.
- Involved the communications department and synchronized with DevOps teams.
- Managed stakeholders and created the migration concept including testing and soft launch.
- Applied structured interviews, Jira, Confluence, Miro, SAFe, and Kanban.
- Responsible for roadmap and milestone planning and business process mapping.
- Analyzed the IT landscape with a focus on software, including data mapping.
- Used change management frameworks from Kübler-Ross and Kotter.
- Technologies: MS Outlook, MS Planner, Sharegate.
Post Merger Integration Project Manager
4JET Group
- Led the PMI project after 4JET Group acquired Corning Laser Technologies GmbH.
- Managed all workstreams, advised on creating the target organization, and actively led the IT workstream including cutover and change management.
- Supported negotiations with the works council and helped prepare the reconciliation of interests and social plan.
- Oversaw the IT applications focus area, including analyzing the IT landscape after the acquisition and selecting and implementing core systems.
- Developed an integration plan defining integration priorities.
- Identified, implemented, and monitored cost savings and efficiency gains.
- Ensured a smooth transition without disrupting ongoing operations.
- Communicated clearly and transparently with employees and leaders and managed resistance and cultural challenges.
- Identified and managed risks.
- Used structured interviews, Target Operating Model (TOM), PMI frameworks, and business process mapping.
- Analyzed the IT landscape including data mapping and applied change management based on Kübler-Ross and Kotter.
- Technologies: MS Office, MS Outlook.
IT Sourcing Project Manager
Verwaltungs-Berufsgenossenschaft (VBG)
- Supported market research and business analysis on IT applications in process automation (RPA) with AI model integration.
- Managed an EU-wide tender and implementation of an automation platform to address demographic challenges in the workforce.
- Assisted in capturing and coordinating end-to-end processes at levels 3-4.
- Identified, evaluated, and documented use cases from business units and management levels.
- Prepared tender and award documents and provided technical support during the procurement process.
- Updated the market analysis for RPA solutions and developed the RPA implementation roadmap.
- Aligned RPA use cases with business units and selected leaders.
- Published the RPA tender and managed communication with vendors.
- Created a criteria-based evaluation scheme and assessed submitted proposals.
- Made decisions on the tool and IT implementation partner.
- Applied process capture interviews, evaluation matrices, and RPA/AI methods.
- Technologies: MS DevOps, WebEx, MS Office, MS Outlook.
ERP Consultant
BTE Stelcon GmbH
- Supported the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations as part of the group-wide IT strategy.
- Responsible for planning, execution, and documentation of training, support, migration, and testing.
- Conducted system tests and reported results to the implementation partner.
- Assisted change management throughout all project phases.
- Set up a community of practice, provided learning materials, and built a support structure.
- Learned and configured customer-specific adjustments in the D365 installation.
- Conducted key user trainings and workshops and created training videos.
- Helped create test cases and managed and oversaw the test phases.
- Advised on tailored ITIL and stakeholder management.
- Technologies: MS Dynamics 365 (F&O), MS Teams, MS Office, MS SharePoint, MS Outlook.
IT Project Manager / CRM Consultant
value AG
- Supported the relaunch of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales CRM application to optimize and digitize the sales department.
- Documented the core processes and configured the application technically using an agile approach.
- Implemented incremental changes and quick improvements as an MVP.
- Established a community of practice, provided learning materials, and set up a support structure.
- Defined the scope for the process area and conducted process mapping and optimization workshops.
- Built and managed an agile implementation backlog.
- Configured views, dashboards, workflows, and roles and permissions in Dynamics 365.
- Tested and accepted backlog items, and provided training and communication for new features.
- Managed stakeholders and led analysis workshops.
- Technologies: MS Dynamics 365 (Sales), MS Teams, MS Office, MS SharePoint, MS Outlook.
Strategy Consultant / Co-Project Manager Post-Merger Integration
TX Logistik AG
- Led operations and managed the Project Office for the post-merger integration of Exploris Holding Deutschland GmbH.
- Advised on production, HR, and IT to support the integration of the new company.
- Set up the initial project and analyzed departments in depth on both the buyer and seller sides.
- Assessed integration readiness after a reorganization and performed a detailed analysis of the new company's operations.
- Managed stakeholders at all levels, from specialists to the executive board, including the Italian owner.
- Established the project organization, including regular meetings, project planning, and reporting.
- Defined and aligned work packages and clarified the project's scope.
- Analyzed structures, processes, and costs through interview sessions and workshops.
- Used hypothesis-driven methods to develop revenue, efficiency, and cost targets.
- Developed a target organization and aligned it with the C-level.
- Technologies: MS Teams, MS Office.
IT Product Manager
DB Fernverkehr AG
- Interim product management for the vehicle information and reservation systems during the transition from project to operations.
- Collected and reviewed proposals both technically and formally.
- Monitored the development of system components, including test planning and deployment on the train.
- Coordinated incident and problem management between internal departments and vendors.
- Documented processes for operations and further development.
- Managed risks and changes, including creating Change Requests (CR).
- Created annual roadmaps and aligned budget approvals with decision-makers.
- Conducted vendor workshops, process interviews, and applied Kanban methods.
- Technologies: MS Teams, MS Project, MS Office.
IT Strategy Consultant
Ginkgo Management Consulting GmbH
- Operationalized the new strategic direction in the IT department of a large automotive OEM.
- Supported an outsourcing project for managing user hardware and software by an external service provider.
- Mapped current tasks to the IT strategy to identify core and peripheral tasks.
- Presented tasks by team, including resource planning.
- Prepared, conducted, and documented workshops with team leaders to align on task mapping.
- Organized data with MS PowerPoint and MS Excel.
- Applied storytelling, pyramid-structured presentations, and facilitation techniques.
- Technologies: MS Teams, MS Office, MS Project.
IT Project Lead
ROPEX Industrie-Elektronik GmbH
- Rebooted and provided turnaround management for a previously halted ERP implementation project.
- Conducted an initial project assessment and aligned and documented all production-related core processes down to level 2.
- Developed the project structure and organization, and captured requirements for the subprojects: ERP, processes, data cleansing, and tools.
- Managed and monitored project status, and conducted process mapping interviews and strategic end-to-end process workshops with executive management.
- Advised on process planning and optimization of selected processes.
- Oversaw the IT department for migration, IT landscape, data modeling, and data flow analysis.
- Implemented a DMS application (DocuWare) as a replacement for a discontinued solution, including process analysis for incoming invoices, outgoing invoices, and logistics data storage.
- Researched and selected DMS applications, designed the test environment, and carried out the migration.
- Coordinated the rollout of a BI application (Qlik Sense), including backlog capture for reports and alignment on roles and permissions.
- Advised on tailored ITIL and led requirements workshops.
- Technologies: ERP C3 (Theurer), DocuWare, Qlik Sense, Sycat, MS Project, MS Teams, MS Office.
IT Project Manager
Julada GmbH
- Complete digitization of the inventory management and integration with a shop system for a newly founded retail store.
- Planning and implementation of the inventory management system including migration and labeling.
- Connecting the POS system to the inventory management.
- Creating an initial process map and setting up a semi-automated reporting system for accounting.
- Building the shop system and integrating it with the inventory management, including customizing via coding.
- Integration with a logistics service provider.
- Planning and piloting an eCommerce marketing campaign and conducting customer training.
- Using rapid prototyping and coding in Liquid/CSS/HTML.
- Technologies: Shopify, Zettle, Pipedream.com, Meta Marketing Manager, Google Ads, MS Teams, MS Office.
Senior PMO SAFe
DB Netz AG
- Supporting IT departments in transforming into an agile organization using the SAFe framework.
- Converting traditionally structured programs into Value Teams (Large Solution) and guiding the pilot programs.
- Introducing development teams to the Scrum framework and forming Agile Release Trains (ARTs).
- Taking over the program management office for a large-scale project.
- Planning and executing agile program management.
- Coordinating interfaces and planning, running, and documenting all meetings between the Value Team and ARTs.
- Responsible for overall risk and dependency management.
- Stakeholder management and administration of the Jira instance for 500 users.
- Leading the Community of Practice for Jira.
- Technologies: Jira, Confluence, AgileHive, MS Teams, MS Office.
IT Product Manager
DB Fernverkehr AG
- Equipping the long-distance fleet with a high-performance, vendor-independent comfort IT infrastructure.
- Defining the IT infrastructure for the operator network, including piloting and rollout for each train class.
- Overseeing the development of custom software for the central processing unit.
- Checking cabling and commissioning display systems using test routines on the trains.
- Planning and executing agile project management following Scrum and SAFe.
- Documenting the product roadmap in Confluence.
- Creating and aligning the concept with stakeholders during a reorganization.
- Developing reports in Jira as well as allocating budgets and drafting contracts.
- Aligning business requirements with the technical product owner.
- Developing the implementation plan including schedules while staying within budget.
- Accepting delivery artifacts and supporting test planning.
- Technologies: Jira, Confluence, MS Teams, MS Office.
IT Rollout Project Manager
Jungheinrich AG
- Modernizing the entire IT infrastructure, including identity & access management, cloud services, and network upgrades in 38 sales companies.
- Performing capacity planning and creating and updating the project plan.
- Preparing and producing tender documents for hardware worth over €1,000,000.
- Coordinating the tenders with experts and reviewing and evaluating the bids.
- Coaching the co-project leads in agile and traditional project management methods.
- Planning and overseeing the pilot at two locations, including creating a blueprint template for further rollout.
- Scheduling the rollout timeline for all 36 locations, covering timing, duration, and resource requirements.
- Preparing, conducting, and documenting steering meetings and Scrum formats.
- Creating a communication plan for stakeholders.
- Technologies: MS SharePoint, MS Teams, MS Office.
Lead Consultant
collaboration Factory AG
- Introducing project management standards for a growing organization of about 30 consultants.
- Collecting, documenting, and revising existing artifacts like tool templates and processes.
- Conducting workshops and interviews to identify relevant PM artifacts according to Prince2 and PMP standards.
- Defining project phases and introducing quality gates to standardize the quality level.
- Designing quality criteria and approval processes.
- Modeling and documenting processes using BPMN 2.0.
- Conducting rapid prototyping and proof of concepts (POCs) via cplace.
- Communicating project management changes across the organization.
- Technologies: cplace, Slack, Zoom, MS Office.
IT Project Manager PLM (Low Code)
Continental AG
- Implementation of the PLM/ERP system cplace for the entire product development up to production planning.
- Replacing existing standalone solutions with a highly flexible all-in-one solution.
- Analyzing and documenting requirements and creating a customer-specific backlog.
- Managing the implementation following the Scrum method with IT consultants and external developers.
- Carrying out the go-live including the hypercare phase.
- Traditional project management towards management and agile coaching of the implementation team.
- Introducing implementation reporting with KPIs and regular rescoping.
- Serving as Scrum Master and partly as Product Owner in the development area.
- Advising on and executing adjustments to the data model including data flow modeling.
- Technologies: cplace, Tableau, Slack, Zoom, MS Office.
Project Manager / Change Manager
DB Netz AG
- Leading the rollout team in the northern region for the process maintenance standardization project.
- Transforming all operational staff into a new process and IT environment with a focus on transparency and efficiency.
- Functional leadership of the operational project team, including qualifications, resource planning, and employee discussions.
- Planning and conducting change workshops for business managers.
- Implementing and reviewing the milestone plan in a waterfall model.
- Quality assurance of training content for process, IT, and change formats.
- Regional stakeholder management and providing feedback to central leadership.
- Technologies: SAP R3, customer app (Android), WebEx, MS Office.
Senior Consultant
DB Schenker Logistics
- Recording the current project portfolio for the Europe region to increase transparency across all regions.
- Conducting structured interviews with project managers for a standardized evaluation of ongoing projects.
- Converting the evaluation methodology into a standardized corporate process.
- Developing a PMO handbook including status profiles for all projects and detailed 5-page documents for the top 5 projects.
- Creating a high-level concept for a PMO organization and defining communication paths.
- Deriving action recommendations for each project based on defined criteria.
- Technologies: MS Visio, MS Office.
Senior Consultant
DB Services
- Project management, change management, and process management in the northern and southern regions for the rollout of a digital work order management system in facility management.
- Ensuring compliance with new processes and KPIs by operational staff.
- Collecting constructive feedback in expert rounds and communicating it to the central project management.
- Conducting expert workshops to narrow down issues and develop improvement proposals.
- Developing hypotheses to optimize the rollout situation.
- Preparing decision and implementation templates for full project meetings.
- Technologies: WebEx, MS Office.
Senior Consultant
DB Regio
- Supporting the reorganization of indirect areas such as scheduling, fleet management, HR, and finance.
- Conducting a functional analysis of existing processes to identify savings potential.
- Extracting process names and identifying volume drivers together with department heads.
- Creating a current state overview using questionnaires and conducting expert interviews with managers to determine synergies.
- Developing a transition matrix for the organization's transition and documenting core tasks and new roles.
- Writing optimized role and function descriptions.
- Actively supporting the creation of decision templates and organizational guidelines.
- Technologies: MS Office.
(Senior) Consultant
DB Station & Service
- Analysis of a comprehensive facility management contract to identify cost optimization opportunities.
- Identification of about 24 potential cost-saving measures based on best-practice approaches.
- Detailed development and validation of the four most promising measures together with the service provider.
- Formulation of implementation plans and piloting the concepts in a regional area.
- Business analysis in accounting and stakeholder management between business units and contractors.
- Presentation of the agreed concepts at board level.
- Creation of fact sheets for all relevant measures and draft concepts for the top five.
- Technologies: MS Office.
Consultant
S-Bahn Hamburg
- Development of a concept for the workshop network due to rising vehicle demand from a new transport contract.
- Analysis of the impact of increased vehicles on production and operations with a focus on maintenance and storage capacities.
- As-is analysis of existing storage areas and research of potential new sites.
- Evaluation of the sites through a multi-criteria analysis including a life cycle cost (LCC) assessment.
- Collection of information on infrastructure and real estate through expert interviews at subsidiaries.
- Creation of fact sheets for about 24 analyzed storage areas including technical drawings and cost estimates.
- Determination of property ownership and development of rough implementation schedules.
- Technologies: MS Project, MS Office.
Consultant
DB Netz AG
- Project management and documentation to prepare negotiations for the performance and financing agreement (LuFV 2).
- Verification of the number of facilities of all infrastructure companies through database queries (MS Access) and expert interviews.
- Development of a uniform calculation logic for the future funding needs of the infrastructure companies.
- Validation and restructuring of the calculation logics in workshops.
- Support in deriving and evaluating negotiation strategies.
- Data fusion of raw data to generate a valid data basis.
- Technologies: MS Access, MS Office.
System Engineer
WABCO Development GmbH
- System development for a multiplex system consisting of up to nine control units on behalf of EVOBUS.
- Responsibility for requirements management, software integration on hardware, and functional testing of the entire system.
- Prototype commissioning at the customer site and leadership of a software subproject.
- Test management of system tests: creation of test specifications and design of the automated test environment.
- Programming a software interface from PC to CAN bus.
- Development according to V-Spice including code reviews.
- Technologies: MKS Integrity Manager, CANoe, CANalyzer, DOORS, MS Project, MS Office.
Development Engineer
IAV GmbH
- Process development and implementation for the new UDS/ODX diagnostic technology in emission-related control units.
- Coordination of technical innovations with control unit manufacturers and adaptation of internal development processes.
- Support of communication between internal departments of various brands and external suppliers.
- Representation of the development department in the Change Control Board.
- Introduction of new working processes in vehicle projects and training of participants.
- Creation of necessary process artifacts to support the line organization.
- Testing and acceptance of delivered files directly on the test vehicle.
- Modeling and presentation of work processes using swim lanes.
- Technologies: MS Office, MS Project.
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 Transportation (8.5 years), Automotive (6 years), Professional Services (3 years), Manufacturing (3 years), Insurance (0.5 years), and Government and Administration (0.5 years).
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 (15 years), Information Technology (7 years), Product Development (7 years), Operations (5.5 years), Quality Assurance (5.5 years), and Business Intelligence (3 years).
Summary
For more than 14 years, Ole Himmel has supported his clients in strategic, organizational, and transformational business initiatives. Along the way, he got to know company structures from startups to mid-sized companies to international corporations and advises them on complex issues in strategic transformation projects, post-merger integrations (PMI), and the implementation and optimization of business processes. With enthusiasm, clear goal focus, high empathy, extensive communication, and a strong sense of structure, he gives his clients stability and security in volatile times of change.
Skills
Strategy Consulting: Swot Analysis, Adapted Bcg Matrix, Strategic Planning And Workshops (Executive Level), Change Management Framework (Kübler Ross), Porter's Five Forces Analysis, Benchmarking, Cost Structure Analysis, Synergy Assessment, Due Diligence For Production/it/hr
Project Management: Traditional/agile Project Management Methods, End-to-end Project Leadership, Multi-project Management, Product Owner And Scrum Master, Project Planning, Escalation Management, Stakeholder Management, Risk Assessment, Planning/control Of It Rollouts, Pmo Implementation
Process Management: Functional Analysis Of Processes, High-level And Detailed Design Of Business Processes, Process Implementation (Raci), Process Reviews/audits, Process Capture, Process Modeling (Bpmn), Process Documentation/optimization, End-to-end Processes, Rpa
Software Development Life Cycle: Software Development Processes V-model/waterfall/scrum For Mechatronic Systems And Software Projects, Scoping And Grooming, Code Reviews, Planning/execution/documentation Of System Tests, Design Of Test Cases, Management Of (External) Development Teams
Industry Knowledge: Mobility (Rail, Infrastructure), Mechanical Engineering, Logistics (Rail Freight, Intralogistics), Software Development, Automotive (Passenger Cars And Commercial Vehicles), Facility Management
Tools: Cplace (Low-code Platform/plm/ppm/erp; Admin, Configurator, And Low-code Developer), Jira/confluence (Project Management; Admin And Configurator), Hubspot (Crm; Admin And Configurator), Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (Crm/sales; Admin & Consultant), Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (Admin And Configurator), Microsoft Project (Admin And Configurator), Docuware (Dms; Admin And Configurator), C3 (Erp; Admin And Configurator), Qlik Sense (Bi; Power User)
Languages
Education
University of Bradford - School of Management
MBA · Business Administration · Bradford, United Kingdom
General Management
Universität Hannover
Diploma in Engineering · Electrical Engineering · Hanover, Germany · 1.7
Control engineering, automation technology, energy engineering
Certifications & licenses
BPMN 2.0 Basics
Signavio
Business Rhetoric
Hps
Certified Merger Integration Manager
Hhl
Certified Negotiator
Hhl
Certified SAFe 5 Agilist
Scaled Agile
Competitive Strategy
Lmu
Design Thinking Introduction
Hpi
Fundamentals of Data Engineering and Data Science
Hpi
ITIL Foundation & Managing Professional
Mp
PMP Certificate
Pmi
Product Owner
Pspo1
Rhetoric and Dialectics
Kirchner-Seminare
Scrum Master
Psm1
Profile
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