Stefan Schüßler

Interims Head of Product Owner and Release Manager

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Berlin, Germany

Experience

Sep 2024 - Present
1 year 5 months

Interims Head of Product Owner and Release Manager

Star Finanz

  • Led a team of over 20 product owners, designers, and release managers in the App Factory during a key organizational transformation.

  • Drove project delivery under tight timelines and supported the team through change by preparing them for new responsibilities.

  • Fostered personal growth, built team resilience, and helped shape a culture ready for the company’s next chapter.

May 2023 - Jul 2024
1 year 3 months

CPO and Co-Founder

Luccid

  • Bridged tech and business by driving product strategy and ensuring highest user experience standards.

  • Responsible for B2B sales, investor pitches, public grants, financial forecasting, and planning, as well as operational tasks.

Mar 2023 - Present
2 years 11 months

Product Management Coach (Part-Time)

Product Management Coach

  • Help product managers acquire the right skills and reflect on their practices.

  • Collect patterns about challenges companies have in product management.

  • Connect generative AI solutions with product management experience to help clients become AI-driven product managers.

  • Worked with MCI Germany, Future Fashion (Italy), and Star Finanz.

Nov 2022 - Jan 2023
3 months

Product Consultant (Contract)

MOIA

  • Supported fleet operations domain as a product manager in three different teams.

  • Ensured ongoing projects and product requirements received required input and product processes ran smoothly.

Sep 2021 - Sep 2022
1 year 1 month

Head of Product Management

Finleap Connect

  • Responsible for entire product portfolio: one API platform and two consumer products.

  • Ensured transformation into a truly Pan-European open banking platform.

Apr 2021 - Sep 2021
6 months

International Project Manager

Finleap Connect

  • Acted as project lead within a large international project in Bahrain.

  • Ensured delivery of open banking API and coordinated with an externally developed mobile application.

Nov 2020 - Sep 2021
11 months

Head of Business Unit “Financial Insights”

Finleap Connect

  • Merged the categorization team and data services vertical into one business unit focusing on all data-related topics.

  • Led over 20 people with four different occupations.

Apr 2020 - Oct 2020
7 months

Head of Product

Finleap Connect

  • Took over transaction categorization team to boost prediction engine F1 score from below 0.6 to above 0.8 in a few months.

  • Provided high prediction performance for risk indicators used in loan application risk assessments.

Sep 2019 - Mar 2020
7 months

Principal Product Manager

Finleap Connect

  • Worked directly with the CPO on development team assessments and implementation of the product framework.

  • Established a cross-vertical product organization.

  • Took over the newly formed data services vertical as interim head of product at assignment end.

Jun 2019 - Aug 2019
3 months

Head of Product

Finreach Solutions

  • Focused on due diligence and consolidation of existing products during an ongoing merger.

  • Supported the CPO in reorganizing the product organization and implementing the product framework.

May 2017 - May 2019
2 years 1 month

Senior Product Manager

Searchmetrics

  • Built a product that converts large amounts of data and complex information into actionable insights for experts and managers to make financial decisions.
Jun 2015 - Apr 2017
1 year 11 months
Germany

Senior Product Manager

Webtrekk

  • Managed product development and strategy in the analytics platform.
Feb 2015 - May 2015
4 months
Germany

Freelancer

Freelancer

  • Provided product and consulting services for early-stage startups.
Oct 2013 - Jan 2015
1 year 4 months
South Africa

Founder

Customind Ltd PTY

  • Founded and led a company in Johannesburg focusing on custom industrial solutions.
Sep 2006 - Mar 2013
6 years 7 months

Team Lead Continuous Integration

Alcatel-Lucent

  • Led continuous integration efforts across locations in Stuttgart, Shanghai, and New Jersey.

Summary

I’m a people-first Product Leader with over 12 years of experience leading teams, building data-driven products, and helping organizations grow through meaningful transformation. At the heart of my work is a deep belief that great products start with understanding people — whether it's users, team members, or stakeholders.

My journey has taken me from founding and leading an AI startup as CPO to managing cross-functional Data Science and Product teams in larger organizations. I’m passionate about the potential of data and AI, but even more passionate about making sure they serve real human needs.

As a Product Coach and Consultant, I support companies in becoming truly product-driven — not just in processes, but in mindset and culture. My entrepreneurial background has taught me to think big, move fast, and always stay close to the human problems we’re trying to solve.

Languages

German
Native
English
Advanced

Education

Sep 2003 - Aug 2006

Berlin School of Economics

Diplom (BA) Computer Engineering · Computer Engineering · Berlin, Germany

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