Hire the best Managing Directors in Essen matched in minutes from 15,000 CVs with the power of AI.
For restructuring, market entry, branch leadership, or temporary P&L ownership. Find managing directors with strong board-level communication, operational control, and clear decision making, matched fast with vetted, available freelancers.
About the role
Full mandate A managing director takes ownership of the business case, the operating model, and the daily decisions that keep the company moving. This role is often brought in as an interim managing director, MD, or general manager when leadership must be stable from day one.
- Lead a unit, subsidiary, or project company
- Align commercial goals with operations and finance
- Set priorities, structure reporting, and manage stakeholders
- Steer turnaround, growth, integration, or launch work
What they deliver A strong managing director is not just a figurehead. They create clarity, set pace, and make sure teams execute.
- A clear action plan for the leadership mandate
- Transparent ownership across sales, operations, and finance
- Executive communication with owners, boards, and key clients
- Decisions on staffing, process, and budget pressure points
Core skills The best candidates combine strategy with hands-on control. They can read a balance sheet, lead managers, and speak to the market without losing focus on delivery.
- Commercial judgment and P&L responsibility
- Leadership in change, scale-up, or crisis situations
- Strong reporting, negotiation, and stakeholder management
- Familiarity with ERP, CRM, and standard management reporting
- Clear communication in English and, for Essen-based work, often German as well
Tools and context A managing director may work with SAP, Excel-based controlling, CRM systems, and board reporting packs. In Essen, this is especially relevant for industrial suppliers, energy-related businesses, logistics, and established mid-sized companies that need disciplined leadership. Remote work can cover preparation, reporting, and steering; on-site presence is often useful for team alignment, customer visits, and sensitive change topics.
When companies bring one in Companies usually hire a freelance managing director when speed matters, when the seat is temporarily open, or when the situation needs a neutral hand.
- Vacancy bridge after a departure
- Restructuring, carve-out, or merger support
- Launch of a new market, site, or business line
- Conflict resolution between ownership and management
- Interim leadership while a permanent search runs
What strong people stand out on A good managing director is measured by outcomes, not title. They stay calm under pressure, make decisions with limited information, and keep people aligned.
- They ask the right questions early
- They build trust with owners and employees
- They keep the mandate practical and measurable
- They know when to delegate and when to intervene
- They leave behind a structure the next leader can use
Meet FRATCH Managing Directors
Henok Abraham
Founder and Managing Director
Last position:
Founder and Managing Director at Afworki GmbH IT-Consulting
The goal of Afworki GmbH IT-Consulting is to make small and medium-sized companies more competitive by overcoming challenges in digitalization, automation, and data management.
Tailored technology, strategy, and specialist consulting designed to meet the individual needs of each company.
Analyzing the company's current situation and developing the best possible solution together with the client.
Using both agile and classical IT project management methods to deliver projects on time and within budget.
Focusing on automating and orchestrating all data flows in a data warehouse to create a unified and standardized data foundation.
Considering the dependencies between IT and business to achieve sustainable positive effects.
Employing modern strategies and tools specifically tailored to the company's needs.
Supporting digitalization, the introduction of agile working methods, and the creation of up-to-date reports and analyses.
Objective: streamlining management and enabling well-founded, data-driven decision-making.
Gernot Lang
Founder and Managing Director
Last position:
Founder and Managing Director at Softwerk/Ruhr GmbH
- Architecting and developing SaaS platform for graphical definition and execution of pandas data processing pipelines
- Developed POlyglott, an open-source Python CLI tool for translation workflow management featuring PO file parsing, quality linting with glossary enforcement, and DeepL API integration for machine translation
- Developed web application for material compliance management (EU REACH) using Django and modern web technologies
- Built automated infrastructure platform using Proxmox, Terraform, and Ansible — VM provisioning, configuration management, internal DNS, and fleet-wide security hardening across multiple subnets
Raschid Ijioui
Strategy Consultant and Implementation Manager
Last position:
Requirements Engineer/Manager at CARIAD – Volkswagen Group AG
- Development of the unified CARIAD E3 2.0 software platform for future mobility
- Stakeholder management
- Synchronization and alignment with solutions (UX, security, data product & mobility services, architecture, software product, integration)
- Workshop and migration management
- Conducting risk matrix analyses
- Tool use: Jira, Confluence, Codebeamer
Thomas Martin
Managing Partner, Transformation Consultant
Last position:
Managing Partner, Transformation Consultant at THRIVE8
- Established and led the Enterprise PMO to increase the growth of a security provider in Germany
- Introduced SAFe in portfolio configuration to scale production for a security provider in Germany
- Built ESG performance management and defined KPIs for an energy company in Germany
Manuel Engelhardt
External Technical Lead for CI/CD, Architecture & Technical Governance
Last position:
External Technical Lead for CI/CD, Architecture & Technical Governance at Insurance
- Technical lead for CI/CD modernization in the "Group Archive 4.0" system
- Architecture and steering responsibility according to the statement of work
- Setting up modern build and deployment processes
- CI/CD coaching and enablement of the internal development team
- Integration of modern DevOps, security, and compliance standards
- Ensuring technical governance, including collaboration with internal audit and BaFin
- Independently executing the modernization measures
- Supporting the team in adopting new technologies and methods
Mesut Yilmaz
Solution Architect Computer Vision Store
Last position:
Solution Architect Computer Vision Store at Schwarz IT (Lidl/Kaufland)
- Expansion and support of the product portfolio for video analytics and computer vision
- Requirements gathering and engineering
- Consulting, project management and coordination of the pilot and international rollout
- Tools: IP-based camera and video systems, Citrix administration, OneNote, Microsoft Teams, Node-RED, Office 365, Age Verification, Qognify Umbrella, ThingsBoard, Xovis 3D sensors, AXIS cameras, GK checkout software, Atlassian JIRA
Stephan Altendeitering
CFO / Managing Director
Last position:
CFO / Managing Director at EP Power Minerals GmbH
- Subsidiary of the EPH Group, €250 million in revenue, 20 companies, 200 employees
- Responsibility for controlling, finance, IT, HR, procurement, project management/M&A, legal/compliance, accounting, and taxes
- Corporate management and transformation
- Preparation and support of the company sale (STEAG → EPH)
- Establishment of a new headquarters (finance, IT, legal, HR, etc.)
- Strategic and operational controlling
- Post-merger integration of foreign companies (BE, NL, FI, FR)
- Execution of M&A processes (buy & sell side)
- Company-wide process analysis and preparation for SAP S/4HANA
- Carve-out and post-merger integration
- Consistent implementation of digitization and efficiency measures
- Finance and accounting
Marcel Kalla
Co-Founder & Investor
Last position:
Co-Founder & Investor at Netfluenz GmbH
Positioning & scaling: Initiated and co-founded an AI-powered influencer marketing partner for B2C brands, focusing on profitable scaling.
Investment & GTM: Managed a six-figure pre-seed investment and developed the go-to-market tactics and exit strategy.
Leadership: Strategically formed the founding team and brought in the management to ensure scalable structures.
René Tilly
Managing Director
Last position:
Managing Director at Le Shop Vegan
- Shop & ERP systems, performance marketing
- Fulfillment: setup and operation of warehouse & shipping
- Finance: management and liquidity planning
Sandro Ullering
HSE Expert
Last position:
HSE Manager at Ullertec GmbH
I support over 30 companies in the field of occupational safety and fire protection. My focus is on technical safety support according to DGUV Regulation 2 as well as hands-on implementation of legal requirements in daily operations.
I help businesses organize their safety structures, carry out risk assessments, attend ASA meetings and act as an external fire protection officer.
In addition, I deliver training and practical instruction – including for crane operators, forklift drivers and company supervisors.
I also manage SiGeKo and validation projects.
With my many years of industry experience, I combine legal requirements with practical solutions for ongoing operations.
Ercan Yüksel
Digitalization Manager / SharePoint Manager
Last position:
Digitalization Manager / SharePoint Manager at EBRO Armaturen GmbH
- Administration and enhancement of the SharePoint farm (M.Office 365)
- Migration using ShareGate
- Building a global employee portal
- Development of DMS and customer portal solutions
Joachim Quantz
Managing Director & Project Manager
Last position:
Managing Director & Project Manager at POWERJO GmbH
- Project planning and management of packaging systems
- Supervision of the entire project lifecycle and optimization through claim management, open item lists, regular project meetings, and stakeholder management
- Feasibility analysis, packaging development, and tendering of a packaging system for frozen bakery products of a large bakery
- Technical consulting on the process and manufacturing of a circular packaging
- Support for startups (design offices, food manufacturers, consulting companies, …)
- Project manager on the client side at a heating equipment manufacturer (packaging technology/central palletizing)
- Technical sales of packaging technology in northern and western Germany
Jürgen Hotz
General Manager, "Albert Heijn to go Germany"
Last position:
Diehl & Brüser Handelskonzepte GmbH
- Directed omnichannel food retail operations, driving efficiency and profitability.
- Implemented and optimized omnichannel strategies to enhance customer experience and sales.
André Itter
PhD in Engineering / Safety Engineer / HSE Manager and Occupational Safety Specialist
Last position:
HSE Manager and Occupational Safety Specialist at Tesla
Alexander Miropolski
Founder & CEO
Last position:
Founder & CEO at AMPLIFY TECH AGENCY
- Founded the first marketing agency for eMobility
- Supported automotive, hardware, software, and solutions providers with product development and marketing
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Managing Directors statistics
Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.
Experience
23 years
Position duration
3.5 years
Positions per freelancer
11
Top business areas
Product Development, Project Management, Information Technology
Top industries
Information Technology, Manufacturing, Professional Services
Certification focus areas
Information Technology, Project Management, Quality Assurance
Bachelor's degree or higher
91%
Master's degree or higher
36%
Doctorate
18%
Certifications per freelancer
4
Most common languages
German, English, French
Speak two or more languages
94%
Daily Rate Distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this role are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Average rates for Managing Directors & Seniority distribution
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
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.
Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need clarity? Check out our simple overview of FRATCH
A managing director usually takes full responsibility for leadership, execution, and stakeholder coordination. That can include P&L ownership, team management, customer escalation, reporting, and steering change. In an interim mandate, the focus is often on stability first and transformation second.
An interim MD makes sense when the company needs leadership now, but the long-term solution is not ready yet. That is common after a resignation, during restructuring, or while a board runs a careful search. It also works well when the mandate is temporary and highly specific.
The titles can overlap, but the scope is not always the same. A managing director usually sits closer to ownership, board, or group leadership and carries broader responsibility for the whole business unit. A general manager may be more operational, while a country manager often focuses on one market setup.
Look for leadership under pressure, clear financial thinking, and strong stakeholder control. A good managing director can read the business quickly, set priorities, and communicate decisions in a way that teams follow. Experience with turnaround, growth, or integration is often a strong sign.
In Essen, companies often look for a managing director in industrial, logistics, energy-related, and mid-sized business settings. The role is also relevant for subsidiaries, branch offices, and businesses that need a steady hand during change. Local presence can matter when works councils, site teams, or key customers are involved.
Yes, but not every part of the mandate works well remotely. A managing director can handle reporting, planning, and many management meetings online, while on-site time helps with team trust, conflict resolution, and major operational decisions. The right setup depends on the company’s situation and internal maturity.
Ask for concrete examples that match your mandate, not just a polished career story. A strong managing director can explain what changed, how they handled resistance, and what result followed. References, decision style, and the ability to speak clearly about numbers and people matter more than title alone.
Freelancers should expect a high level of responsibility and direct access to decision makers. As a managing director, you are often hired to create order in a complex situation, so clarity on mandate, authority, and reporting lines is essential. The best assignments give room to lead, but also define where the limits are.
The average hourly rate for Managing Directors in Essen is 126 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 1,006 € based on an 8-hour working day.
Of the freelancers working as Managing Directors in Essen, 91% hold at least a Bachelor's degree, 36% hold at least a Master's degree, and 18% hold a doctorate.
On average, freelancers working as Managing Directors in Essen have 23 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 3.5 years.
The most common languages among freelancers working as Managing Directors in Essen are German (100%), English (88%), and French (25%).
The most common industries among freelancers working as Managing Directors in Essen are Information Technology (69%), Manufacturing (69%), and Professional Services (63%).
The most common business areas among freelancers working as Managing Directors in Essen are Product Development (75%), Project Management (75%), and Information Technology (69%).
FRATCH Managing Directors main locations
Our freelancers and interim experts are at home across the DACH region — available on-site in the major business hubs or fully remote. Choose a location to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
Request a Free Demo
Get in touch with the FRATCH team and we will get back to you within 4 hours.
Would you rather directly get in touch?
We always have the time for a call or email!
Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
