Harald Kirsch
Lecturer
Experience
Lecturer - Business Informatics & Business Administration
Fachhochschule des Mittelstands (FHM)
As part of my work, I focus on three key areas that are essential for the innovation and future viability of business and society: business start-ups, digitalization and automation, and career planning and personal development.
One focus is on the challenges and opportunities of starting a business—especially academic start-ups as drivers of regional and national innovation. I teach skills for the entire start-up process: from idea creation and building viable business models to managing and scaling a company.
The topic of digitalization and automation covers technical, economic, and social dimensions. It includes basics of digitalization, automation technologies, IIoT and smart manufacturing, software and IT infrastructures, and application areas in various industries. I also analyze human-machine interaction, economic impacts, and future trends that have a lasting effect on companies.
In the area of career planning and personal development, I support future specialists and managers in developing their personal strengths, recognizing their entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial potential, and designing an individual market and career strategy. Topics such as personal branding, personal marketing, and strategic career planning are key to fostering long-term professional direction and proactive action.
Lecturer
IU University of Applied Sciences
As part of my work, I share experiences, methods, and best practices for successfully shaping digital transformation and integrating modern information systems into companies. One focus is on analyzing and further developing classic system and process architectures into digital platforms, platform ecosystems, and new digital technologies.
Of central importance is the development of agile digital platform structures that enable organizations to meet the challenges of a dynamic VUCA world and develop technological and organizational resilience. In addition, I deal with IT contingency planning, business continuity management, IT emergency management, and IT service continuity management to safeguard critical business processes even in crisis situations.
Another focus is on the acceptance and use of innovative technologies and the associated ethical, cultural, and organizational issues. Continuous learning, skills development, and data-driven decision-making processes play a central role in this context.
Building on this, I address digital design, user-centered design patterns, and key principles of cybersecurity. Sustainability, sustainable IT, and corporate digital responsibility are integrated as cross-cutting themes.
Requirements engineering is also an essential element, providing a structured basis for gathering, analyzing, and validating requirements in order to develop digital solutions in a targeted, user-oriented, and risk-aware manner and successfully integrate them into corporate structures.
Honorary position - MINT ice program
BWHW - Training Center of the Hessian Economy
- Work with schools to introduce students to the prospects of STEM careers during the career orientation phase
- Lead workshops and after-school clubs in computer science
Coach, Mentor, Business Consultant
Transformation Z
Sustainable management and the circular economy—combined with innovative technologies and an effective digitalization strategy—form the basis for future viability, ensure innovative strength, and enable long-term competitiveness.
A central element of my work is to empower companies, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and educational institutions through consistent enablement: on the user side, I support decision-makers in understanding digital challenges, selecting suitable solutions, and building the necessary key competencies within the company. On the provider side, I bring my many years of experience in developing and implementing new business models to successfully establish marketable digital products and service ideas.
Based on the Transformation Z service portfolio and a custom-built Transformation BootCamp method, I guide organizations in mechanical engineering, industrial manufacturing, and engineering toward a sustainable future. The process starts with assessing digital maturity, includes evaluating and developing business models and socio-technological framework conditions, and leads to creating an effective digital and future strategy.
The focus is on developing a viable transformation concept and putting the associated methods into practice to make the organization sustainably resilient, innovative, and future-oriented.
Head of Automation and Industrial IT
ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH
Areas of responsibility:
- Develop the ALD automation and industrial IT organization, define the business model and digital transformation strategy for internal processes
- Position the Automation and Industrial IT organization as a digital competence center within AMG Group
- Define and implement the ALD EXPERT platform strategy and a standardized implementation methodology (A²IM)
- Develop new digital services, products and business models
- Introduce COBIT-5 for holistic management and ITIL-compliant services including enterprise application management
- Implement risk and compliance guidelines, a cyber security strategy based on ISO 27001, GDPR, NIS2, CRA and EU Cyber Resilience Act
- Establish procedures for business-critical incident response and standards such as ISO 22301, ISO 27031 and BSI 200-4 on IT emergency and business continuity management
- Develop ISO 50001-compliant energy and resource management, hybrid energy storage systems and smart metering management systems
- Plan business and profitability, recruit for the organizational structure, develop high-potential programs with universities
- Implement a training program for digital transformation and the “digital mindset”
- Execute the go-to-market strategy, tap alternative market potential and develop multi-channel marketing and sales strategies
- Independently acquire external customer projects to open new market potential
Corporate responsibility and performance:
- Target: 100% self-financing (2020–2023) through external projects
- 2021 result: 57% self-financing; acquired first major global customer; modernized production environment; optimized energy management (>10% cost reduction); designed a compliant cyber resilience solution architecture
- 2022 result: 85% self-financing (target 80%)
Industry Experience
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Experienced in Manufacturing and Education.
Business Area Experience
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Experienced in Strategy, Product Development, Information Technology, and Human Resources.
Summary
Dynamic mentor, coach, and entrepreneurial business strategist with over 40 years of professional experience in corporate development, organizational development, optimization and restructuring of business platforms, digital transformation, and ensuring the future viability of long-standing, classic system and process architectures by modernizing them into digital platforms, platform ecosystems, and new digital technologies. As part of my leadership skills, I cultivate respectful interaction with people. I am characterized by a high level of personal responsibility, strong strategic and conceptual thinking, strong analytical skills, creativity and vision, a participative and results-oriented management style, and a hands-on mentality. My work focuses on the development and optimization of modern organizations, the necessary business processes, and technological architectures. The aim is to ensure future viability through effective digital transformation. My professional development across various roles and companies, my strong entrepreneurial background, my understanding of global market trends, my experience and expertise in developing and marketing successful solutions and services and innovative platform strategies, my talent for building international business relationships, and my excellent networks in the industry, committees, and institutes are all valuable assets. Special personal skills include:
- Strong sense of leadership and responsibility
- Management of Find-Make-Grow-Realize programs to ensure the future viability of companies
- Multi-project management in the interaction of IT / IIoT / OT in a hybrid project environment
- Development of effective strategies in the field of hyper automation
- Human capital management, personnel management and employee development
- Strong analytical skills for strategy development
- Practical orientation and strong implementation skills
- Goal and result orientation
- Creativity and vision
- Very good technological knowledge
- Strong presentation and communication skills
Languages:
- German (mother tongue), English (business fluent)
Skills
Special Personal Skills Include:
- Strong Sense Of Leadership And Responsibility
- Management Of Find-make-grow-realize Programs To Ensure The Future Viability Of Companies
- Multi-project Management In The Interaction Of It / Iiot / Ot In A Hybrid Project Environment
- Development Of Effective Strategies In The Field Of Hyper Automation
- Human Capital Management, Personnel Management And Employee Development
- Strong Analytical Skills For Strategy Development
- Practical Orientation And Strong Implementation Skills
- Goal And Result Orientation
- Creativity And Vision
- Very Good Technological Knowledge
- Strong Presentation And Communication Skills
Corporate Development:
- International Strategic Business And Market Development
- Development Of New Business Models
- Business Case Development Incl. Profitability Analysis
- Business, Strategy And Technology Consulting
- Business Continuity Management
- Energy And Resource Management
- Sustainability Management
- Platform Economy Incl. International Alliance Management
Implementation And Further Development Of Organizational Structures:
- Portfolio Management - Establishment And Further Development Of Strategic Service And Solution Portfolios
- Training & Continuous Employee Development
- Transformation And Modernization Of Corporate Platforms (Incl. Mergers, Carve-outs, Harmonization, Consolidation, Modernization, Standardization)
- Change Management
- Cyber Resilience Management
- Enterprise Architecture Management
- Development Of Modern Forms Of Organization / Start-ups
- Agile Project Methodologies And Development Programs
- Management Of International And Cross-functional Teams
- Management Of Complex, International Projects And Programs
Technology:
- Digitalization And Digital Transformation (Iiot, Industry 4.0) And Industrialization Of Services
- Development Of Innovative It Platforms And Service Concepts
- Development Of Service-oriented Architectures
- Enterprise Application Management / Enterprise Application Integration
- Enterprise Performance Management
- Artificial Intelligence
- Business Analytics (Bi) Based On Modern Data Management Concepts
- Sap Erp / Sap Hana Solutions / Sap Industry Solutions
- Knowledge Management
Languages
Education
University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt
Graduate engineer (FH), Automation technology · Electrical engineering · Darmstadt, Germany
Technical college Hanau
Advanced technical college entrance qualification · Electrical engineering · Hanau, Germany
Deutsche Bundespost / Deutsche Telekom AG
Professional education as a telecommunications technician · Telecommunications technician · Hanau, Germany
Statistics
Experience
Global Experience
Expertise
Qualifications
Profile
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