Silke Kustermann - Managing Partner

Q: Where is Silke based?

Silke is based in Bad Grönenbach, Germany .

Q: What languages does Silke speak?

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

Q: How many years of experience does Silke have?

Silke has at least 27 years of experience. During this time, Silke has worked in at least 6 different roles and for 10 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 9 months . Note that Silke may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Silke's latest experience?

Silke's most recent position is Managing Partner at 42.42 GmbH .

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

In recent years, Silke has worked for 42.42 GmbH and Pfeifer Seil und Hebetechnik GmbH .

Q: Which industries is Silke most experienced in?

Silke is most experienced in industries like Aerospace and Defense , Professional Services , and Manufacturing . Silke also has some experience in Healthcare , Automotive , and Energy .

Q: Which business areas is Silke most experienced in?

Silke is most experienced in business areas like Product Development , Strategy , and Project Management . Silke also has some experience in Supply Chain Management , Sales , and Business Intelligence .

Q: Which industries has Silke worked in recently?

Silke has recently worked in industries like Professional Services and Manufacturing .

Q: Which business areas has Silke worked in recently?

Silke has recently worked in business areas like Product Development , Business Intelligence , and Strategy .

Recommended expert

Bad Grönenbach, Germany

Experience

Apr 2021 - Present

5 years

Managing Partner

42.42 GmbH

Process development and introduction of product portfolio management
Preparation and execution of market launches for multiple products
Definition of the product launch concept
Creation of marketing materials (online and offline)
Development of an approach for calculating business cases
Development of a market intelligence process
Coaching junior product managers
Restructuring a complex product portfolio
Development of future scenarios
Conducting trend analyses
Consulting on planning customer analyses
Creating and delivering presentations for management
Creating internal and external training materials
Consulting and supporting the development of a new corporate strategy
Development of new business models
Preparing decision templates for corporate strategy together with the organization
Planning and conducting workshops
Gathering requirements of different target groups (internal and external)
Information gathering, analysis, and preparation for decisions regarding market, customer, and competition
Clustering requirements
Identifying and formulating user stories and epics
Designing new products
Training for product management as a serious game (own development)
Development of various trainings on requirements management, product concept, and planning
Creation of all training materials as a serious game
Conducting the trainings
Direct consulting for entrepreneurs in redesigning products and running workshops
Analyzing the current state and preparing solution proposals for a new error culture
Supporting the change process and conducting trainings (serious game)
Started PMI CAPM certification (Project Management)
Further training as a Product Owner

Dec 2019 - Mar 2021

1 year 4 months

Product Manager

Pfeifer Seil und Hebetechnik GmbH

Realignment and optimization of an entire product portfolio (>300 products, B2B)
Definition and implementation of a new product management process
Support of the change process

Sep 2018 - Nov 2019

1 year 3 months

Product Manager

Viessmann Holzheiztechnik GmbH

Development of the new product portfolio strategy and derivation of the roadmap
Analysis and implementation of optimization potential across the entire portfolio
Product lifecycle management
Market analysis with preparation and delivery of data (market, customer, competition)

Mar 2015 - Aug 2018

3 years 6 months

Group Product Manager

Invacare GmbH

Responsibility for the success of a product portfolio with more than 250 products
Definition and implementation of the strategy for the product portfolio and derivation of the roadmap
Lifecycle management for the entire product portfolio
Definition and introduction of a new requirements management process
Collecting and analyzing market data in collaboration with the market intelligence department

May 2014 - Feb 2015

10 months

Product Manager

Tridonic GmbH & Co. KG

Support for B2B customers (international)
Collecting and analyzing market data (market, customer, competition)
Preparation of market data for strategic decisions

Mar 2009 - Apr 2014

5 years 2 months

Product Manager

Vectronix AG

Responsibility for the economic success of the product portfolio
Supporting existing customers and acquiring new ones (international)
Developing customized solutions together with customers
Defining and implementing the product portfolio strategy and deriving the roadmap
Managing the lifecycle of the entire product portfolio
Use of sensors in the products (gyro sensors, optical sensors)

Jan 2008 - Jan 2009

1 year 1 month

Head of Program Management

Schweizerische Bundesbahn SBB CFF FFS

Technical and personnel management of a team
Defining and implementing the plant strategy and planning its execution
Managing maintenance planning from a financial perspective

Jan 2002 - Dec 2007

6 years

Group Leader

Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH

Configuration management
Technical and personnel management of a team
Coordinating product modifications with customers (international)
Defining and introducing a new configuration management process
Implementing the new process in SAP
Leading cross-location projects in the area of industrial cooperation and relocation strategy
Defining and implementing the relocation strategy (offset agreements)
Defining and introducing a new analysis process for manufacturing (Patent 20090228332)
Developing structural components from composite materials for helicopters

Oct 2000 - Nov 2001

1 year 2 months

Development Engineer

CFS Convenience Food Systems

Developing production machines and systems for food slicing machines, including packaging
Using sensors to monitor product feed and initiate corrections to ensure precise package weight
Ensuring operator safety during machine operation

Oct 1998 - Sep 2000

2 years

Development Engineer

TAKATA Vehicle Safety Technology

Developing seatbelt systems and airbags for Mercedes-Benz E and S-Class
Using sensors for crash detection (accelerometers)

Industry Experience

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

Experienced in Aerospace and Defense, Professional Services, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Automotive, and Energy.

Aerospace and Defense

Professional Services

Manufacturing

Healthcare

Automotive

Energy

Business Area Experience

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

Experienced in Product Development, Strategy, Project Management, Supply Chain Management, Business Intelligence, and Sales.

Product Development

Strategy

Project Management

Supply Chain Management

Business Intelligence

Sales

Summary

Product manager with more than 15 years of strategy development

Skills

Both Technical And Business Education
Intercultural Competence
Team And Project Management
Gamification
Ms Office
Sap
Polarion, Jira, Confluence

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

Spanish

Elementary

Italian

Elementary

Education

Oct 2009 - Jun 2011

Hochschule Wismar

M.Sc. Sales and Marketing · Sales and Marketing · Wismar, Germany

Oct 1994 - Jun 1998

Fachhochschule Ulm

Dipl. Eng. (FH) in Precision Engineering · Precision Engineering · Ulm, Germany

Oct 1991 - Jun 1993

Fachhochschule Kempten

Electrical Engineering · Kempten, Germany

...and 4 more

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 10

Experience in Aerospace and Defense 11 y

Avg length 2 y 8 m

Longest experience 5 y 11 m

Expertise

Recent roles Managing Partner, Product Manager, Group Product Manager

Main industries Aerospace and Defense, Professional Services, Manufacturing

Main business areas Product Development, Strategy, Project Management

Qualifications

Highest degree Master

Profile

Created

October 2025

Last Update

March 2026

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Frequently asked questions

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

Where is Silke based?

Silke is based in Bad Grönenbach, Germany.

What languages does Silke speak?

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

How many years of experience does Silke have?

Silke has at least 27 years of experience. During this time, Silke has worked in at least 6 different roles and for 10 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 9 months. Note that Silke may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Silke be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Silke would be well-suited for roles such as: Managing Partner, Product Manager, Group Product Manager.

What is Silke's latest experience?

Silke's most recent position is Managing Partner at 42.42 GmbH.

What companies has Silke worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Silke has worked for 42.42 GmbH and Pfeifer Seil und Hebetechnik GmbH.

Which industries is Silke most experienced in?

Silke is most experienced in industries like Aerospace and Defense, Professional Services, and Manufacturing. Silke also has some experience in Healthcare, Automotive, and Energy.

Which business areas is Silke most experienced in?

Silke is most experienced in business areas like Product Development, Strategy, and Project Management. Silke also has some experience in Supply Chain Management, Sales, and Business Intelligence.

Which industries has Silke worked in recently?

Silke has recently worked in industries like Professional Services and Manufacturing.

Which business areas has Silke worked in recently?

Silke has recently worked in business areas like Product Development, Business Intelligence, and Strategy.

What is Silke's education?

Silke holds a Master in Sales and Marketing from Hochschule Wismar, a Bachelor in Precision Engineering from Fachhochschule Ulm, a Bachelor in Business, Administration and Legal Affairs from Fachoberschule Memmingen, a Bachelor from Realschule Memmingen, a Bachelor from Volksschule Amendingen and a Bachelor from Theodor-Heuss-Grundschule Memmingen.

What is the availability of Silke?

Silke is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Silke?

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