Denis Akan - Product Owner

Q: Where is Denis based?

Denis is based in Cologne, Germany .

Q: What languages does Denis speak?

Denis speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), Spanish (Elementary) .

Q: How many years of experience does Denis have?

Denis has at least 15 years of experience. During this time, Denis has worked in at least 7 different roles and for 9 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 8 months . Note that Denis may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Denis's latest experience?

Denis's most recent position is Product Owner at Lynqtech .

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

In recent years, Denis has worked for Lynqtech and Gothaer Systems .

Q: Which industries is Denis most experienced in?

Denis is most experienced in industries like Information Technology , Retail , and Insurance . Denis also has some experience in Media and Entertainment and Automotive .

Q: Which business areas is Denis most experienced in?

Denis is most experienced in business areas like Product Development , Information Technology , and Project Management . Denis also has some experience in Research and Development and Marketing .

Q: Which industries has Denis worked in recently?

Denis has recently worked in industries like Information Technology and Insurance .

Q: Which business areas has Denis worked in recently?

Denis has recently worked in business areas like Product Development , Information Technology , and Research and Development .

Recommended expert

Cologne, Germany

Experience

Dec 2023 - Jun 2025

1 year 7 months

Hanover, Germany

Product Owner

Lynqtech

Owned the development of partner-critical onboarding processes of the B2B2C-facing SaaS platform.
Collaborated cross-functionally with engineering, design, and enterprise clients to deliver a scalable and API-first onboarding flow.
Delivered the company’s main initiative — dynamic product — in close collaboration with internal SMEs and energy supplier clients.
Increased successful user activations by 10% through streamlined ADDRESS API integration and real-time monitoring tools.
Defined and prioritized product roadmap based on business goals, client needs, and platform vision.
Led discovery sessions and co-creation workshops with customers, turning insights into validated product opportunities.

Jan 2021 - Nov 2023

2 years 11 months

Cologne, Germany

Team Lead Apps

Gothaer Systems

Led two agile, cross-functional teams (8 direct reports) to develop sales apps and launch “Meine Gothaer” app (iOS & Android) from ground up.
Introduced Google Analytics to enable data-informed iteration and drive UX and conversion improvements across digital sales touchpoints.
Scaled agile practices department-wide, enhancing team collaboration and delivery velocity.
Defined product vision and roadmap with engineering, sales, marketing, and support stakeholders.
Mentored product and engineering team members to foster ownership and autonomy.
Facilitated ideation and discovery sessions to surface and validate new product initiatives.

Oct 2019 - Dec 2020

1 year 3 months

Cologne, Germany

Product Lead

billiger-mietwagen.de

Led the creation of a new mobile product, business model, and team to drive customer engagement in the mobility segment.
Hired and formed new app team.
Developed a clear product roadmap.
Implemented an API-first approach, aligning backend and frontend teams.
Launched a new MVP-App in alignment with Product Strategy within 12 months.

Jun 2017 - Sep 2019

2 years 4 months

Cologne, Germany

Product Owner

REWE Digital

Delivered the best possible mobile in-store experience for REWE’s App users across iOS and Android platforms by integrating PAYBACK, REWE's own coupons, loyalty points and enabling customers to scan all in one go.
Led agile development teams including 8 developers, UI & UX designers.
Managed stakeholders across the organization and REWE Group.
Led and facilitated product development workshops.

Jan 2016 - Apr 2017

1 year 4 months

London, United Kingdom

Product Owner

Novoda

Defined product strategy for large organizations.
Worked on News UK - The Times Android App: created a state-of-the-art app experience working with product designers, user researchers, data analysts and stakeholders.
Managed the backlog and developer team, ensuring alignment with API teams using storymapping and service blueprint in Miro.
Worked on Piriform - CCleaner Android App: implemented ASO for an international app with 10,000,000 monthly active users.
Led the monetisation of the app and grew the monthly revenue from 10,000 GBP to over 90,000 GBP per month.

Jan 2015 - Jul 2015

7 months

Gibraltar

Co-Head of Mobile Product (Interim)

Lottoland

Took over lottoland.com’s multi-language & market native App project (iOS & Android), including creating a product roadmap and delivering against it.
Focused on UX improvements, usability and user-testing.
Educated the organization on lean product principles (MVP).

Jul 2014 - Jan 2016

1 year 7 months

London, United Kingdom

Founder

Apparatlabs

Built a native iOS lottery app "LottoTime24" for the German market, allowing users to save their numbers and purchase lottery tickets at Tipp24.com and Lottoland.

Mar 2013 - Jul 2014

1 year 5 months

London, United Kingdom

Webshop Manager (Mobile)

Tipp24

Managed the app and development for the online lottery Tipp24.
Increased revenue through marketing strategies and improving app usability via multivariate testing.

Jul 2010 - Feb 2013

2 years 8 months

Cologne, Germany

Product Manager

We22

Conceptualized and implemented new product features using scrum methodology.
Managed the team backlog.

Industry Experience

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

Experienced in Information Technology, Retail, Insurance, Media and Entertainment, and Automotive.

Information Technology

Retail

Insurance

Media and Entertainment

Automotive

Business Area Experience

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

Experienced in Product Development, Information Technology, Project Management, Research and Development, and Marketing.

Product Development

Information Technology

Project Management

Research and Development

Marketing

Summary

Product Lead with a strong user-centric mindset, skilled in aligning IT products with real user needs through user research and agile delivery. Experienced in defining product visions, translating complex requirements into solutions, and enabling collaboration across teams. Defines success through actionable KPIs, ensuring the product evolves based on measurable outcomes and real user feedback.

Skills

Product | Product Strategy | Mvp-& Kpi Definiton | Data-driven | Customer-centric | Roadmapping | User Research
Agile | Scrum | Kanban | Jira | Storymapping | Service Blueprint | Miro
People | Communication | Leadership | Negotiation
Dev | Ruby | Javascript | Html | Css | Git

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

Spanish

Elementary

Education

Oct 2007 - Jun 2008

San Diego State University

Semester Abroad · San Diego, United States

Oct 2004 - Jun 2010

University of Bonn

M.A. North American Studies · North American Studies · Bonn, Germany · 1.7

Berufskolleg Lindenstraße

Abitur / A-Levels · Cologne, Germany

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 9

Experience in Information Technology 11 y

Avg length 1 y 8 m

Longest experience 2 y 10 m

Global Experience

Countries worked in 3 (Germany, United Kingdom, Gibraltar)

Primary country Germany

Expertise

Recent roles Product Owner, Team Lead Apps, Product Lead

Main industries Information Technology, Retail, Insurance

Main business areas Product Development, Information Technology, Project Management

Qualifications

Highest degree Master

Profile

Created

January 2026

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Frequently asked questions

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

Where is Denis based?

Denis is based in Cologne, Germany.

What languages does Denis speak?

Denis speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), Spanish (Elementary).

How many years of experience does Denis have?

Denis has at least 15 years of experience. During this time, Denis has worked in at least 7 different roles and for 9 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 8 months. Note that Denis may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Denis be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Denis would be well-suited for roles such as: Product Owner, Team Lead Apps, Product Lead.

What is Denis's latest experience?

Denis's most recent position is Product Owner at Lynqtech.

What companies has Denis worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Denis has worked for Lynqtech and Gothaer Systems.

Which industries is Denis most experienced in?

Denis is most experienced in industries like Information Technology, Retail, and Insurance. Denis also has some experience in Media and Entertainment and Automotive.

Which business areas is Denis most experienced in?

Denis is most experienced in business areas like Product Development, Information Technology, and Project Management. Denis also has some experience in Research and Development and Marketing.

Which industries has Denis worked in recently?

Denis has recently worked in industries like Information Technology and Insurance.

Which business areas has Denis worked in recently?

Denis has recently worked in business areas like Product Development, Information Technology, and Research and Development.

What is Denis's education?

Denis holds a Master in North American Studies from University of Bonn.

What is the availability of Denis?

Denis is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Denis?

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