Thomas Gaiser - Interim Digital Product Manager

Q: Where is Thomas based?

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

Q: What languages does Thomas speak?

Thomas speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), Spanish (Intermediate), French (Intermediate) .

Q: How many years of experience does Thomas have?

Thomas has at least 13 years of experience. During this time, Thomas has worked in at least 9 different roles and for 8 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 4 months . Note that Thomas may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Thomas's latest experience?

Thomas's most recent position is Interim Digital Product Manager at Novartis Pharma GmbH .

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

In recent years, Thomas has worked for Novartis Pharma GmbH , HfWU Nürtingen , Grubengold GmbH , Neckar Hub Stuttgart – My hub network by Neckar Hub GmbH , and DEalog – Top 20 project in the #WirVsVirus hackathon by the German government .

Q: Which industries is Thomas most experienced in?

Thomas is most experienced in industries like Information Technology (IT) , Sport and Recreation , and Professional Services . Thomas also has some experience in Government and Public Administration , Manufacturing , and Education .

Q: Which business areas is Thomas most experienced in?

Thomas is most experienced in business areas like Product Development , Strategy and Planning , and Business Intelligence . Thomas also has some experience in Sales , Marketing , and Project Management .

Q: Which industries has Thomas worked in recently?

Thomas has recently worked in industries like Professional Services , Information Technology (IT) , and Government and Public Administration .

Q: Which business areas has Thomas worked in recently?

Thomas has recently worked in business areas like Product Development , Sales , and Strategy and Planning .

Recommended expert

Stuttgart, Germany

Experience

Apr 2025 - Nov 2025

8 months

Interim Digital Product Manager

Novartis Pharma GmbH

Defining and establishing a clear product strategy and roadmap to align product development with business goals and market trends
Leading and prioritizing product requirements of cross-functional, international stakeholder groups (TA, Brand Family, Content Manager, Legal)
Efficiently managing the development process in international agile teams to deliver critical product releases on time and within budget
Leading product launch and marketing activities in coordination with Channel Orchestration Experts
Monitoring and analyzing product performance metrics (KPIs) for data-driven optimization and maximization of business value

Aug 2024 - Dec 2024

5 months

Digital Platform Manager

Novartis Pharma GmbH

Further development and integration of digital platforms for a coherent, cross-channel customer experience
Conceptualizing and implementing IT systems using agile methods for efficient marketing and sales management
Evaluating automation potentials and introducing innovative ideas for process optimization
Planning and conducting change management and training for field sales and marketing to ensure system acceptance
Managing external international service providers and agencies to achieve objectives
Driving digitalization transfer across the organization to promote digital transformation

Mar 2024 - Present

2 years

Germany

Lecturer Digital Business Models

HfWU Nürtingen

Teaching the course "Digital Business Model Transformation" (bachelor level)
End-to-end development of digital business models using the lean approach, including practical application of relevant business model tools
Delivering the course in English to strengthen engagement with international teams and stakeholders
Writing the book chapter "Developing a Digital Business Model" for the Springer edited volume "Handbook of Digital Management"

Oct 2023 - Dec 2023

3 months

Innovation Consultant / Venture Developer

Grubengold GmbH

Designing and initially implementing the end-to-end product roadmap to make development steps measurable
Developing the customer journey and conducting user interviews for in-depth market research
Managing projects and processes for internal and external client communication to ensure targeted stakeholder information and alignment
Preparing market research, user insights and product strategy in result presentations for top management as a decision-making basis

Feb 2023 - Aug 2023

7 months

Digital Platform Manager

Novartis Pharma GmbH

Designing and executing the platform vision and roadmap to significantly improve the user experience
Precisely defining requirements as user stories and acceptance criteria to guide agile development processes
Continuous KPI monitoring and running iterative tests for data-driven performance optimization
Managing interfaces between local and global departments, IT and partners
Managing technical and administrative processes, including project planning and coordination of the CMS migration
Directing external service providers and agencies for result-oriented execution of the roadmap

Mar 2021 - Present

5 years

Germany

Location Manager / Strategic Consultant

Neckar Hub Stuttgart – My hub network by Neckar Hub GmbH

Strategic development of the business model to open up new analog and digital revenue streams
Advising, coaching, and mentoring startups in the region, from concept to scale-up
Building brand and network in the Stuttgart area, along with strategic analysis and partner acquisition

Mar 2020 - May 2023

3 years 3 months

Co-founder / Team Lead / Product and Project Manager

DEalog – Top 20 project in the #WirVsVirus hackathon by the German government

Developed a dual information platform (back office for institutions and an app for citizens) to close information gaps in the state-run warning infrastructure (BBK/NINA)
Coordinated the backlog in close collaboration with the development team; conducted market and customer analyses including interviews and created user stories to guide feature development
Validated the MVP in the Arnsberg district (North Rhine-Westphalia) and negotiated with the city of Heilbronn for the rollout of the live application
Analyzed and acquired cooperation partners and managed complex stakeholder relationships (government, authorities, municipalities)
Secured funding from the BMBF and a three-month engagement scholarship from ProjectTogether gGmbH

Nov 2019 - Dec 2019

2 months

Germany

Strategic Consultant

Next Shed by Eberspächer Gruppe GmbH & Co. KG

Participated in the development of a new digital service offering in the smart home/smart city sector
Strategically developed the architecture and feature set of an IoT platform as the technological foundation for a new ecosystem
Delivered a conceptual blueprint as the basis for investment decisions and the development of the new business field

Feb 2015 - Dec 2017

2 years 11 months

Germany

Product Manager

J. Schmalz GmbH

Collaborated on the further development of the online shop in close collaboration with the eCommerce department
Responsible for content management of the online shop and all sales materials
Optimized and established content creation processes to increase efficiency and quality
Coordinated interfaces for internal standardization and supported technical illustrators in creating product documentation to ensure compliance and quality

Jan 2013 - Jun 2020

7 years 6 months

Germany

Founder

insightity – development of data-driven fan services

Designed data-driven business models to diversify the offering and open up new revenue streams
End-to-end requirements management based on the entire customer/fan journey in collaboration with VfB Stuttgart, 1. FC Köln, and SC Freiburg
Conducted market and stakeholder analyses to validate the business idea within the context of the Bundesliga
Identified concrete opportunities to improve the profitability and sustainability of the fan service offering

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 (10.5 years), Sport (7.5 years), Professional Services (5 years), Government and Administration (3 years), Manufacturing (3 years), and Education (2 years).

Information Technology

Sport

Professional Services

Government and Administration

Manufacturing

Education

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 Product Development (12.5 years), Strategy (12.5 years), Business Intelligence (8 years), Sales (5 years), Marketing (4 years), and Project Management (3.5 years).

Product Development

Strategy

Business Intelligence

Sales

Marketing

Project Management

Summary

As a freelance expert in product strategy and digital transformation and as an experienced interim product manager for digital products, I bring 12 years of hands-on expertise in agile development and validation of digital products (web portals, apps) using a lean approach. My particular strength is my solid knowledge of AI applications, which allows me to design and optimize new digital products with a focus on modern automation and AI marketing strategies.

My guiding principle is to create value in a structured way by strategically combining existing solutions, new ideas, and a dose of creativity. This strong entrepreneurial mindset and action, among others through my own startup experience and startup consulting, as well as my deep understanding of interface roles between business and IT, always ensure a strategic overall view and the management of complex projects to achieve targets successfully.

My proactive hands-on mentality is evident in conceptualizing and implementing innovative solutions, where transparency and close collaboration with all stakeholders are the key to success for me.

Skills

Hard Skills In End-to-end Product Management: Agile Product Development (Scrum/kanban), Product Roadmapping & Backlog Management (Jira / Confluence)
Requirements Management: Lean Startup/mvp Validation, Web/app Design (Wireframing, Prototyping)
Business Transformation & Innovation: Ai Strategy, Ai Marketing Applications, Automation, Business Model Innovation
Consulting & Coaching: Interface Management (Business / It / Ux), Lecturing (Digital Transformation)
Soft Skills - Strategic Overview: Holistic Perspective, Customer Focus And P&l Orientation
Communication & Alignment: Stakeholder Management, Conflict Management And Transparent Collaboration
Conceptual Strength: Analytical Thinking, Creative Problem Solving And Structured Approach
Proactive Execution: Independent Work, Initiative And Strong Result Orientation
Software: Microsoft 365 Products, Google Workspace Products, Slack, Teams, Zoom, Miro, Confluence, Jira, Trello, N8n, Make.com, Manus, Text, Audio And Video Ai Tools (Chatgpt, Gemini, Claude, Etc.)

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

Spanish

Intermediate

French

Intermediate

Education

Oct 2004 - Feb 2012

University of Stuttgart

Diploma Engineer in Technology Management · Technology Management · Stuttgart, Germany · 2,3

Certifications & licenses

Professional Scrum Master I

scrum.org

Professional Scrum Product Owner I

scrum.org

Prompt Engineering For ChatGPT

Profile

Created

January 2026

Last Update

February 2026

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Frequently asked questions

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

Where is Thomas based?

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

What languages does Thomas speak?

Thomas speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), Spanish (Intermediate), French (Intermediate).

How many years of experience does Thomas have?

Thomas has at least 13 years of experience. During this time, Thomas has worked in at least 9 different roles and for 8 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 4 months. Note that Thomas may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Thomas be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Thomas would be well-suited for roles such as: Interim Digital Product Manager, Digital Platform Manager, Lecturer Digital Business Models.

What is Thomas's latest experience?

Thomas's most recent position is Interim Digital Product Manager at Novartis Pharma GmbH.

What companies has Thomas worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Thomas has worked for Novartis Pharma GmbH, HfWU Nürtingen, Grubengold GmbH, Neckar Hub Stuttgart – My hub network by Neckar Hub GmbH, and DEalog – Top 20 project in the #WirVsVirus hackathon by the German government.

Which industries is Thomas most experienced in?

Thomas is most experienced in industries like Information Technology (IT), Sport and Recreation, and Professional Services. Thomas also has some experience in Government and Public Administration, Manufacturing, and Education.

Which business areas is Thomas most experienced in?

Thomas is most experienced in business areas like Product Development, Strategy and Planning, and Business Intelligence. Thomas also has some experience in Sales, Marketing, and Project Management.

Which industries has Thomas worked in recently?

Thomas has recently worked in industries like Professional Services, Information Technology (IT), and Government and Public Administration.

Which business areas has Thomas worked in recently?

Thomas has recently worked in business areas like Product Development, Sales, and Strategy and Planning.

What is Thomas's education?

Thomas holds a Master in Technology Management from University of Stuttgart.

Does Thomas have any certificates?

Thomas has 3 certificates. These include: Professional Scrum Master I, Professional Scrum Product Owner I, and Prompt Engineering For ChatGPT.

What is the availability of Thomas?

Thomas is immediately available part-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Thomas?

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