Max Ziegler - Digital Transformation & Innovation Leader

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Berlin, Germany

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Experience

Jan 2024 - Present

2 years 9 months

Berlin, Germany

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

DIGITALSINN GmbH

Leading innovation strategy and the establishment of an AI-native Production System at DIGITALSINN, a content and experience production company.
Responsibility for innovation direction, AI integration strategy, and production platform architecture
Establishing a fully AI-driven Production System to transform content operations for brand and agency clients
Building the strategic positioning of DIGITALSINN as a Production System partner within the DACH market
Client advisory on AI-native operating models, content automation, and scalable production infrastructure

Jan 2021 - Present

5 years 9 months

Bonn, Germany

Hybrid

IT Transformation Manager

Deutsche Post / DHL Logistics

Designed and facilitated stakeholder workshops across HQ, regional units, IT, and legal to define use cases
Led SaaS evaluation, managed make-or-buy process, and defined transformation roadmap across two parallel initiatives

Oct 2018 - Jun 2019

9 months

Hamburg, Germany

Principal

Infront Consulting GmbH

B2B2C Platform – Autonomous Transactions / Automotive OEM
Architected a B2B2C platform business model enabling fully autonomous transactions for an automotive OEM — defining the commercial logic, revenue model, and customer journey from concept through to a validated business case
Led complex stakeholder management across multiple OEM divisions; built alignment between sales, product, IT, and legal to secure organizational buy-in for a fundamentally new distribution and monetization model
Strategy Review & Venture Design / Smart Home / Energy Client
Conducted strategic review of smart home portfolio; defined required adaptations to product strategy, pricing, and market positioning based on competitive and customer analysis
Designed partner and venture strategy — identifying and evaluating strategic collaboration models and potential investment targets to accelerate market entry
Project Lead & Senior Advisor / KSB / Samson – Industry 4.0 IoT
Served as PL and strategic advisor in the development and market piloting of KSB Guard — an IoT-based predictive monitoring and service product for industrial pumps — owning business model design, technical scoping, and development of further verticals
Managed the strategic co-creation partnership with Samson to develop a complementary Industry 4.0 SaaS and service model; drove partner alignment, shaped joint product development priorities, and translated the collaboration into a pilotable innovation with clear market potential

Dec 2017 - Jun 2018

7 months

Munich, Germany

Interim Director of Operations

Holiday Extras GmbH

Led restructuring of German operations (113 FTE) with HQ COO; directly managed the call centre lead, optimized operations, and reduced average service call handling time by 17% through internal systems improvements
Oversaw B2B business operations, partner integration, GDPR implementation, and OKR rollout

Feb 2014 - Present

12 years 8 months

Berlin, Germany

Founding Partner

CATALYST

Led automation initiative for 3 prioritized EUV High-NA manufacturing technologies
Defined MES implementation roadmap and led process workshops
Evaluated software partners for MES based on requirements in accordance with SCADA layers and ERP
Defined “Smart Excellence” roadmap, led supplier integration, stakeholder management, and risk mitigation
Led stakeholder alignment on requirements across departments, developed backlog and roadmap for BI tool implementation
Conducted workshops and defined way of work, managed strategic partner relationships and PMO
Led platform development innovation process, strategy development, go-to-market and pilot projects
Reorganized team and defined structure for growth in alignment with group CEO
Designed and led workshops to define use cases with stakeholders, IT, and legal for digitalization initiatives
Evaluated SaaS solutions, managed make-or-buy process, and defined transformation roadmap
Conducted workshop "Leading an Agile Transformation" and created prioritized transformation backlog
Defined implementation measures in coordination with HR management
Aligned sales and marketing processes, defined requirements for SaaS evaluation, and developed pilot implementation with KPIs
Defined eCommerce business concept including go-to-market strategy, marketing, design, and logistics
Defined business model and pricing based on market analysis
Led end-to-end IoT process design and implementation including backlog management, logistics, and customer support
Managed partner integration, digital sales, and installation process for hardware delivery B2B2C
Set up pilot project with a global automotive OEM and created action plan for implementation
Evaluated user feedback to create feature and user story backlog
Evaluated and optimized sales and lead processes, digitalized standard processes, and defined KPIs
Developed and supported two new key accounts with six-digit sales volume in three months

Feb 2014 - Present

12 years 8 months

Berlin, Germany

Interim & Freelance Digital Management and Innovation Consulting

Senior independent advisor to corporates, PE-backed companies, and scale-ups across manufacturing, energy, mobility, SaaS, real estate and logistics.
Value creation under pressure: consistently delivering measurable impact in early project phases through sharp prioritization, decisive stakeholder alignment, and fast execution
Operational excellence by design: establishing governance, PMO structures, and way-of-work frameworks that create immediate clarity and sustained delivery capability
Enterprise transformation: MES/ERP/SCADA environments, agile adoption, and digital sales automation
Executive-level advisory: trusted sparring partner to CEOs, CFOs, and Boards — bridging strategic intent and operational reality across complex, multi-stakeholder environments

May 2011 - May 2014

3 years 1 month

Munich, Germany

Senior Consultant

Mosaic GmbH Management Consulting

PO/PMO for a global aftersales digital transformation program (automotive)
PL/Venture Builder for ParkNow mobility pilot for an automotive manufacturer in North America
Global PMO for assembly process planning to harmonize global manufacturing structure

Aug 2009 - Feb 2010

7 months

San Francisco, United States

Project Associate, Business Consulting and Marketing

German American Chambers of Commerce

Mar 2009 - Jun 2009

4 months

Eisenach, Germany

Project Associate, Supply Chain Management and Business Process Redesign

EDAG GmbH & Co. KGaA

Aug 2008 - Dec 2008

5 months

Fulda, Germany

Project Associate, Marketing and Corporate Communications

JOB AG – Personal Management

May 2008 - Jul 2008

3 months

Fulda, Germany

Intern, Marketing and Sales

Sorg Premium Cars GmbH

Mar 2007 - Apr 2007

2 months

Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Intern, Cost Controlling and Operations

ARVATO Direct Services GmbH

Jun 2006 - Aug 2006

3 months

Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Intern, Brand Development and Marketing

ENVY GmbH Agentur für Kommunikation

Oct 2005 - Mar 2006

6 months

Fulda, Germany

Intern, Logistics and Operations

HSW AG big prints

E.ON Energie Deutschland GmbH

Led end-to-end IoT process design and implementation including backlog management
Managed partner integration and B2B2C digital sales for hardware delivery program

Essen, Germany

Innogy Group

Harmonized sales and marketing processes; led SaaS evaluation for automation platform
Developed pilot implementation, defined KPIs, and optimized sales activities across business units

Turkey

Expert

Koç Holding

Designed and delivered workshop series "Leading an Agile Transformation" for senior leadership
Created prioritized transformation backlog and implementation measures with HR for group-wide rollout

Senior PM

Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity

Led carve-out and integration of a 53-FTE unit into a sister company; proposed and established PMO from scratch to recover an 18-month project delay — including full redesign of planning structures and org model, product roadmap reset
Managed the company's largest client tender alongside CEO and Head of Sales; coordinated legal, compliance, and internal stakeholders to own the bid submission on a public procurement
Owned end-to-end delivery of a strategic partnership pilot: responsible for lab setup and technical configuration, partner coordination, and successful commissioning

Munich, Germany

Head of Business Development

Stackfield GmbH

Set up pilot project with global automotive OEM including structured action plan for implementation
Evaluated user feedback to build feature and user story backlog for product development

Munich, Germany

Senior Manager B2B Sales

Travelzoo (Europe) Ltd

Evaluated and optimized sales & lead process; digitalized standard workflows and defined KPIs
Developed two new key accounts generating 6-digit revenue within 3 months

Oberkochen, Germany

Senior IT Project & Transformation Manager

Zeiss Semiconductor Manufacturing

Led the development of the integration layer connecting 4 core EUV High-NA manufacturing machines to PDM and process systems — automating the transfer of R&D-developed process recipes into series production, eliminating manual workflows and significantly reducing production lead times
Defined the "Smart Excellence" roadmap; evaluated and selected MES software partners against SCADA/ERP requirements, embedded AI-driven process analysis, and managed supplier integration, stakeholder governance, and risk mitigation across all technology tracks

Project Lead

Ziegert EverEstate

Led innovation process, strategy development, and go-to-market for a new digital real estate platform
Reorganized team structure for scalable growth in close alignment with Group CEO

Industry experience

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

Experienced in Automotive, Manufacturing, Transportation, Energy, Information Technology, and Real Estate.

Automotive

Manufacturing

Transportation

Energy

Information Technology

Real Estate

Business area experience

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

Experienced in Operations, Project Management, Strategy, Sales, Information Technology, and Product Development.

Operations

Project Management

Strategy

Sales

Information Technology

Product Development

Summary

For over 15 years, I have been guiding clients through their digital transformation initiatives and projects. My experience across eight industries has equipped me with deep specialist knowledge and a refined, methodical approach. Colleagues and clients describe me as both empathetic and pragmatic, with strong communication skills that foster seamless cross-functional collaboration. This ensures that the strategies I help develop not only translate into impactful solutions but also gain buy-in from the teams they affect.

My core expertise lies in leading transformative projects, defining strategic roadmaps, and driving execution and implementation.

Skills

Certifications: Six Sigma Green Belt (TÜV Certified) · Scrum/Itpm · Rplan Certified · Ipma & Pmi Trained
Tools: Expert Level: Ms Office, Ios, Confluence, Jira, Slack And Leading Project Management Platforms

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

Education

Oct 2007 - Feb 2011

University of Applied Sciences Fulda

Majors: Supply Chain Management & Logistics / Tax & Accounting · International Business Administration · Fulda, Germany

Certifications & licenses

IPMA & PMI Trained

RPlan Certified

SCRUM/ITPM

TÜV

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 22

Experience in Automotive 16 y

Avg length 1 y 10 m

Longest experience 12 y 7 m

Global experience

Countries worked in 3 (Germany, United States, Turkey)

Primary country Germany

Expertise

Recent roles Co-Founder & Managing Partner, IT Transformation Manager, Principal

Main industries Automotive, Manufacturing, Transportation

Main business areas Operations, Project Management, Strategy

Qualifications

Certifications earned 4

Profile

Member since

July 2025

Last update

September 2026

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Frequently asked questions

Have questions? Find more information here.

Max is based in Berlin, Germany.

Max speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced).

Max has at least 17 years of experience. During this time, Max has worked in at least 14 different roles and for 14 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 3 months. Note that Max may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Based on recent experience, Max would be well-suited for roles such as: Co-Founder & Managing Partner, IT Transformation Manager, Principal.

Max's most recent position is Co-Founder & Managing Partner at DIGITALSINN GmbH.

In recent years, Max has worked for DIGITALSINN GmbH, Deutsche Post / DHL Logistics, CATALYST, and Interim & Freelance Digital Management and Innovation Consulting.

Max is most experienced in industries like Automotive, Manufacturing, and Transportation. Max also has some experience in Energy, Information Technology, and Real Estate.

Max is most experienced in business areas like Operations, Project Management, and Strategy. Max also has some experience in Sales, Information Technology, and Product Development.

Max has recently worked in industries like Transportation, Information Technology, and Manufacturing.

Max has recently worked in business areas like Information Technology, Operations, and Strategy.

Max attended University of Applied Sciences Fulda for International Business Administration.

Max has 4 certificates. Among them, these include: IPMA & PMI Trained, RPlan Certified, and SCRUM/ITPM.

Max is immediately available part-time for suitable projects.

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Daily rate avg. 950 €

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Median rate 980 €

The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.

Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 28 Sep 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.