Paul Karnowka - Program Manager – Multi-Project Operational Stabilization (Operational Excellence)

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Berlin, Germany

Experience

Apr 2024 - Present

1 year 10 months

Germany

Program Manager – Multi-Project Operational Stabilization (Operational Excellence)

ITDZ - IT Dienstleistungszentrum Berlin

Overall leadership of multiple strategic operational projects focusing on Workplace Services, SLA framework, access management, certificate management, e-learning, backup & recovery, test management, and capacity management, as well as introducing system monitoring and feasibility studies for 24x7 operations, partly including implementation in ServiceNow
Developed various ServiceNow operational concepts for training, access, and emergency management as part of a new cloud hosting initiative for the ServiceNow platform
Prepared board reports and chaired steering committees in line with company strategic goals, and established new balanced scorecards to measure KPIs for optimization-driven project outcomes

Apr 2024 - Aug 2024

5 months

Germany

Interim Workplace Services Director

Viessmann Climate Solutions

Served as Interim Workplace Services Director for a global market extension merger (US corporation), including leading and coaching highly skilled teams of IT experts in processes, data & architecture, and IT Service Management, and further developing workplace solutions
Program management for Workplace Services, including developing a comprehensive strategy and target operating model for the digital workplace and IT services in the context of the merger, new supplier environment, and migration to ServiceNow
Developed and implemented a standardized approach for consolidating, optimizing, and end-to-end operationalizing workplace-related IT services & practices

Mar 2022 - Oct 2023

1 year 8 months

Germany

Service Design & Delivery – Workplace & Networking Services

Vorwerk & Co. KG

Provided strategic consulting to sustainably align a standardized service design and vendor management with corporate objectives
Managed multiple projects for designing and operationally deploying new end user devices & networking services, including infrastructure topics like monitoring, capacity, and backup solutions
Conceptualized and managed the implementation of new services in ServiceNow and functional service extension in MS SharePoint
Designed a framework and process for onboarding new vendors and sites, including IT security, risk & compliance guidelines
Evaluated existing vendor contracts based on SIAM standards for integrating new services into the supplier ecosystem and the ServiceNow instance

Nov 2021 - Apr 2022

6 months

Germany

Service Portal & ITSM System Integration

VR-Payment / Volksbank

Provided strategic consulting for the long-term and sustainable alignment of the system landscape and interface issues with company strategy
Led the implementation and execution of up to 40 service requests, including identifying process deviations and implementing necessary solutions
Technical project leadership and test management for deploying a service portal and developing a ticket system integration
Evaluated and adjusted existing vendor contracts regarding scope of services, deliverables, service levels, and data protection

Jun 2021 - Present

4 years 8 months

Germany

ESM / ITSM / ServiceNow Consulting & Customer Support (Pre-Sales)

CompuSafe AG

Led pre-sales discussions and workshops to define strategic, conceptual, and organizational requirements, and created ITSM concepts and roadmap presentations for ServiceNow migration and implementation
Developed and established new ITSM and ServiceNow consulting and implementation offerings at ServiceNow partners
Created training concepts for project management (PRINCE2, Agile/SCRUM), IT Service Management (ITIL4), and ServiceNow (CSA & Micro certification)

Apr 2021 - May 2021

2 months

Germany

ITAM / SACM Evaluation and Concept Consulting

Blanc & Fischer IT Services

Developing a greenfield concept for a company-wide setup of cross-company IT asset and data management for end-user and network infrastructure assets
Maturity assessment of existing architectures, processes, and asset databases as a basis for implementing IT processes (SACM, Change, Request Fulfilment) and a CMDB in ServiceNow

Apr 2019 - Dec 2021

2 years 9 months

Germany

ITSM Evaluation, Implementation & Migration

ITDZ - IT Service Center Berlin

Program and project management: setting up a project organization and program structures for an ITSM & data multi-project with phase planning
Managing a data and interface project (CRM & SNOW interface) for tenant-specific license reconciliation and setting up necessary maintenance processes in a configuration management system
Current state analysis and replanning with a focus on requirements analysis and architecture evaluation
Optimization and introduction of ITSM core processes, including training delivery

Jan 2019 - Apr 2019

4 months

Croatia

ITSM Implementation & Integration

Concardis nets Group & Mercury Processing Services International

Project management for setting up new ITSM processes and rolling them out in the organization, including implementation in Atlassian Jira
Creating the roadmap, project plan, approaches, and project structure
Highlighting the main process and technology issues for management regarding tool harmonization (Jira & HP Service Manager)
Designing the support model and implementing the requirements in Jira Service Desk

Aug 2018 - Jan 2019

6 months

Germany

ITSM Digitalisation

Bundesdruckerei GmbH

Strategic leadership of a digitalization program (multi-project) for ITSM system migration, e-shop, and digital learning
Defining and designing end-to-end business processes and program requirements
Budget responsibility over 5 million euros, including resource planning and team setup
Overall project planning (master plan) with objectives, control mechanisms, and dependencies
Consulting and status reporting to management and steering committee

Sep 2017 - Aug 2018

1 year

Germany

IT Strategy & Service Operations (Risk & Compliance)

Berlin Hyp AG

Developing a new IT strategy and ITIL process landscape with a focus on service operations and information and security guidelines
Leading the implementation of IT compliance and audit requirements (ECB, MaRisk, BSI, GDPR) into IT strategy and operations
Establishing a risk, demand, and requirements management process and translating it into a service catalog
Introducing strategy processes, planning and leading workshops, and providing CIO coaching

May 2017 - Aug 2017

4 months

Germany

Service Delivery & Transition

Bundesdruckerei GmbH / gematic

Completion of a service onboarding process and quality controls for local and nearshore contact center operations
Ensuring customer support according to the gematic operations manual and coordination with service providers (D-Trust, arvato, Telekom)
Implementing contractual requirements to secure consolidated and sustainable support with clear governance mechanisms

May 2017 - Aug 2017

4 months

Germany

Technical Service Management

Bundesdruckerei GmbH / gematic

Designing and establishing a technical service management function, roles, interfaces, and processes for the supplier environment
Introducing a unified service level management and reporting function to implement consolidated SLAs
Standardizing service support and transition processes (release, change, request fulfillment, incident) and implementing quality strategies

Jan 2017 - Jun 2017

6 months

Germany

Customer Service & Call Center – Support Setup & Integration

Bundesdruckerei GmbH / gematic

End-to-end management for setting up a nearshore call center and organizational integration into operations and product support
Designing a service architecture for service onboarding procedures and secure handover of new products to support
Planning and implementing support requirements for sensitive security products in compliance with data protection and export control regulations

Jul 2016 - Jan 2017

7 months

Germany

Service Readiness & Operations Transition

Bundesdruckerei GmbH / gematic

Developing a process framework and organizational functions within the nearshore support unit
Establishing an inter-company integration strategy and coaching teams in customer communication
Stabilizing incident and service request management processes and introducing a reporting structure to reduce backlogs

Apr 2016 - Jul 2016

4 months

Czech Republic

ITSM Service Design

IBM

Developing service architecture, processes, tools, and roles within a multi-tier supplier environment
Translating business requirements into service solutions for hosting management services and ITIL processes
Documenting service and process interfaces at logical, physical, and detailed levels

Jun 2015 - Mar 2016

10 months

Germany

Product Management & Service Delivery

YDLFN

Defined and operationalized the IT strategy, including resource procurement, supplier strategies, and contract negotiations
Defined product features and carried out requirements and test management within phase planning
Introduced necessary IT processes, reports, quality standards, and data protection aspects in line with operational readiness criteria

Jul 2014 - Jun 2015

1 year

United States

Global IT Service Delivery (Civil Small & Medium Engines – CSME & Energy Sector)

Rolls-Royce Germany

Led the global IT service functions within the Civil Engines & Defence division for AMER, EMEA, and APAC
Managed global IT operations processes to ensure business as usual, including governance reporting for suppliers
Served as the main point of contact (SPOC) for risk management, escalations, and new requirements in the global CSME business

Jan 2014 - Jun 2014

6 months

Germany

Service Design & Service Request Management

Bombardier Transportation

Responsible for designing and implementing a new IT service catalog in BMC Remedy and ServiceNow
Introduced and standardized the SRD process (Service Request Definition) for new catalog items
Evaluated and deployed service request management resources to maintain the processes

Nov 2013 - May 2014

7 months

Germany

Remote

Managed Services Transition & Process Optimisation (RIM - Remote Infrastructure Management)

Bombardier Transportation

Planned and established a Control Operations Centre (COC) in India for remote infrastructure management and IT asset migration
Designed a supplier control framework (governance & reporting)
Assessed the supplier's functional and organizational setup and developed on-site training strategies

Aug 2012 - Oct 2013

1 year 3 months

Germany

IT Services & Program Management (multi-vendor strategy)

Bombardier Transportation

Led an ITSM transition program for all service management processes and IT assets as part of a multi-vendor IT strategy
Responsible for the end-to-end process chain from SLAs to system architecture and the operations readiness framework
Managed workstreams: ITIL processes, reporting, data & security management, organizational change, service integration, and test management

Summary

Experienced Executive Service Consultant with a proven track record in transforming and realigning complex IT organizations. Introduces product-agnostic and service-oriented strategies that measurably improve efficiency, governance, and customer satisfaction. Combines deep ESM/ITSM, infrastructure, and architecture expertise with pragmatic implementation skills. Delivers sustainable results through data-driven management, clear service governance, and operational optimization. Shapes international teams in multi-vendor environments into scalable service organizations that deliver tangible value to customers.

Over 20 years of experience in IT strategy, service development, and operational stabilization
Led global teams ensuring business processes generating over €20M in revenue
Managed company-wide projects with budgets up to €13M
Recognized as "GenAI Innovator" and "Entrepreneur of the Future" (diind)

Skills

Proven Success In Developing And Implementing Competitive Service Strategies To Realign Companies At The Management And Board Level
Years Of Hands-on Experience In Enterprise & It Service Management: Strategy, Design, Integration, Service Desk, Operations, Service Level And Supplier Management
Action-oriented Experience In Program & Multi-project Management, Process Optimization, Quality Management, Governance, Reporting, Supplier Management, And Esm / Itsm
Digitalization
Operational Readiness & Integration (Multi-vendor Environment)
Service Strategies
Quality Management
Targeted Leadership Of Pre-sales Discussions And Workshops With End Customers To Develop Tailored Itsm Concepts And Roadmaps For Smooth Itsm Platform Migrations
Data & Architecture
Itsm Multi-project Management / Program Management
Service Centers
Recognized As A Key Figure In Planning And Operationalizing Strategic Goals With A Focus On It Services, Processes, It Governance, And Tool Implementation
Experience In Multicultural Work Environments Through Cross-cultural Management, International Travel, And Building And Leading Global Teams (30+) In Apac, Emea, And The Americas
Strategic & Sustainable Approach
Analytical & Structured Way Of Working
Agile And Adaptable
Practical & Extensive Itsm Knowledge
Open And Transparent Communication
Service-driven & Customer-focused
Motivated By Initiative
Ms Office
Visio
Adonis / Bic
Remedy
Servicenow
Atlassian
Ms Project
Sharepoint
Office: Microsoft Office, Lotus Notes, Sharepoint, Teams, Office 365, Visio, Openoffice
Itsm: Remedy, Servicenow, Usu, Assyst, Atlassian, Smax, Serviceware
Processes: Visio, Adonis, Bic, Aris
Project Management: Ms Project, Teamwork, Blueant, Jira, Projectron Bcs, Redmine
Technologies: Iaas, Saas, Paas, Managed Services, Cloud Computing & Hosting, Ai
Methods – Processes: Bpmn 2.0, Ssadm
Methods – Itsm: Itil 3/4, Iso 20000, Agile Itsm, Usm
Methods – Architecture: Togaf 9/adm
Methods – Quality: Iso 9001/9004, Tqm, Sixsigma
Methods – Project Management: Waterfall, Agile, Scrum
Regulations & Legislation: Marisk/bait, Kwg, Srep, Gdpr, Bsi, Egov, Khg