Christian Stähle - Head of Production, CTO

Q: Where is Christian based?

Christian is based in Konstanz, Germany .

Q: What languages does Christian speak?

Christian speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Elementary) .

Q: How many years of experience does Christian have?

Christian has at least 26 years of experience. During this time, Christian has worked in at least 32 different roles and for 15 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 10 months . Note that Christian may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Christian's latest experience?

Christian's most recent position is Head of Production, CTO at Freelance Consultant / Interim Management .

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

In recent years, Christian has worked for Freelance Consultant / Interim Management .

Q: Which industries is Christian most experienced in?

Christian is most experienced in industries like Automotive , Manufacturing , and Tourism . Christian also has some experience in Transportation , Telecommunication , and Retail .

Q: Which business areas is Christian most experienced in?

Christian is most experienced in business areas like Project Management , Production , and Product Development . Christian also has some experience in Quality Assurance , Supply Chain Management , and Operations .

Q: Which industries has Christian worked in recently?

Christian has recently worked in industries like Automotive , Manufacturing , and Healthcare .

Q: Which business areas has Christian worked in recently?

Christian has recently worked in business areas like Product Development , Marketing , and Sales .

Recommended expert

Konstanz, Germany

Experience

Sep 2024 - Apr 2025

8 months

Head of Production, CTO

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Interim replacement of plant manager/CTO for a medium sized company

Sep 2023 - Aug 2024

1 year

Project Management, Tier 1 Automotive Supplier, R&D

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Responsible for design, validation, test, prototyping, quality, production planning
Meet quality, timeline, volume and cost targets

Apr 2023 - Jul 2023

4 months

CTO

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Redesigned a medium sized production company in the automotive, medical and engineering field
Cost cutting
Change management
Shop-floor management
Improved quality

Jul 2021 - Dec 2022

1 year 6 months

Sales Improvement, Tier 2 and 3 Automotive Supplier

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Analysed core competences and USPs
Defined new branches and target groups
Delivered sales training

Dec 2020 - Jun 2021

7 months

Design to Cost, Tier 1 Automotive Supplier

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Designed to cost automotive interior parts
Analysed and streamlined product cost
Analysed and redesigned production processes throughout the supply chain

Nov 2018 - Jul 2020

1 year 9 months

Quality, Magnesium Die Casting Company

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Managed ramp up throughout the supply chain, casting, milling and coating processes

Nov 2017 - Jun 2018

8 months

Cost Cutting, COO, Medium Size Company, Hydraulic Valves

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Responsible for production, design, logistics, planning and purchasing
Achieved cost reduction through design and production changes

Oct 2017 - Nov 2017

2 months

Production Planning, Formula 1 High-Tech Supplier

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Reduced lead times
Improved production planning

Apr 2017 - Oct 2017

7 months

Cost Cutting, Automotive Supplier

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Improved OEE
Reduced scrap
Shop floor management

Jul 2016 - Dec 2016

6 months

Design to Cost, Ramp Up, Automotive Supplier

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Managed the design and ramp-up of Daimler interior parts

Dec 2014 - May 2016

1 year 6 months

Task Force Manager for Ramp Up

Bosch, Bremen

Drove and ensured the design and production ramp up for Audi supplier parts

Feb 2014 - Nov 2014

10 months

Task Force Manager for Redesign of Ship Couplings

Vulkan, Herne

Achieved cost reduction, quality improvement, lead time reduction and scrap reduction

Oct 2013 - Nov 2013

2 months

Redesign and Streamlining of a Production Line in the Automotive Industry

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Analysed and documented the as-is status
Streamlined processes and designed the new production line

Apr 2013 - Sep 2013

6 months

Support and Control Improvement of the Brazilian Subsidiary of a German Medium Size Company

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Defined and controlled the cost improvement targets and timeline
Supported change management

Mar 2013 - Mar 2013

1 month

Cost Analyst

Vulkan, Brasil

Analysed cost structure, margins, revenue and profit history and trend
Prepared decision on industrial relocation
Analysed delivery performance

Mar 2012 - Feb 2013

1 year

COO, Medium Size Enterprise

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Responsible for purchasing, design, production and quotations in the heat exchanger business

Nov 2011 - Dec 2011

2 months

Cost Analysis and Reduction, Automotive Supplier

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Organised and ran a team of client staff to analyse processes and reduce costs

Jul 2011 - Jul 2011

1 month

Forge Transition Planner, Automotive Industry

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Planned transition for an existing forge line to produce crank shafts
Increased quality, enhanced processes and improved cost effectiveness

Nov 2010 - Nov 2010

1 month

Head of Quality for Ship Couplings

Vulkan, Herne

Operative quality engineering, supplier and product approvals
Ran audits by classification companies
Evaluated measures to reduce defects and improve quality and effectiveness
Managed claims including 8D reports, FMEA, KVP and Kaizen
Managed quality within the design process

Jan 2009 - Dec 2009

1 year

Cost Cutting and Restructuring of an Automotive Supplier for Injection Moulding

Alfmeier

Developed a survey on feasibility and a roadmap for restructuring
Implemented and controlled the relocation of production facilities and streamlined the organisation
Planned turnover, liquidity and revenue

Jan 2008 - Dec 2008

1 year

Project Lead for Quality Planning

Mercedes-Benz

Planned quality for a new plant including processes, equipment, budget and timeline
Set up and led the planning team
Created and implemented standardized industrial engineering procedures
Identified best-practice solutions and rolled out newly defined KPIs

Jan 2007 - Dec 2007

1 year

Program Manager of Electric/Electronic Design for a New Vehicle

Volkswagen

Designed and tested the vehicle electric system
Controlled timeline and quality
Renegotiated contracts with external service providers achieving 30% cost reduction
Implemented cost and time controlling

Jan 2006 - Dec 2006

1 year

Task Force Manager for Design of a New Car Radio

Visteon

Defined and controlled KPIs
Reported timeline and quality to customer

Jan 2006 - Dec 2006

1 year

Change Manager in the Design Organisation

Volkswagen

Adapted design processes to the new organisation
Increased robustness and shortened timeline for design processes
Led change management

Jan 2005 - Dec 2005

1 year

Product Development and Ramp Up Support

Nokia

Managed product and production approval
Improved product readiness
Defined and controlled KPIs
Implemented lessons learned procedures
Controlled timeline and improved customer communication

Jan 2005 - Dec 2005

1 year

Ramp Up Support for VW

Siemens VDO

Controlled timeline and quality
Reorganised project structure and increased efficiency in timeline and effort

Jan 2004 - Dec 2004

1 year

Innovation Process Designer and Project Lead

Migros/Agentrics

Designed an innovation process for the retail area
Implemented supporting software
Led an international project team

Jan 2003 - Dec 2004

2 years

Sabbatical Tour

Freelance Consultant / Interim Management

Travelled from Cologne to Cape Town through the Middle East and Africa

Jan 2002 - Aug 2003

1 year 8 months

Supply Chain Delivery Lead

Covisint

Responsible for all European logistics projects in the supply chain area
Led a team of up to 30 people at various locations
Redesigned and optimised customer logistics processes
Implemented web-based tools to support logistics procedures
Measured improvements, budget planning and controlling
Acted as interface between various OEMs and suppliers

Dec 2000 - Dec 2001

1 year 1 month

Consultant

Accenture

Developed a sales and pricing system for a transport service provider
Determined best practices within the branch
Prepared proposals, sales and market research
Worked on automotive design systems
Managed spare part logistics and price building in the automotive field

Jan 1996 - Dec 2000

5 years

Project Lead

DaimlerChrysler AG, Process Development Sindelfingen

Led two simultaneous projects at the interface between research, design and production
Held budget and cost responsibility
Designed and implemented strategic and innovative concepts
Implemented statistical tolerance planning in design and production
Improved product readiness and ramp up times by redesigning design procedures
Organised and led necessary workshops
Led the S-Class Coupé project for all new materials and corrosion protection techniques
Defined work packets, responsibilities and interfaces
Performed risk assessment of new technologies

Nov 1994 - Dec 1995

1 year 2 months

International Leadership Trainee

Mercedes-Benz AG

Completed three four-month projects in Germany and abroad in logistics, production planning and globalisation strategy
Attended various leadership skills seminars

Industry Experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.

Experienced in Automotive, Manufacturing, Tourism, Telecommunication, Retail, and Transportation.

Automotive

Manufacturing

Tourism

Telecommunication

Retail

Transportation

Business Area Experience

See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.

Experienced in Project Management, Production, Product Development, Quality Assurance, Supply Chain Management, and Operations.

Project Management

Production

Product Development

Quality Assurance

Supply Chain Management

Operations

Summary

20 years of experience as freelance interim manager/ consultant

Focussing on the management of operational excellence, design and quality

My core competence and motivation is the change of organizations:

Identify, define and drive necessary changes

Skills

Coo, Cto Operations Manager, Plant Manager
Reorganisation / Turnaround
Change Management
R&d
Logistics
Cost Cutting
Quality
Project Management
Intercultural Management

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

French

Elementary

Education

Oct 1993 - Jun 1994

Graduate School of Physics

Diploma project, fibre optic based thermometer · Strasbourg, France

Oct 1985 - Jun 1986

Boarding School Abingdon

Oxford/Cambridge Mathematics A-level · Oxford/Cambridge Mathematics A-level · Abingdon, United Kingdom

Karlsruhe University of Technology

Mechanical engineering · Karlsruhe, Germany

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 32

Experience in Automotive 19.5 y

Avg length 11 m

Longest experience 4 y 11 m

Expertise

Recent roles Head of Production, CTO, Project Management, Tier 1 Automotive Supplier, R&D, CTO

Main industries Automotive, Manufacturing, Tourism

Main business areas Project Management, Production, Product Development

Qualifications

Profile

Created

July 2025

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Frequently asked questions

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

Where is Christian based?

Christian is based in Konstanz, Germany.

What languages does Christian speak?

Christian speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Elementary).

How many years of experience does Christian have?

Christian has at least 26 years of experience. During this time, Christian has worked in at least 32 different roles and for 15 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 10 months. Note that Christian may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Christian be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Christian would be well-suited for roles such as: Head of Production, CTO, Project Management, Tier 1 Automotive Supplier, R&D, CTO.

What is Christian's latest experience?

Christian's most recent position is Head of Production, CTO at Freelance Consultant / Interim Management.

What companies has Christian worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Christian has worked for Freelance Consultant / Interim Management.

Which industries is Christian most experienced in?

Christian is most experienced in industries like Automotive, Manufacturing, and Tourism. Christian also has some experience in Transportation, Telecommunication, and Retail.

Which business areas is Christian most experienced in?

Christian is most experienced in business areas like Project Management, Production, and Product Development. Christian also has some experience in Quality Assurance, Supply Chain Management, and Operations.

Which industries has Christian worked in recently?

Christian has recently worked in industries like Automotive, Manufacturing, and Healthcare.

Which business areas has Christian worked in recently?

Christian has recently worked in business areas like Product Development, Marketing, and Sales.

What is Christian's education?

Christian attended Graduate School of Physics for Diploma project, fibre optic based thermometer.

What is the availability of Christian?

Christian is immediately available for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Christian?

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