Rufus Henneken - Independent Consultant & Manager

Q: Where is Rufus based?

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

Q: What languages does Rufus speak?

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

Q: How many years of experience does Rufus have?

Rufus has at least 14 years of experience. During this time, Rufus has worked in at least 10 different roles and for 9 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 5 months . Note that Rufus may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Rufus's latest experience?

Rufus's most recent position is Independent Consultant & Manager at Henneken Consulting .

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

In recent years, Rufus has worked for Henneken Consulting .

Q: Which industries is Rufus most experienced in?

Rufus is most experienced in industries like Insurance , Professional Services , and Information Technology (IT) . Rufus also has some experience in Food and Beverage , Government and Public Administration , and Energy .

Q: Which business areas is Rufus most experienced in?

Rufus is most experienced in business areas like Project Management , Strategy and Planning , and Information Technology (IT) . Rufus also has some experience in Sales , Product Development , and Human Resources (HR) .

Q: Which industries has Rufus worked in recently?

Rufus has recently worked in industries like Insurance , Information Technology (IT) , and Professional Services .

Q: Which business areas has Rufus worked in recently?

Rufus has recently worked in business areas like Information Technology (IT) , Project Management , and Strategy and Planning .

Recommended expert

Paderborn, Germany

Experience

Jan 2020 - Present

6 years 2 months

Paderborn, Germany

Independent Consultant & Manager

Henneken Consulting

Supports companies and teams in designing and implementing strategies and projects
Drives the necessary organizational development and change for a VUCA world

Projects & key activities:

Led a company-wide digital transformation project at an insurance company (≥10,000 employees) to boost the use of digital delivery channels, targeting cost reductions of around €5 million
Provided management consulting on agile corporate management and project control for an architecture and engineering firm
Led a digitization project at an insurance company to use digital delivery channels, reducing costs by around €3.5 million
Designed and oversaw the company-wide introduction of Print & Follow, Follow Me Print, and pull printing at an insurance company
Designed and implemented an audit-proof compliance process (FATCA & CRS) at an insurance company
Led an output optimization project at an insurance company, reducing costs by €1.2 million
Managed the relocation and setup of a new data center infrastructure for a healthcare service/software provider
Supported the acquisition of an underwriting agency by a foreign investor (change management, process optimization)
Co-led a company-wide reporting implementation project (metric collection) at an insurance company
Led the preliminary study for a company-wide output optimization project at an insurance company
Provided consulting and design in agile corporate management and project control for an architecture and engineering firm
Continued the digitization project to roll out a digital document management system (DMS) at AOK

May 2018 - Jun 2020

2 years 2 months

Senior Consultant

Sinopsis AG

Advised on digitization and change initiatives from strategic planning to implementation support at the C-level
Conducted regular results analysis and presentations, and identified optimization opportunities
Developed new client relationships

Projects:

Led a company-wide digitization project at AOK to implement a digital document management system (DMS) for paperless processing
Carried out a strategy project to realign the sales strategy at HJ Schryver & Co. using a scenario-planning process

Mar 2018 - May 2018

3 months

Paderborn, Germany

Consultant

Henneken Consulting

Provided consulting and design for strategy and digitization for a construction company
Conducted a series of workshops with shareholders and the management team
Analyzed market trends with a focus on an omnichannel strategy
Developed action areas to increase revenue through digitization

Jun 2015 - Feb 2018

2 years 9 months

Hamelin, Germany

Branch Representative / Executive Assistant

Syncro24-Assekuradeur GmbH

Managed one or two underwriting agencies in the property insurance sector
Developed and marketed products, optimized in-house rate calculators, and partnered with comparison portals
Managed and expanded the distribution partner network, negotiated with risk carriers, handled claims management, and oversaw collections

Projects & key activities:

Co-led the project to acquire and merge an underwriting agency (change management, digitization, process analysis, implementation of a unified policy administration system including DMS, restructuring claims and application processing, opening new distribution channels)
Served as project lead for process optimization and best-practice development in claims prevention and processing (current-state analysis, implementation of cross-company standards, staff training, and knowledge transfer)

Jan 2014 - May 2015

1 year 5 months

Berlin, Germany

Account Manager Public Services

Hays AG

Placed IT freelancers for the public sector in eastern Germany
New client acquisition (75%), existing client management and cross-selling (15%), and tender processing/project management (10%)
Expanded the hospital and health insurance sector
Conducted market and demand analyses to develop a sales concept
Candidate management: identifying suitable candidates, preparing profiles and offers, and negotiating rates
Tender and project management
Monthly reporting on client development, revenue, and profit margins

Jun 2012 - Sep 2012

4 months

Santiago, Chile

Consultant (Volunteer)

NESsT

Supporting nonprofit organizations in designing and implementing sustainable business models
Market research for products from social projects
Developing new sales channels and marketing strategies
Assisting with implementing the Business Model Canvas

Jan 2012 - Apr 2012

4 months

Harsewinkel, Germany

Corporate Network Development Intern

CLAAS Group

Supporting a marketing campaign for the Eastern European market
Conducting market analyses using databases (ruslana BvD software)
Detailed analysis of customer data and campaign reports generated by surveys

Jul 2011 - Oct 2011

4 months

Santiago, Chile

Consulting Intern

German-Chilean Chamber of Commerce (AHK Chile)

Advising German and Chilean companies to promote economic relations
Helping organize and run the German-Chilean Economic Days 2011
Recruiting staff, preparing and evaluating candidate interviews for a German solar company
Contributing to a study on critical raw materials (e.g., lithium) in cooperation with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, including presenting results

Jul 2009 - Aug 2010

1 year 2 months

Santiago, Chile

Junior Accountant

PricewaterhouseCoopers Chile

Working on all three stages of the external audit process for national and international companies (e.g., B. Braun AG, British American Tobacco, CMPC S.A.)
Internal auditor for CMA CGM Group: analyzing departments, developing optimization strategies, and presenting to management
Analyzing various industry sectors for developments, trends, opportunities, and risks
Developing and preparing detailed customer and market insights
Introduction to advisory services and new client acquisition

Jun 2008 - Aug 2008

3 months

Murcia, Spain

Administration and Project Controlling Intern

GOLDBECK Solar GmbH

Assisting with the construction of a solar park in Murcia, Spain, for a German-Spanish investor consortium
Coordinating subcontractors (German and Spanish) to ensure timely and cost-effective implementation on site

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 Insurance (10.5 years), Information Technology (7.5 years), Professional Services (7.5 years), Food and Beverage (2 years), Government and Administration (1.5 years), and Construction (0.5 years).

Insurance

Information Technology

Professional Services

Food and Beverage

Government and Administration

Construction

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 (12.5 years), Strategy (8 years), Information Technology (6.5 years), Sales (6 years), Product Development (2.5 years), and Human Resources (1.5 years).

Project Management

Strategy

Information Technology

Sales

Product Development

Human Resources

Summary

My career path has led me through various roles in companies – including consulting, project management, organizational development, sales, and executive management – across a wide range of industries – including insurance, the public sector, services, logistics, and mechanical engineering – and through several countries: from Germany to the UK to Chile and back again. In each organization, I not only discovered and valued new rules and systems but also new team cultures, ways of working, and values, and I actively helped shape them.

I'm looking forward to more of that!

Skills

Professional Focus Areas:

Change Management
Project Management
Business Agility
Digital Transformation
Process Optimization

Industry Focus Areas:

Consulting (10 Years)
Insurance - Private And Public (10 Years)
Public Sector (4 Years)

Soft Skills:

Appreciative Leadership
Servant Leadership
Hands-on Mentality

It Skills:

Excellent Knowledge Of Ms Office, Outlook, And Crm Software
Excellent Knowledge Of Jira (Atlassian)
Good Knowledge Of Planisware
Basic Knowledge Of M/text (Kühn & Weyh - Kwsoft®)
Basic Knowledge Of Smart Fix & Smart Flow (Insiders Technologies Gmbh)
Basic Knowledge Of Kibana (Elastic Search)
Basic Knowledge Of Collibra
Basic Knowledge Of X-out
Basic Knowledge Of Oscare® (Sap)
Basic Knowledge Of Kofax® Applications
Basic Knowledge Of Fp Sign Mentana Claimsoft
User Skills In Sap Bi
Good Knowledge Of Ams (Assfinet)
Knowledge Of Various Software Solutions (Insis, Guidewire, Bip, Autobav-dwerk Gmbh, Nafi Gmbh)
Excellent Skills In Internet Research, Seo, And Social Media (Xing/linkedin)
Knowledge Of Document Management Software
Knowledge Of The Eu Ai Act

Familiar Methods:

Team Development
Facilitation
Change Management
Prince2
Itil
Scrum
Kanban
Okrs
4 Mat
Design Thinking

Languages

German

Native

English

Native

Spanish

Advanced

Education

Sep 2013 - Sep 2014

Aston Business School (AACSB and Equis accredited)

MSc Strategy and International Business · Strategy and International Business · Birmingham, United Kingdom

Oct 2007 - Jun 2012

Giggleswick School

A-Level | Abitur · Settle, United Kingdom · Avg. 1.3

Sep 2007 - Jun 2012

Aston Business School (AACSB and Equis accredited)

BSc (Hons) International Business and Spanish · International Business and Spanish · Birmingham, United Kingdom

Certifications & licenses

Change Management Specialist

IHK

Data Protection and Security Specialist

IHK

Flight Levels System Architecture Training

LEANability GmbH

Foundation in Agile Project Management Certification

TÜV Süd

Leadership & Change

OEZPA

Prince2 Agile® Foundation Certificate In Agile Project Management

PeopleCert

Professional Scrum Master

ITEMO

Scenario Planning Masterclass

Aston University

Profile

Created

April 2024

Last Update

June 2025

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Frequently asked questions

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

Where is Rufus based?

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

What languages does Rufus speak?

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

How many years of experience does Rufus have?

Rufus has at least 14 years of experience. During this time, Rufus has worked in at least 10 different roles and for 9 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 5 months. Note that Rufus may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Rufus be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Rufus would be well-suited for roles such as: Independent Consultant & Manager, Senior Consultant, Consultant.

What is Rufus's latest experience?

Rufus's most recent position is Independent Consultant & Manager at Henneken Consulting.

What companies has Rufus worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Rufus has worked for Henneken Consulting.

Which industries is Rufus most experienced in?

Rufus is most experienced in industries like Insurance, Professional Services, and Information Technology (IT). Rufus also has some experience in Food and Beverage, Government and Public Administration, and Energy.

Which business areas is Rufus most experienced in?

Rufus is most experienced in business areas like Project Management, Strategy and Planning, and Information Technology (IT). Rufus also has some experience in Sales, Product Development, and Human Resources (HR).

Which industries has Rufus worked in recently?

Rufus has recently worked in industries like Insurance, Information Technology (IT), and Professional Services.

Which business areas has Rufus worked in recently?

Rufus has recently worked in business areas like Information Technology (IT), Project Management, and Strategy and Planning.

What is Rufus's education?

Rufus holds a Master in Strategy and International Business from Aston Business School (AACSB and Equis accredited) and a Bachelor in International Business and Spanish from Aston Business School (AACSB and Equis accredited).

Does Rufus have any certificates?

Rufus has 8 certificates. Among them, these include: Change Management Specialist, Data Protection and Security Specialist, and Flight Levels System Architecture Training.

What is the availability of Rufus?

Rufus is immediately available part-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Rufus?

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