Thorsten Gropp

Senior Digital Manager, Interim CXO

Thorsten Gropp
Augsburg, Germany

Experience

Feb 2023 - Present
2 years 3 months
Munich, Germany

Senior Consultant Digitalization

State government of Bavaria

Direct report to the health department manager at the State Ministry for Health and Care

Areas of activity:

  • Digitalization of processes in all areas of the health department
  • Process optimization in the Bavarian public health service (ÖGD)
  • Project member "Health Department 2025"
Sep 2020 - Oct 2022
2 years 2 months
Saarbrücken, Germany

CEO

Möbel Martin GmbH & Co. KG

CEO scope: digital business, marketing, eCommerce, digitalization furniture retail

  • Reporting directly to the proprietors
  • Sales revenue responsibility €398m in 2021
  • Budget responsibility €21m in 2021

Responsible for:

  • Development of the digitalization strategy
  • Selection and implementation of the CRM system
  • Development of the customer loyalty program
  • Development and implementation of a digital employee app
  • Various digitalization processes in sales and marketing
  • Overall marketing responsibility for the Möbel Martin Group across all distribution channels including 8 stores
  • Brand launch
  • Restructuring and building up teams
Oct 2019 - Aug 2020
11 months
Marbella, Spain

Senior Consultant Business Development

Enjoygroup Grupo Ferrer Gestión S.L.U.

Premium hotels and restaurants in Spain

  • Reporting directly to the proprietors of the Group

Responsible for:

  • Process optimization
  • Digitalization of the processes in all business units
  • Development of the "Palma Beach" brand
Mar 2018 - Jun 2019
1 year 4 months
Luxembourg

Marketing Director International

Garant-Global s.a.r.l

  • Reporting directly to the Chair of the Group

Responsible for:

  • Expansion of the company
  • Process optimization
  • Digitalization of the processes in all national companies
  • Overall marketing responsibility worldwide (€50m)
  • Development of the Garant Home Design brand
  • Development of the international franchise system
Apr 2017 - Mar 2018
1 year
Augsburg, Germany

CEO

MaxEnergy GmbH

  • Reporting directly to the proprietor of the group
  • Management spokesman
  • Sales revenue responsibility €135m in 2017
  • Budget responsibility €25m in 2017

Responsible for:

  • Restructuring and expansion of the companies
  • Process optimization
  • Overall responsibility for marketing/sales/IT in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
  • Digitalization processes in sales and marketing
  • Changing the IT landscape to Salesforce / SAP / Confluence / Jira etc.
Apr 2017 - Mar 2018
1 year
Dornbirn, Austria

CEO

MaxEnergy Handels GmbH

  • Reporting directly to the proprietor of the group
  • Management spokesman
  • Sales revenue responsibility €135m in 2017
  • Budget responsibility €25m in 2017

Responsible for:

  • Restructuring and expansion of the companies
  • Process optimization
  • Overall responsibility for marketing/sales/IT in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
  • Digitalization processes in sales and marketing
  • Changing the IT landscape to Salesforce / SAP / Confluence / Jira etc.
Feb 2015 - Mar 2017
2 years 2 months
Augsburg, Germany

CEO

Weltbild GmbH & Co. KG

  • Reporting directly to the Group Advisory Board
  • Sales revenue responsibility €305m in 2016
  • Budget responsibility €34m in 2016
  • 173 employees plus 1,050 employees in the stores
  • 10 direct reports

Responsible for:

  • Restructuring, reorganization, digitalization and reorientation
  • Overall responsibility for marketing/sales in Germany, Austria and Switzerland for the Weltbild brand through all distribution channels including 86 stores
  • Selection and implementation of a CRM system
  • Brand management of all brands of the Weltbild Group in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
  • All print and POS advertising media in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, especially the catalog with monthly circulation of more than 7 million copies
  • All websites of the Weltbild Group in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
  • All eCommerce activities of the Weltbild Group
  • All social media activities
  • All digital marketing measures incl. moving images (SEA/SEO, E.Mail, Affiliate, Display, etc.)
  • All cooperations of the Weltbild Group, sales approx. €23m in 2016
  • TV and radio campaigns
  • Digitalization processes in sales and marketing
May 2005 - Dec 2015
10 years 8 months
Berlin, Germany

Managing Partner

Interactivelabs GmbH & Co.KG

  • Digital marketing & eCommerce optimization
  • Social media analytics and services
  • Social media customer service
  • Observation, analysis and optimization of social media and networks on the Internet
  • Development, operation and sales of an analysis and observation software for social media on the Internet
  • Digitalization of business processes
  • Cross-media strategy & development
  • Consultancy services and project management

Customers (selection): McKinsey & Company, Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Adobe, Samsung, Hagebau, Peek & Cloppenburg, Mann-Hummel

Agency partners (selection): Razorfish, TribalDDB, DIGITAS, DDB Health, UPC, KETCHUM-PLEON GmbH, DPA – news aktuell

Oct 2004 - Apr 2005
7 months
Augsburg, Germany

Head of New Media division

Weltbild Verlags GmbH

  • Operative and strategic management of all online portals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
  • Member of the management team
  • Positioning and further development of the Weltbild.de shopping platform, making it one of Germany's leading Internet portals
  • Efficiency enhancement for internal processes
  • Consistent development of the online platforms in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Oct 2001 - Sep 2004
3 years
Essen, Germany

CEO of Karstadt.de

Karstadt Warenhaus AG

  • Operative and strategic management of the portals Karstadt.de and Karstadtsport.de
  • Expansion of business to 109 employees and an annual sales revenue of approx. €145m in 2003
  • Reporting to the holding CEO, Mr. Peter Gerard, as well as to the Chair of Karstadt Warenhaus AG, Mr. Ralf Pohl
  • Positioning and further development of the shopping and information platform, making it one of the leading Internet portals
  • Communicative and structural integration of the eBusiness unit of Karstadt Warenhaus AG in the holding structures
  • Establishment of synergies with the mail-order subsidiaries Quelle and Neckermann in backend business
  • Consolidation of IT and corporate structures (reorganization with integration of Karstadtsport AG in Karstadt Warenhaus AG)
  • Efficiency enhancement for internal processes
  • Consistent development of the platform
  • Development of business models and strategies for marketing of the FIFA World Cup 2006 for Karstadt Warenhaus AG as a project
  • Major contribution to the migration of the Karstadt-Club to Happy Digits

Development of strategic cooperations with various partners from media and the retail trade (Burda Verlag, Axel Springer Verlag, Gruner+Jahr, ARD, ZDF/3Sat, ProSieben, SAT1, DSF, T-Online, AOL, Web.de, OD2, Microsoft, Sony and many more)

Jun 2000 - Sep 2001
1 year 4 months
Hamburg, Germany

CEO of Winegate New Media GmbH

Hawesko Holding AG

  • Responsible for all the company's marketing and operative activities
  • Reporting to the CFO of the entire Group and to the CEO
  • Management of 25 employees at Winegate Internet AG, 7 at Winegate New Media GmbH
  • Both B2B and B2C Sales Managers and Key Accounts Sales Managers reported back to me
  • Expansion of the website to make it a profitable distribution channel in Germany and abroad
  • Development of eBusiness strategies and solutions for the holding
  • Correct positioning of the Winegate brand on the www, accompanied by print and online campaigns, combined with PR measures and classical marketing measures
  • Development of a cooperation network with Gruner & Jahr ("Living at Home"), HÖRZU gourmet site with the Axel Springer Verlag, SZ-Online together with the Süddeutsche Zeitung and television stations such as Pro 7, N24, Kabel 1 and others
  • Integration of the customer loyalty program Lufthansa Miles & More
Jun 2000 - Sep 2001
1 year 4 months
Hamburg, Germany

COO of Winegate Internet AG

Hawesko Holding AG

  • Responsible for all the company's marketing and operative activities
  • Reporting to the CFO of the entire Group and to the CEO
  • Management of 25 employees at Winegate Internet AG, 7 at Winegate New Media GmbH
  • Both B2B and B2C Sales Managers and Key Accounts Sales Managers reported back to me
  • Expansion of the website to make it a profitable distribution channel in Germany and abroad
  • Development of eBusiness strategies and solutions for the holding
  • Correct positioning of the Winegate brand on the www, accompanied by print and online campaigns, combined with PR measures and classical marketing measures
  • Development of a cooperation network with Gruner & Jahr ("Living at Home"), HÖRZU gourmet site with the Axel Springer Verlag, SZ-Online together with the Süddeutsche Zeitung and television stations such as Pro 7, N24, Kabel 1 and others
  • Integration of the customer loyalty program Lufthansa Miles & More
Sep 1999 - May 2000
9 months
Hamburg, Germany

Head of eCommerce division

Hawesko Holding AG

  • Development of the Winegate brand with the associated spin-off to Winegate Internet AG and creation of an "in-house agency" for combining Internet competence within the Group under the name "Winegate New Media GmbH"
  • Brand relaunch of "Jacques' Wein-Depot" (food retail trade, Germany), "CWD" (mail-order wholesale trade, Germany), launch & Internet platform for "The Winecompany" (mail-order trade, Austria)
  • Group integration of "Wein Wolf" (wholesaler, Germany), Internet platform for the French market "Chateaux Classic" (mail-order trade, France)
Jul 1997 - Aug 1999
2 years 2 months
Düsseldorf, Germany

"New Media" Project Manager and Marketing Consultant

Aengevelt Immobilien KG

  • Continuation of the tasks
  • Work in Düsseldorf, Berlin, Moscow and Shanghai
  • Development of customer support programs and customer analysis
  • Development of the Internet services and the Intranet
  • Development and realization of service CD-ROM
  • Linking of branches in terms of CI, uniform user interface and product offering
  • Workflow optimization
Jun 1996 - Jun 1997
1 year 1 month
Düsseldorf, Germany

Junior Marketing Manager

Aengevelt Immobilien KG

  • Continuation and expansion of the tasks
  • Work in Düsseldorf, Berlin and Moscow
  • Assigned to the interface between marketing, IT and organization
  • Development of a realty database and corresponding incorporation on the Internet and Intranet
  • Creation of a homepage for the Aengevelt Group
  • Introduction of new marketing concepts
  • Development of communication concepts
  • Responsible for a budget of DM4m p.a. and a further DM1m for the Internet budget
Mar 1994 - May 1996
2 years 3 months
Düsseldorf, Germany

Trainee

Aengevelt Immobilien KG

  • Realty marketing of office realty and investment realty
  • Realty marketing of private realty
  • Trade fair planning and organization
  • Design of advertising media and print media
  • Planning and opening of new sites (Magdeburg, Frankfurt, Bonn)
  • Training of staff and managers
  • Planning and introduction of in-house Intranet

Summary

Many years of management experience as CEO/Chair eCommerce / digital business, digitalization, B2C and B2B marketing, general management, responsibility for sales revenues of up to €500m. - Digital transformation of organizations and business models - Restructuring and optimization of retail and marketing organizations - Marketing controlling and optimization return on marketing investment - Strategic brand management and marketing - CRM and loyalty development, implementation and management - Result-oriented management of projects and service providers - Extensive technical IT know-how

Languages

German
Native
English
Advanced
French
Elementary
Italian
Elementary
Spanish
Elementary

Education

Oct 1989 - Mar 1995

Technische Universität Braunschweig

Degree in Industrial Engineering · Industrial Engineering - Mechanical Engineering / Business Management · Braunschweig, Germany

Aug 1978 - Jun 1987

Comenius Gymnasium

Passed the university entrance examination · Düsseldorf, Germany

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