Neil Scholten - Program Director & Transformation Architect

Q: Where is Neil based?

Neil is based in Hamburg, Germany and can operate in on-site , hybrid , and remote work models.

Q: What languages does Neil speak?

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

Q: How many years of experience does Neil have?

Neil has at least 23 years of experience. During this time, Neil has worked in at least 17 different roles and for 18 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 2 months . Note that Neil may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Neil's latest experience?

Neil's most recent position is Program Director & Transformation Architect at Xpertpulse GmbH .

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

In recent years, Neil has worked for Xpertpulse GmbH , superluminar GmbH , fimancia UG , Solopreneur , and Statista GmbH .

Q: Which industries is Neil most experienced in?

Neil is most experienced in industries like Information Technology , Professional Services , and Education . Neil also has some experience in Media and Entertainment , Retail , and Automotive .

Q: Which business areas is Neil most experienced in?

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

Q: Which industries has Neil worked in recently?

Neil has recently worked in industries like Professional Services , Media and Entertainment , and Information Technology .

Q: Which business areas has Neil worked in recently?

Neil has recently worked in business areas like Strategy , Finance , and Information Technology .

Recommended expert

Hamburg, Germany

Check rate

Experience

Sep 2025 - Feb 2026

6 months

Program Director & Transformation Architect

Xpertpulse GmbH

Strategic business development transition: product before customer in <4 months instead of 10
Strategic business development transition: development cost reduction vs. plan: 40% (-€250K)
Executive mentor & coach for CEO & CPO: CEO too busy to improve – portfolio, organizational structure, and strategy
Executive mentor & coach for CEO & CPO: PO→CPO transition for taking full product responsibility for Lohnpulse
Interim CIO: general contractor vendor scouting / onboarding / handover to CPO
Interim CIO: transition MVP→operational product by CPO

Jul 2025 - Nov 2025

5 months

Hybrid

Program Director & Transformation Architect

superluminar GmbH

Organizational transformation: establishing TISAX certification readiness

Jan 2025 - Present

1 year 7 months

Hamburg, Germany

Managing Partner

fimancia UG

Really using AI in everyday work – logbook & LevelUP cards
Strategic guidance and implementation of an AI mindset in companies
AI-supported custom solutions and platform development for SMEs

Nov 2024 - Present

1 year 9 months

Hamburg, Germany

Self-employed

Solopreneur

Ad hoc interventions: situational analysis & executive sparring
Ad hoc interventions: structured assessments for quick clarity and next steps
Executive workshops: fast orientation and clarity for business-critical decisions
Executive workshops: AI & digital transformations from strategy to implementation
Project-based consulting: concrete implementation of AI & digital transformations & restructurings
Project-based consulting: scalable organizational & IT structures to future-proof companies
Interim executive engagements: temporary takeover of responsibility for strategic & operational leadership
Retained advisory: long-term support for sustainable transformation & decision-making support

Apr 2024 - Oct 2024

7 months

Hamburg, Germany

Vice President Operations

Statista GmbH

Revitalization and transformation of GRC (Governance, Risk, Compliance) departments
Founding and establishing operational IT security
Internationalization of IT and cloud services across 14 countries
Designing, implementing, and managing the coexistence of hierarchical and lateral leadership & organizational principles
Decoupling rising administrative costs from company growth
Budget responsibility >€9M/year
Disciplinary responsibility for 45–60 employees

Dec 2021 - Apr 2024

2 years 5 months

Hamburg, Germany

Vice President IT-Operations

Statista GmbH

Revitalized and transformed the IT service, IT infrastructure, and cloud engineering departments
Founded and established operational IT security
Internationalized IT and cloud services across 14 countries
Designed, implemented, and managed the coexistence of hierarchical and lateral leadership and organizational structures
Decoupled rising IT costs from company growth
Was responsible for a budget of over €7 million per year
Had disciplinary responsibility for 35–45 employees

Jul 2021 - Dec 2024

3 years 6 months

San Francisco, United States

Remote

Co-Founder

Some Engineering Inc

Founder and partner

Jul 2021 - Oct 2021

4 months

Hamburg, Germany

Managing Director

Some Engineering Services GmbH

Founded and operated two companies (US Inc and GmbH)
Distribution and enterprise sales
Investor acquisition, roadmap, and KPIs

Jun 2021 - Present

5 years 2 months

Hamburg, Germany

Managing Partner

Neil Scholten Beteiligungs UG

Company formations
Company investments
Advisory
M&A due diligence (organizational fitness / social deep dive)

Apr 2019 - Jun 2021

2 years 3 months

Hamburg, Germany

Infrastructure Program Manager, Department Head

Fielmann AG

Developed and operationalized the IT corporate strategy for stable and future-proof IT infrastructures
Advised and supported additional IT strategy areas focusing on employee recruitment and retention as well as modernizing work methods
Operationalized the cloud strategy: initiated and led migration teams for over 200 applications, including architecture review and custom solution consulting
Established and led a new department with three teams focusing on zero trust, native cloud integration, and identity and access management (since February 2020)

Aug 2014 - Mar 2019

4 years 8 months

Hamburg, Germany

Director IT-Operations

SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH

Reorganization of IT operations for compatibility with agile working principles
Phasing out legacy technology cycles and reducing maintenance workload by 60 %
Establishment of cross-location engineering and helpdesk teams
Implementation of AWS partner/reseller & training/certification
Implementation strategies for cross-functional teams while avoiding DevOps intermediary stages
Consulting and implementation of digital transformation for internal teams and clients

Dec 2012 - Jul 2014

1 year 8 months

Hamburg, Germany

Head of IT-Operations

conversis GmbH

Site management in Hamburg
Maintaining operations during major changes at client gamigo AG
Developing existing structures according to the requirements of a managed hosting provider
Ensuring operations and team building during the outsourcing transition phase (50 % staff turnover in six months)

Aug 2012 - Dec 2012

5 months

Hamburg, Germany

Head of IT-Operations

gamigo AG

Independently taking over department leadership after the unexpected loss of the previous head
Ensuring IT operations
Improving team cohesion and transparency of work progress
Rapid and efficient recovery of operations during a company-threatening security incident
Continuous improvement with increased efficiency (reduction of sick days, automation of repetitive tasks)

Jul 2011 - Aug 2012

1 year 2 months

Hamburg, Germany

System Architect

gamigo AG

Designing and implementing system architectures and working principles
Automating the Windows and Linux server landscape as well as applications and games
Automating the collection and presentation of technical operating costs
Developing standardized working principles and tools within IT operations
Developing an automated accounting platform to determine actual technology costs

Mar 2009 - Jun 2011

2 years 4 months

Hamburg, Germany

Head of IT (CIO)

flashpoint AG

Full responsibility for IT
Reorganization of IT
Expansion of IT services
Optimization of IT/logistics processes
Development, design, and operation of scalable, multi-tenant webshops for subsidiary 4u2play GmbH
Building the IT team
Professionalizing the development of the warehouse logistics platform (Microsoft Dynamics/Navision)
Obtaining accreditation to train IT specialists in system integration and application development

Jan 2008 - Mar 2009

1 year 3 months

Hamburg, Germany

System Administrator

scoyo GmbH

Design, setup, and maintenance of the IT infrastructure
Project responsibility for IT security and the server farm (~420 virtual instances)
Automation of application deployments and server installations
Handing over live operations to an external service provider, including tooling for maintenance and application updates

Mar 2006 - Dec 2007

1 year 10 months

Berlin, Germany

Head of Global IT Infrastructure

Wazap AG

Design, setup, and maintenance of IT infrastructure in Germany, Japan, China, and the USA
Building and coordinating a 24/7 support team
Project coordination
Responsibility for IT infrastructure and IT security, budget planning
Responsibility for four data centers and an office (180 servers, 40 workstations/notebooks)
Assembling international teams at each location
Automating operations through in-house developments and tooling (e.g. CFEngine)

Jan 2005 - Mar 2006

1 year 3 months

Idstein, Germany

Application Developer, Customer Support

Krawall Gaming Network GmbH

Application development (Python, PHP, MySQL, Apache)
Server administration (Linux, Windows 2000/2003 Server)
Customer support (24/7 phone & email)
Migration of the game server platform from Delta Interactive GbR
Automation of patch processes for all game platforms

Mar 2004 - Mar 2006

2 years 1 month

Wiesbaden, Germany

Office Management, IT Services

IT Akademie Hessen - Dr.-Frank-Niethammer-Stiftung

Setup and maintenance of the IT infrastructure (Windows XP / Windows 2003 Server)

Sep 2001 - May 2002

9 months

Duisburg, Germany

System Administrator, Application Specialist

Delta Interactive GbR

Web development (PHP, MySQL, Apache)
Server administration (Linux, Windows 2000 Server)
Customer support (24/7 phone & email)

Industry Experience

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

Experienced in Information Technology, Professional Services, Education, Media and Entertainment, Retail, and Automotive.

Information Technology

Professional Services

Education

Media and Entertainment

Retail

Automotive

Business Area Experience

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

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

Information Technology

Operations

Strategy

Project Management

Finance

Product Development

Summary

I bring clarity into complex situations, design sustainable strategies, and ensure implementation that works.

Creating structures for growth I help companies untangle processes, align leadership precisely, and ensure operational scalability.

Making transformation tangible AI & digital transformation doesn't mean technology for technology's sake. I ensure that innovation drives real impact—for efficiency, market position, and employee retention.

Executive-level impact Working side by side with decision-makers to turn strategies into concrete, effective actions.

With over 20 years of experience in IT, operations & organizational development, I have guided companies from startups to large corporations through complex change processes.

I have worked in both agile, dynamic environments and highly regulated, mature structures—and know which mechanisms work in which situation.

My consulting doesn't stop at the concept—I ensure that strategy becomes reality.

I identify the crucial levers and ensure they are actively used to not just initiate change but anchor it sustainably.

Skills

Revitalization Of Business Divisions (Liquidity & Organizational/Process Structure)
Digital Transformation From An Agile Environment At Dax Corporations
Cio For Complex System Architectures, Build-Up & Change Situations With Deep Technical Expertise
Building International Infrastructures And Teams
Industry Experience In Ecommerce & Gaming, Data & Market Research, Health, As Well As Inventory Management & Logistics
Design And Implementation Of Organizational, System & Software Architectures
Strong Driver Of Innovation With An Entrepreneurial Mindset
Father, Founder, Nerd

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

Education

Aug 2002 - Jan 2005

Krawall Gaming Network GmbH / Global Media GmbH

IT specialist in application development · Idstein, Germany

Aug 1989 - Aug 2001

Graf-Adolf-Gymnasium

Technical high school diploma · Technical high school diploma · Tecklenburg, Germany

Certifications & licenses

Training permit for the IT specialist fields of system integration and application development

flashpoint AG

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 20

Experience in Information Technology 16 y

Avg length 1 y 9 m

Longest experience 5 y 1 m

Global Experience

Countries worked in 2 (Germany, United States)

Primary country Germany

Expertise

Recent roles Program Director & Transformation Architect, Managing Partner, Self-employed

Main industries Information Technology, Professional Services, Education

Main business areas Information Technology, Operations, Strategy

Qualifications

Highest degree Bachelor

Certifications earned 1

Profile

Created

July 2026

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Frequently asked questions

Have questions? Find more information here.

Where is Neil based?

Neil is based in Hamburg, Germany and can operate in on-site, hybrid, and remote work models.

What languages does Neil speak?

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

How many years of experience does Neil have?

Neil has at least 23 years of experience. During this time, Neil has worked in at least 17 different roles and for 18 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 2 months. Note that Neil may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Neil be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Neil would be well-suited for roles such as: Program Director & Transformation Architect, Managing Partner, Self-employed.

What is Neil's latest experience?

Neil's most recent position is Program Director & Transformation Architect at Xpertpulse GmbH.

What companies has Neil worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Neil has worked for Xpertpulse GmbH, superluminar GmbH, fimancia UG, Solopreneur, and Statista GmbH.

Which industries is Neil most experienced in?

Neil is most experienced in industries like Information Technology, Professional Services, and Education. Neil also has some experience in Media and Entertainment, Retail, and Automotive.

Which business areas is Neil most experienced in?

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

Which industries has Neil worked in recently?

Neil has recently worked in industries like Professional Services, Media and Entertainment, and Information Technology.

Which business areas has Neil worked in recently?

Neil has recently worked in business areas like Strategy, Finance, and Information Technology.

What is Neil's education?

Neil holds a Bachelor in IT specialist in application development from Krawall Gaming Network GmbH / Global Media GmbH.

Does Neil have any certificates?

Neil has 1 certificate: Training permit for the IT specialist fields of system integration and application development.

What is the availability of Neil?

Neil is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Neil?

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