Stefan (P.) Rath
Parental leave - looking after my newborn
Experience
Parental leave - looking after my newborn
Parental leave
Senior Vice President Sales International
Retarus GmbH
- Management of all Retarus GmbH subsidiaries with P&L responsibility in non-German speaking countries (Spain, Italy, France, Singapore and USA) totaling €40 million revenue with 86% gross profit
- Driving and managing complex SaaS solution sales processes
- Winning and managing Key Accounts in the Global 2000 target account group
- Managing and growing teams across countries totaling over 140 employees
- Developing and implementing country-specific sales and marketing strategies focused on strong organic growth
- Ensuring the quality of products and services
- Employee retention and promotion
- Developed and implemented a new GTM strategy for Global 2000 target customers
- Reorganized personnel at management levels in the USA, Italy and Singapore
- Established a Sales Operations and telemarketing unit to increase sales team efficiency
- Designed and implemented uniform external and internal training and coaching measures across all markets
- Doubled the sales team from 25 to 50 employees in the first three years
- Established partner sales and marketing in European and North American core markets
- Increased growth rates from 5% to over 30% year over year in all regions, doubling international revenue from €20 million to €40 million
- Secured key accounts including BNP Paribas, Travelers Insurance, Santander and Generali
- Achieved an EBITDA ratio over 30%, generating 100% of the group’s profit
- Reduced lead costs by more than 50%
- Shortened sales cycle from 6 months to 4 months through training and removing pricing and legal hurdles
- Increased employee retention and customer satisfaction by over 50% measured through reintroduced quality-of-service indicators
Director International Distribution Partners
Rodenstock GmbH
- Managed the International Distribution Partners division across LATAM, North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia including China for lenses and frames
- Disciplinarily managed a global sales team in Munich, Bangkok and Santiago de Chile with P&L responsibility
- Developed and implemented country-specific sales, marketing and brand strategies with KPI, profitability and service quality monitoring
- Negotiated annual business plans with distribution partners
- Supported global distribution partners on site and in day-to-day operations
- Drove international market expansion aligned with overall growth strategy
- Developed and implemented a fresh marketing and sales strategy
- Converted the China subsidiary into a partner model
- Developed new pricing models, PoS concepts and brand presence
- Restructured partner marketing into packages
- Developed a new training program for distribution partners and their customers
- Increased turnover by over 25% in the first year from €19 million to over €24 million
- Streamlined the partner portfolio, boosting revenue by over 10%
- Acquired new partners in USA, Israel and South Africa
- Increased sales in UAE and Spain with a radical new pricing concept
- Dismantled superfluous hierarchies and coached sales managers into effective leaders
President & CEO
Retarus Inc.
- Managed the US subsidiary with P&L responsibility and 50 employees across New York and Boston
- Developed, implemented and updated a growth- and profit-oriented corporate strategy aligned with the group
- Reorganized and realigned the entire organization
- Prepared annual financial statements and handled fiscal management, controlling and accounting
- Ensured product and service quality
- Focused on employee retention and promotion
- Key account management
- Developed and implemented marketing, sales, IT and HR strategies
- Created a company mission statement
- Developed and implemented an e-learning onboarding and training program
- Executed efficiency improvement and cost reduction programs
- Clearly positioned the company in the US market
- Secured key accounts such as JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, HSBC, John Deere, GrubHub Seamless and American Airlines
- Increased turnover from USD 2 million to USD 15 million and improved EBIT margin from negative to 25%
- Increased gross margin from 60% to 80%
- Increased turnover with only a 5% cost increase via efficiency improvements
- Successfully integrated post-merger into the group
- Established a corporate culture and raised employee and customer satisfaction by over 50%
- Implemented a highly efficient and flexible organizational structure
- Filled all non-sales management positions with junior staff and ensured long-term commitment through coaching and mentoring
- Reduced customer acquisition costs by over 50% by introducing telemarketing and concentrating sales staff in New York and Boston
- Developed an indirect sales channel, acquiring six Master Telco Agencies and AT&T as reseller
Manager Corporate Finance
Retarus GmbH
- Developed M&A and financing strategies for projects
- Spun off Austrian business operations into an independent GesmbH
- Structured and negotiated a €2 million silent partnership
- Renegotiated a €3.5 million debt financing package
Part-time parental leave
Part-time parental leave
Director Corporate Finance / Asset Finance
Bank Vontobel Europe AG
Managed a team of four employees
Led M&A processes, especially in renewable energies
Directed due diligence processes and coordinated legal, tax and technical advisors
Evaluated complex cash flow models and expert opinions
Structured and placed debt and equity financings
Negotiated purchase agreements, financing and security documents
Advised institutional investors on renewable energy asset and company acquisitions in Italy, Spain, Germany and the USA
Structured and placed debt and equity tranches
Designed acquisition models considering tax and regulatory issues
Structured a Luxembourg fund and raised capital
Completed over 30 renewable energy transactions totaling over €1.65 billion
Won financing and M&A mandates with investors such as MEAG
Legal Counsel
Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank AG
- Advised on financing corporate acquisitions, international project financing and bond issues, particularly in renewable energies
- Drafted and negotiated contracts, security documents and intercreditor agreements
Bridgehouse Law
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 Information Technology (9 years), Telecommunication (4 years), Energy (3.5 years), Banking and Finance (3.5 years), Manufacturing (2 years), and Retail (2 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 Sales (10.5 years), Strategy (10.5 years), Marketing (6.5 years), Operations (4 years), Finance (4 years), and Investments and M&A (3 years).
Summary
I am an accomplished professional with extensive experience in management, international sales and marketing with a deep understanding of finance and M&A. With a strong background in different industries, i.e. banking, SaaS and optics, I have been instrumental in driving organizational restructuring and efficiency improvement initiatives. I have held senior leadership roles in renowned companies such as Retarus GmbH, Rodenstock GmbH, and Bank Vontobel AG. Responsibilities have included full disciplinary and P&L responsibility for Group subsidiaries, developing and implementing sales and marketing strategies, ensuring the quality of products and services, leading due diligence processes, and managing M&A transactions. Under my leadership, companies have experienced substantial revenue growth, increased profitability, and improved customer and employee satisfaction. I have successfully closed multiple M&A transactions, implemented new marketing and sales strategies, secured major key accounts, and expanded into new markets. I am a dedicated and motivated individual who enjoys competition, traveling, literature, cooking, golf, and skiing.
Languages
Education
Boston University
LL.M. · International Business Practice · Boston, United States · 3.83/4.30, Class Ranking: 5/61
OLG Hamm
Second State Examination · Legal clerkship (Referendariat), Corporate Law · Hamm, Germany · 9.1 ("Fully satisfactory")
University of Passau
First State Examination · Law · Passau, Germany · 6.0
Certifications & licenses
German Bar
Profile
Frequently asked questions
Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.
Where is Stefan based?
What languages does Stefan speak?
How many years of experience does Stefan have?
What roles would Stefan be best suited for?
What is Stefan's latest experience?
What companies has Stefan worked for in recent years?
Which industries is Stefan most experienced in?
Which business areas is Stefan most experienced in?
Which industries has Stefan worked in recently?
Which business areas has Stefan worked in recently?
What is Stefan's education?
Does Stefan have any certificates?
What is the availability of Stefan?
What is the rate of Stefan?
How to hire Stefan?
Average rates for similar positions
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
Similar Freelancers
Discover other experts with similar qualifications and experience
Experts recently working on similar projects
Freelancers with hands-on experience in comparable project as a Parental leave - looking after my newborn
Nearby freelancers
Professionals working in or nearby Munich, Germany
