Axel F.-Senior Project Manager / Project Director
Check rate
Experience
Consultant/Senior Project Manager/Project Director
Senior Project Manager / Project Director:
Managing large projects (> 500 Mio. €) across industries such as energy, metallurgy, oil and gas, and chemicals
Managing teams of up to 270 members on complex projects, using my professional experience to train younger experts and help them achieve a high level of excellence in their profession.
Consulting Managing Directors, Project Managers and Project Management Teams on project initiation and delivery of EPC projects in renewable energy / green hydrogen / oil and gas / chemical industries
Interim Management:
- Early identification of the requirements for project execution
- Support in setting up project teams and project organizations
- Delivery of complex large-scale / mega-projects in the industries mentioned above
Managing Director
H2APEX GmbH
Construction and operation of green hydrogen plants (2 – 100 MW electrolysis capacity)
Start-up
Company growth from 100 to 160 employees
Professionalization of plant engineering
Delivery of EPC projects
Supporting project development with EPC expertise
Head of Operations, overseeing Technical and Commercial Project Management, Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Services, and Operations | 115 employees
Head of Business Line Integrated Projects (ppa.)
Bilfinger SE, Division Technology, Bilfinger Engineering & Technologies GmbH
Delivery of pipe racks, piping systems, boiler systems and process plants across different industries
4.314 Mio. € revenue
29.800 employees
Leading the Business Line with 270 employees
Overseeing the Sales & Business Development, Project Management, Engineering, Quality Assurance, Construction and Services departments
Strategically developing the Business Line in green hydrogen, energy efficiency and process plant project development
Improving Project Management capabilities by training Project Managers
Setting up Risk Management for sales and execution phases
Delivery of a 650 Mio. € Lithium EPC Project during the Permit Engineering phase, as a member of the Steering Committee
Coaching young managers in the Bilfinger Talent Circle
Responsibility:
- Revenue 135 Mio. €
- Leading 270 FTE
Project Director
thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG, CPT, tk nucera AG
Delivery of chemical plants for the process, cement and mining industries (tkIS)
2.900 Mio. € revenue
11.400 employees
tk nucera: Sales and early engineering phase for project NEOM, a 2,2 GW alkaline water electrolysis plant for Air Products, KSA, order value 700 Mio. € (currently the largest H2 electrolysis plant in the world in execution)
CPT: Project execution in the early engineering phase for project CRONUS, a 1.400 tpd ammonia plant, order value 1.300 Mio. €; project was delayed by 1 year due to the Corona pandemic
Executive Managing Director
Engineering Dobersek GmbH
Delivery of metallurgical process plants, beneficiation plants, roasting and melting plants
80 Mio. € revenue
300 employees
Managing the Project Management, Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning departments
Restructuring the company to deliver larger projects (> 100 Mio. €)
Launching a change management process
Training project managers with the goal of external certification
Setting up and organizing the first large EPC project (> 300 Mio. €)
Transitioning from the company's founder and owner to an external Managing Director
Responsibility:
- Revenue 300 Mio. €
- Leading 150 FTE, 15 Managers
Achievements:
- Restructuring the company and clarifying responsibilities and relationships between managers and employees
- Launching the largest project in the company's history, with an order volume of 300 Mio. €, hiring additional staff and coaching the project team
- Introducing scheduling and project controls for project delivery
Project Director | Member of the Executive Management Team
Linde AG Engineering Division
Leading supplier of innovative and reliable process plants based on refrigeration technology
3 Bil. € revenue
6.700 employees
Responsible for one project at a time, covering project management, engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning for international projects in the oil and gas industry, hydrogen and synthesis plants
Monthly reporting to the Head of Business Line or Managing Director
Identifying project risks and opportunities, developing response strategies and implementing measures, conducting project reviews and preparing project reports
Developing and implementing project execution strategies
Responsible for meeting project milestones in line with the project schedule
Coordinating change and claims management and negotiating with customers
Managing projects on site and overseeing the site management team
Trainer at Linde's Project Execution Academy, training project managers at Linde AG
Responsibility:
- Revenue and project order volume of up to 1.300 Mio. €
- Managing up to 270 FTE on one project, including 25 managers
Achievements:
- Successful commissioning and closeout of project Dahej, Gujarat, India, the largest dual-fuel olefin plant in the world, with a profit of ca. 150 Mio. €
- Successful execution of project Portovaya LNG, Wyborg, Russia, with 65 % of Engineering and Procurement completed, forecast profit > 100 Mio. €, high customer satisfaction and strong team member commitment to the project
- Managed the mega project Monaca: Ethane cracker in Pennsylvania, USA for Shell Global Solutions (Pennsylvania Chemical Complex) over 2 years, with very high requirements for engineering standards, QHSE and project management
- Led a virtual project team across 4 locations: Munich, Dresden, USA, India
Head of Project Management | Senior Executive Manager (ppa.)
Ferrostaal AG
- Construction and commissioning of a 720 MW combined cycle power plant in Trinidad with radiator cooling towers (TGU)
Head of Operations | Executive Director (ppa.)
MAN Solar Millennium GmbH
- Project development and execution of a 50 MW solar thermal power plant in Guadix, Spain, with thermal salt storage; Head of the Steering Committee (Andasol 3)
Head of Operations | Sr. Executive Manager (ppa.)
MAN Ferrostaal Diesel Power GmbH
Program & Project Manager in Power Plant Division
MAN Diesel SE
- Key Account Manager for customer Endesa, Madrid, Spain, for 11 diesel power plants
Project Manager | Head of Quality Management
Caloric Anlagenbau GmbH
Process Engineer
Lurgi AG (later Lurgi Metallurgie GmbH)
- Process calculation and design of roasting and sulfuric acid plants, non-ferrous metallurgy
- project execution of smaller projects, commissioning engineer, commissioning manager
Industry experience
See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.
Experienced in Energy, Chemical, Manufacturing, Metals and Mining, Construction, and Utilities.
Business area experience
See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.
Experienced in Project Management, Procurement, Sales, Quality Assurance, Production, and Customer Service.
Summary
- General management expertise in delivering international process plants across industries such as green hydrogen, oil and gas, energy, environmental technology, chemicals and metallurgy
- Managing Director in the green hydrogen business, responsible for EPC business and managing Project Management, Engineering, Procurement and Construction
- Achievements: Delivery of global mega-projects with profits of up to 150 Mio. € | Initiation of the largest project in company history | Introduction of professional project execution methods and training of project managers | Building strong customer relationships during project execution, resulting in follow-up orders
- Project investment volume of up to 1.300 Mio. € | Leading up to 270 employees
Skills
- International Project Management
- Recruiting, Team Building & Management
- Planning And Implementing Execution Strategies
- Negotiation Skills
- Change & Quality Management
- Hse Management
- Key Account Management
Languages
Education
FH Lahr
Diplom-Wirtschaftsingenieur · European Economy, Business Administration · Lahr, Germany
Technical University of Munich
Diplom-Ingenieur · Mechanical Engineering & Process Technology · Munich, Germany
Gymnasium
Abitur · Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
Certifications & licenses
Project Execution Academy, Trainer for Reality-Trainings
Linde AG
Project Management Academy
Linde AG
Training for Project Director IPMA Level A
Dr. Ottmann & Partner
Project Director IPMA Level A
GPM Nürnberg
Workshops Ferrostaal Management practice
Transfer, Dr. Rodriguez Drescher
Dr. Ottmann & Partner
Management Workshop
MAN AG, SHS, Dr. P. Schürmann
Management of conflicts & Moderation
ZWW Uni Augsburg
Team building as a management measure
ZWW Uni Augsburg
Communication in projects & PM presentations & negotiation skills
TA Wuppertal
Spanish intensive course, level B1
Institute Enforex, Salamanca, Spain
Statistics
Experience
Global experience
Expertise
Qualifications
Frequently asked questions
Have questions? Find more information here.
Axel is based in Velbert, Germany.
Axel speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), Spanish (Intermediate), French (Elementary).
Axel has at least 36 years of experience. During this time, Axel has worked in at least 12 different roles and for 11 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 3 years. Note that Axel may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.
Based on recent experience, Axel would be well-suited for roles such as: Consultant/Senior Project Manager/Project Director, Managing Director, Head of Business Line Integrated Projects (ppa.).
Axel's most recent position is Consultant/Senior Project Manager/Project Director.
In recent years, Axel has worked for H2APEX GmbH, Bilfinger SE, Division Technology and Bilfinger Engineering & Technologies GmbH.
Axel is most experienced in industries like Energy, Chemical, and Manufacturing. Axel also has some experience in Metals and Mining, Construction, and Utilities.
Axel is most experienced in business areas like Project Management, Procurement, and Sales. Axel also has some experience in Quality Assurance, Production, and Customer Service.
Axel has recently worked in industries like Energy, Construction, and Chemical.
Axel has recently worked in business areas like Project Management, Quality Assurance, and Sales.
Axel holds a Master in European Economy, Business Administration from FH Lahr and a Master in Mechanical Engineering & Process Technology from Technical University of Munich.
Axel has 11 certificates. Among them, these include: Project Execution Academy, Trainer for Reality-Trainings, Project Management Academy, and Training for Project Director IPMA Level A.
Axel is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.
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Average rates for similar positions
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Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 3 Nov 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
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