Malte K.-Strategic Business Development & Product Design
Check rate
Experience
Interim Head of Marketing & Digital Business Development
FORIS AG
Established legal and financial services provider building a new digital business area for incorporation, tax, and compliance services.
- Developed and launched the service offer as segmented service and pricing packages in under 5 months.
- Designed a seamless digital user experience from ad click to landing pages and ordering flow through to completion.
- Worked out the strategic direction with the business unit lead and management board and managed execution in a team of five.
Part-time Managing Director
SONOPADS UG / SUAM Schall- und Akustikmanufaktur GmbH
Medium-sized acoustic manufacturer expanding its B2B production expertise into the end-customer market with a D2C venture for room acoustics.
- Built the online business in six months with a seamless customer experience and standardized ordering and fulfillment processes.
- Transformed manufacturing expertise into a standardized and a modular product line with more than 1,500 configurations in total.
- Led a seven-person team of internal employees and external specialist partners for industrialization, e-commerce, and marketing.
Product Strategy & Design Lead
ZETTL Automotive GmbH
Medium-sized service provider digitizing HR processes and order control in industrial quality management.
Identified 20% efficiency potential in the process and system landscape of order management and translated it into product strategy.
Defined a digital data and workflow solution for operational control, profitability monitoring, and order billing.
Led the MVP within 35 days from discovery through prototyping and user validation to handover ready for development.
Analyzed end-to-end processes from shop floor to management and identified 20% efficiency potential.
Created process and journey maps to assess media disruptions and digitization potential in paper-based, Excel-based, and siloed workflows.
Developed the product strategy and prioritized roadmap for a digital solution to replace fragmented processes and systems.
Designed functions for operational transparency, real-time profitability forecasts, risk control, and order billing, and validated key workflows with users through prototypes.
Led the solution within 35 days from discovery to handover to the implementation team, ready for development.
Digital Transformation of Quality and Order Management in Industrial Production
Zettl Automotive GmbH
Sector Manufacturing, Automotive
- Analysis of existing processes and the associated data and system landscape in the quality department
- Creation of journey maps to identify digitalization potential at the shop floor level
- Alignment of product development with strategic action areas to optimize operational processes and data analyses for order management
- Consolidation of the fragmented system landscape (paper, Excel, siloed solutions) into an integrated IT system
- Real-time profitability forecasts and detailed data analyses to improve risk control and order management
- Involvement of stakeholders at on-site plants to validate and coordinate technical and process-related measures
Product Strategy & Design Lead
Coralsands
B2B wholesale · Aquarium products
- Translated the initial idea and sustainability goals into a service vision.
- Modeled the end-to-end service from fulfillment and shipping through customer use to return, cleaning, and reuse, and defined processes, stakeholders, handoffs, and touchpoints.
- Designed the B2B customer journey and key physical and digital touchpoints, from shop integration and onboarding to packaging communication, email, FAQ, and return instructions.
- Managed external design and production partners to implement the defined service and communication elements.
- Validated the environmental impact through a life cycle assessment and proved up to 80% lower CO₂ footprint compared to single-use packaging.
Product Strategy & Design Lead
LichtBlick SE
Energy · Decentralized energy management
- Designed core app features for home energy monitoring.
- Translated complex energy data into easy-to-understand dashboards and a motivating self-sufficiency score.
- Worked out user flows and high-fidelity concepts and expanded the design system with scalable, CI-compliant components.
- Supported product decisions with competitor and product benchmarks, user feedback, and usability tests, and turned insights into concrete improvements.
- Aligned and documented concepts and specifications in the agile product team with Product Management, Product Owner, and developers.
Product Strategy & Design Lead
Zettl Automotive GmbH
- Developed a platform concept for employee communication across 15+ locations with location-based, instruction-based, and person-based information logic.
- Validated prototypes for key processes with user feedback and specified them to development-ready level.
- Measurably increased employee access through internal communication that was much higher quality and at the same time more efficient.
Digital Platform for Decentralized Energy and E-Mobility Services
LichtBlick SE
Sector Energy
- Testable mockups and clickable prototypes for validating concepts with users
- Optimization of the user experience for the station finder and the charging process for electric cars
- Implementation and expansion of the existing design system using high-fidelity design components
- Monitoring tool for visualizing energy data from private users with systems for decentralized energy generation and e-mobility
- Detailed documentation of user flows and screen designs for planned feature enhancements
- Strategic consulting for product management with market analyses, product benchmarks, and user feedback
- Evaluation of usability testing and implementation of research findings
Product Strategy & Design Lead
Kuelap Inc.
US fintech for core banking and microfinance services for cooperative banks in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
- Led three digital banking products at different stages of maturity from discovery to MVP and handoff to development.
- Aligned and adapted product development for Cameroon, Peru, and Indonesia to local requirements through user and market validation.
- Led a four-person design team and supported management in building the internal product organization.
Coach for students in MSc Innovation, Strategy & Entrepreneurship
Grenoble Ecole de Management
- Coaching of four cohorts of international master's student teams in MSc Innovation, Strategy & Entrepreneurship
- Support of real strategic company projects from structuring complex business questions through analysis and strategy development to concrete recommendations for action
- Support for internationally composed teams in combining different perspectives and working through real entrepreneurial challenges in a structured, practical way
Founder and Managing Director, part-time
Ecovation GmbH
Venture alongside freelance assignments at the intersection of sustainability, product development, and innovation consulting.
- Developed and published an innovation method: 500+ copies sold and awarded twice.
- Developed and ran workshop formats for building skills.
- Built up a consulting business and advised corporate clients, universities, and institutions in Germany and Austria.
Planning and documentation of the "First Changemaker City Event Africa"
Ashoka East Africa
- Supported the planning committee in the concept and preparation of the first Changemaker City Event in Kigali with around 120 participants from different social groups.
- Developed a structured stakeholder dialogue to bring in different perspectives and support exchange during the event.
- Collected, prepared, and designed the results in an event report to document insights and impact and make them useful beyond the event.
Design basics seminar for IT founders
kLab on behalf of GIZ
- Designed and delivered a three-month weekly design seminar for around 40 IT founders at kLab, Rwanda's first tech hub.
- Taught practical basics in graphic, UI, and UX design with direct relevance to the participants' product ideas and business models.
- Enabled the founders to develop digital products in a more user-centered way and to communicate their offers and value propositions more clearly and professionally.
Workshops on sustainable product innovation
Sustainable Design Center e.V.
- Developed and published the Eco Design Tool as a practical method for the early and structured integration of environmental requirements into product development processes.
- Designed and facilitated pro-bono workshops for students, designers, and other players from the innovation field.
- Translated complex sustainability topics into concrete criteria, questions, and product ideas.
- Enabled participants to apply the method independently to real development tasks.
Interim manager and freelance expert
Interim manager and freelance expert
- Assignments in strategic product, service, and business development in Germany and internationally.
- Including long-term and recurring collaboration with start-ups & ventures, mid-sized companies, and international businesses
- Engagements in Automotive & Industry · Energy & E-Mobility · FinTech & Banking · E-Commerce & Retail · Software & Digital Platforms
Co-founder & Head of Product Development part-time
KDID Koslowski & Dwalischwili GbR
A venture alongside my studies focused on experimental industrial design with direct online sales.
- Led the Pirouet pendant lamp from the initial product idea through licensing and market launch: awarded the Red Dot Award in 2015.
- Coordinated construction, prototyping, and industrialization with manufacturing and industry partners.
- Carried out trade fair appearances and international marketing, including as far as Asia.
Industry experience
See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.
Experienced in Banking and Finance, Manufacturing, Retail, Automotive, Information Technology, and Energy.
Business area experience
See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.
Experienced in Product Development, Strategy, Operations, Marketing, Sales, and Research and Development.
Summary
15+ years of experience developing and improving products, services, and business areas. Combines product and business strategy with user-centered design and innovation to turn market opportunities and complex needs into customer-relevant offers and viable business models. Leads projects from strategic clarification through concept and validation to launch and operational embedding. Designs the needed processes, solutions, and operating structures. Leadership experience as managing director, founder, and interim lead, as well as in product and cross-functional teams.
Skills
- Design And Innovation
- Product And Service Development
- Building, Implementing, And Leading
Languages
Education
Berlin University of the Arts
Diplom Designer · Product and Process Design · Germany · 1.3
Certifications & licenses
Google AI Essentials
Coursera
CSRD Fundamentals & VSME Certified
CSRD Institute
Statistics
Experience
Global experience
Expertise
Qualifications
Profile
Frequently asked questions
Have questions? Find more information here.
Malte is based in Berlin, Germany and can operate in on-site, hybrid, and remote work models.
Malte speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced).
Malte has at least 16 years of experience. During this time, Malte has worked in at least 12 different roles and for 14 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 1 year. Note that Malte may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.
Based on recent experience, Malte would be well-suited for roles such as: Interim Head of Marketing & Digital Business Development, Part-time Managing Director, Product Strategy & Design Lead.
Malte's most recent position is Interim Head of Marketing & Digital Business Development at FORIS AG.
In recent years, Malte has worked for FORIS AG, SONOPADS UG / SUAM Schall- und Akustikmanufaktur GmbH, ZETTL Automotive GmbH, Zettl Automotive GmbH, and Coralsands.
Malte is most experienced in industries like Manufacturing, Retail, and Banking and Finance. Malte also has some experience in Automotive, Information Technology, and Energy.
Malte is most experienced in business areas like Product Development, Strategy, and Operations. Malte also has some experience in Marketing, Sales, and Research and Development.
Malte has recently worked in industries like Banking and Finance, Manufacturing, and Retail.
Malte has recently worked in business areas like Product Development, Strategy, and Project Management.
Malte attended Berlin University of the Arts for Product and Process Design.
Malte has 2 certificates. These include: Google AI Essentials and CSRD Fundamentals & VSME Certified.
Malte will be available full-time from October 2026.
Daily rate distribution
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Average rates for similar positions
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Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 10 Sep 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
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