SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM)

Delivered a digital, non-profit neighborhood platform to connect older adults with volunteers for practical support and social companionship. Responsible for business analysis, requirement definition, platform evaluation and delivery of a locally scalable service solution focusing on AI-driven enhancements, data-based optimization and clear market positioning. Evaluated several low-code/business platforms including Odoo and Glide Apps and assessed monday.com as a CRM-like option before selecting Glide Apps for implementation. Implemented a non-native mobile and desktop application with Glide Apps and the web presence with WordPress. Tasks

• Gathering, analyzing and structuring business requirements for the product and service model
• Conducting market, target group and competitor analyses to position the offering
• Evaluating and selecting suitable low-code/business platforms for implementation
• Defining core user journeys, business processes and operational workflows for older adults, volunteers and administration
• Translating business requirements into functional requirements for profiles, task management, coordination, communication and notifications
• Guiding the implementation of the non-native mobile and desktop application in Glide Apps as well as the web presence in WordPress
• Preparing the business side for future AI-powered features such as intelligent matching and data-based optimization
• Ensuring compliance with GDPR requirements Results
• Successfully delivered digital support platform connecting older adults with volunteers
• Solid foundation for market positioning through market, target group and competitor analyses
• Delivered a functional non-native mobile and desktop application with Glide Apps and a supporting web presence with WordPress
• Established foundation for scaling and AI-based further development

The insurance application service provider in Switzerland intended to develop a multi-channel output system to support their customers on their digital enhancement journey.

• Established an Agile Release Train based on SAFe 6.0
• Trained all ART leadership
• Coached the development of the solution intent
• Established 5 teams in the ART. Developed the Epic and Feature Backlog for the team.
• Planned and coached 2 PI planning sessions

The insurance application service provider in Switzerland intended to transform their claims management BPO and IT team into an agile delivery organization.

• Established an Agile Release Train based on SAFe 6.0
• Trained all ART leadership
• Coached the development of the solution intent
• Established 2 teams in an ART.
• Developed the Epic and Feature Backlog for the team.
• Planned and coached 2 PI planning sessions

• Agile Transformation – introducing agile principles and transforming traditional IT departments into Scrum and Kanban teams

• IT Operating Model – redesigning the IT organization and introducing modern delivery structures and roles

• Flight Levels – implementing Flight Levels to align strategy, coordination and operational execution

• Leadership & Coaching – recruiting Agile Coaches and coaching Scrum Masters and IT leaders

• ERP Operations – acting as Interim Product Owner for the existing ERP landscape and ensuring business continuity

• ERP Transformation – supporting the migration from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central as a Project Manager

• Operational Core (ERP) – establishing dedicated teams for ERP Support, Feature Development, and ERP Migration

• Modern Workplace – initiating the transition towards a Microsoft 365-based cloud workplace environment

• ConnectHub – establishing a dedicated team to drive integration and connectivity initiatives

• Warehouse Operations – building a cross-functional team to support logistics and warehouse-related capabilities

• Maintenance & Operations (M&O) – introducing a dedicated team focused on stable operations and continuous improvement

• AI Initiatives – identifying and promoting practical Artificial Intelligence use cases across the IT department

• As Interim Chief Digital Officer (CDO) for a leading industrial supplier with a strong e-commerce focus (often described as 'the Amazon for industrial goods') responsible for leading the digital and organizational transformation while reporting directly to executive leadership.

• Introduced agile principles and ways of working across the organization and transformed the traditionally structured IT department into cross-functional Scrum and Kanban teams focused on transparency, collaboration, and customer value delivery.

• Redesigned the entire IT organization by establishing a modern operating model, introducing new roles such as Product Owner, Scrum Master and Solution Architect and strengthening the organization through strategic hiring and targeted capability development.

• Recruited and onboarded Agile Coaches to accelerate the transformation and personally managed and coached Scrum Masters as well as IT department leaders to foster servant leadership, self-management and a culture of continuous improvement.

• Implemented Flight Levels practices based on Klaus Leopold to align strategic objectives, cross-functional coordination and operational execution across the organization.

• Introduced a ticketing system to increase transparency and enable data-driven decision-making, flow-based work management, and greater accountability at all levels.

• Established and supported multiple cross-functional teams, including the Operational Core (ERP) domain with dedicated streams for Support, Feature Development and ERP Migration, as well as teams responsible for Warehouse Operations, Maintenance & Operations (M&O), Modern Workspace and ConnectHub.

• Acted as Interim Product Owner for the operation and enhancement of the existing ERP landscape while supporting the migration from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central as a Project Manager.

• Collaborated with the selected implementation partner to design and establish the project organization and target operating model for the ERP transformation, introducing agile delivery structures and ways of working.

• Facilitated the alignment between business, IT and the external vendor and played a key role in negotiating the contractual framework and delivery model to ensure a sustainable foundation for the transformation program.

• Initiated the strategic modernization of the workplace environment through the adoption of Microsoft 365 cloud capabilities, establishing the foundation for enhanced collaboration, scalability and future digital services.

• Launched AI initiatives to identify practical business use cases and promote the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence across the IT department.

• Encouraged self-management and empowered teams to take ownership of decisions, delivery and continuous improvement.

Project language: German

• Design, authorship and finalization of the IT PROD SEC service catalog with eight standardized security services (S-ID001–S-ID008).

• Development of consistent service components & deliverables, RACI assignments and SLA and KPI definitions for each service.

• Integration of BaFin document requirements under DORA into the service descriptions.

• Coordination with IT, compliance, risk and operations teams to validate all service descriptions.

• Specifically for governance & monitoring: definition of governance cadence, evidence delivery processes, audit support and definition of measurable KPIs and measurement methods.

• Ensuring that all services are standardized, measurable and documented in an audit-proof manner.

• Result: Approved service catalog with eight services as a binding basis for delivery, governance and audits; transparent SLAs/KPIs for each service and DORA/BAIT/MaRisk-compliant documentation with clear responsibilities and evidence trails.

• Technologies and tools: Confluence, Jira, ServiceNow, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Visio, Office 365.

• Solely responsible for two portfolios totaling USD 1 million with an average monthly performance of 2%
• Responsible for the investment strategy, specializing in US equities and ETFs (exchanges: NASDAQ and NYSE)
• Market, trend, data, and technical chart analysis
• Risk management – diversification, daily/weekly risk mitigation measures (rebalancing) to ensure optimal portfolio profitability

Analysis and structuring of business and technical requirements for the further development of the LS One checkout system. Designing solution proposals and translating them into precise implementation tasks for international development teams. Prioritizing and coordinating requirements from a functional perspective, taking business and legal requirements into account. Quality assurance through reviewing, testing and evaluating the implementation based on defined acceptance criteria. Functional support for international deployments and rollouts, as well as analysis of feedback from locations for release planning.

Additionally: Supporting the integration of Anybill to provide digital receipts, as well as coordinating business and technical requirements within the existing POS environment.

• Responsible for managing GMP-critical systems
• Leading a team of 20 professionals
• Vendor management with a €15M annual budget

• Led the founding of a startup for AI-based consulting products for dental practices.
• Developed and launched PraxisScore, a data-driven consulting product for economic analysis and corporate consulting of dental practices.
• Held full responsibility for technical implementation, AI integration, and structured startup setup from product idea to public launch at IDS 2025 in under three months.

• End-to-end analysis and optimization of existing processes in campaign management, contract management and district heating construction/construction coordination
• Development of automated contract management and transformation scenarios, including software selection and integration
• Analysis of ERP, chat, RCS messaging, consent management and tracking
• Preparation of recommendations, decision proposals and presentations for the executive board
• Use of AI for process optimization
• Tools: Apple Office, Microsoft 365, Teams, Claude, ChatGPT

• Design and co-implementation of an insolvency management platform in Germany for a client (based on an AI development tool)
• Concept, requirements engineering, and implementation support for a Dubai-based company to integrate processes into a CRM
• Business analysis and requirements engineering at Swisscom for integrations
• Integration of a new knowledge management system into the business processes at Swisscom AG – REST API definition
• Project manager, consultant, and sparring partner for the realignment/process digitalization at GIB Solutions AG
• Process designer and prototype for an AI-based real estate marketing system in Dubai
• Interim head of the ICT department at a telecom company, reorganizing and optimizing processes with a team of 5 at GIB Solutions AG
• Agile requirements engineer / external PO for a web-based solution for the German company DEHN AG
• Project management and consulting for the existing marketing and campaign planning solution at Swisscom AG
• Building the ALoHA nearshore offering at devpoint

Outcome: Implementation of an APS solution (Eyelit) across multiple international production sites, including definition of target planning processes, integration architecture (SAP – APS via middleware), and alignment of complex manufacturing requirements (e.g. autoclave planning, alternative routings). Establishment of governance structures, steering formats and decision frameworks to manage scope, cost and timeline across multiple stakeholders. Successful handover of project leadership to internal successor, ensuring continuity and sustained project delivery.

Role in Project: Project Lead / Program Manager

Main Tasks in Project:

• Led APS implementation across multiple plants (Germany, Canada, France, US) with focus on end-to-end planning & scheduling processes and system integration
• Acted as central interface between business stakeholders (plants, operations), IT (SAP/middleware) and vendor (Eyelit)
• Drove requirements engineering, including consolidation of plant-specific requirements and steering of sign-off process
• Managed vendor (Eyelit) performance, including scope clarification, effort discussions and commercial alignment
• Identified and challenged gaps between standard APS functionality and complex manufacturing requirements (e.g. autoclave planning, batch optimization, alternative routings)
• Defined and implemented project governance structures, including Steering Committees, risk reporting and decision frameworks
• Led escalation management on cost overruns, scope deviations and delivery transparency
• Coordinated integration strategy (decision for custom middleware vs. standard connector) and alignment with SAP landscape
• Improved project transparency and way of working, including definition of reporting structures, tracking logic and communication cadence
• Facilitated alignment between global and local stakeholders to ensure feasible timelines, resource planning and plant readiness
• Prepared and delivered SteerCo updates and executive decision documents
• Managed structured project handover to internal project lead, including knowledge transfer, documentation alignment and stakeholder transition.

• Managing the Testing services for the Global IT Testing Centre of Excellence (TCoE) team, which is responsible for managing and supporting the Product & Project Testing Workstreams on various Regional Projects, especially in Pharmacovigilance, Digital Supply Chain, Clinical Practice and R&D, etc.
• Managing Client relationships, escalations and continuing to grow the project services globally, while also driving the testing efforts on Takeda’s AI, DevOps, Agile, and Digital projects.
• Led the implementation of a Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring compliance with GCP, GMP, and Swiss and EU regulations, resulting in a huge improvement in audit readiness.
• Overseeing projects for systems including ERP, EDGE, SAP ECC, SAP Transportation Management, S/4 HANA migration etc.
• Led an AI/ML PoC for AI implementation.
• Led a cross-functional team to ensure compliance with MDR, FDA regulatory guidelines and achieved successful project deliveries.
• Led and managed change management and communication for TCoE, keeping the Takeda organisation informed of change communication and practices, including presentations to various stakeholders.
• Ensuring TCoE outsource vendor resources adhere to regulatory, compliance and quality system standards and practices for GxP & non-GxP System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) including aSDLC and TCoE Global Standards.
• Translated the product vision, strategy and requirements into backlog items, which were prioritised based on potential business impact and customer value.

• Led global automation projects in Hybrid Cloud, focusing on process standardization and service delivery optimization across international teams.
• Managed the product roadmap, prioritized backlogs, and aligned business goals with technical inputs using Jira.
• Fostered cross-functional collaboration to define project objectives and ensure alignment with strategic goals across departments.
• Defined and documented user stories and acceptance criteria with stakeholders.

• Qualified as an AML officer in the Swiss jurisdiction
• Implemented AML policies and procedures
• Conducted due diligence reviews of clients and monitored transactions to identify suspicious activity
• Organized staff training on AML regulations and practices
• Worked with regulators and audit firms to ensure compliance (AML audits)