Microsoft Copilot Experts in Germany

Agile Transformation: introducing agile principles and transforming traditional IT departments into Scrum and Kanban teams

IT Operating Model: redesigning the IT organization and introducing modern delivery structures and roles

Flight Levels: building up Flight Levels practices within IT to align strategy, coordination and operational execution

Leadership & Coaching: recruiting Agile Coaches and coaching Scrum Masters and IT leaders

ERP Operations: acting as Interim Product Owner for the existing ERP landscape and ensuring business continuity

ERP Transformation: reorganizing and supporting the ERP migration as a Project Manager; Phase 1 (financial accounting) live since October 2025

Operational Core (ERP): establishing dedicated teams for ERP Support, Feature Development, and ERP Migration

Modern Workplace: initiating the transition towards a Microsoft 365-based cloud workplace environment

Integration: establishing a dedicated team to drive integration and connectivity initiatives

Warehouse Operations: building a cross-functional team to support logistics and warehouse-related capabilities

Maintenance & Operations (M&O): introducing a dedicated team for system engineering, security, stable operations and continuous improvement

AI Initiatives: identifying and promoting practical Artificial Intelligence use cases across the IT department

As Interim Head of IT for a German medium-sized industrial distributor, I am responsible for 31 IT employees and lead the digital and organizational transformation, reporting directly to executive leadership. I took over an IT department with almost no basic structures – no clear roles, processes, documentation or ticket system – and with significant technical debt that tied up most of its capacity. Introduced agile principles and ways of working in the IT organization and transformed the traditionally structured IT department into cross-functional Scrum and Kanban teams focused on transparency, collaboration, and customer value delivery.

Redesigned the entire IT organization by establishing a modern operating model, introducing new roles such as Product Owner, Scrum Master and Solution Architect and strengthening the organization through strategic hiring and targeted capability development. Recruited and onboarded Agile Coaches to accelerate the transformation and personally managed and coached Scrum Masters as well as IT department leaders to foster servant leadership, self-management and a culture of continuous improvement.

Aligned IT-internal planning across eight teams to three Flight Levels based on Klaus Leopold (strategy, coordination, team), laying the foundation for later company-wide portfolio management. Consolidated the backlog of more than 10 workstreams and prioritized it by business value and cost of delay. Introduced a ticketing system to increase transparency and enable data-driven decision-making, flow-based work management, and greater accountability at all levels.

Established and supported multiple cross-functional teams, including the Operational Core (ERP) domain with dedicated streams for Support, Feature Development and ERP Migration, as well as teams responsible for Warehouse Operations, Maintenance & Operations (M&O) including system engineering and security, Modern Workplace, Data Quality and integration initiatives. Worked closely with Agile Coaches to support team development, remove impediments, and continuously improve delivery effectiveness.

Acted as Interim Product Owner for the operation and enhancement of the existing ERP landscape while supporting the ERP migration as a Project Manager. Reorganized the project organization and had the already negotiated contract with the implementation partner realigned with a focus on approach and overall responsibility; Phase 1 (financial accounting) has been live since October 2025. Collaborated with the selected implementation partner to design and establish the project organization and target operating model for the ERP transformation, introducing agile delivery structures and ways of working. Facilitated the alignment between business, IT and the external vendor and played a key role in negotiating the contractual framework and delivery model to ensure a sustainable foundation for the transformation program.

Initiated the strategic modernization of the workplace environment through the adoption of Microsoft 365 cloud capabilities, establishing the foundation for enhanced collaboration, scalability and future digital services.

Launched AI initiatives to identify practical business use cases and promote the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence across the IT department. Encouraged self-management and empowered teams to take ownership of decisions, delivery and continuous improvement.

Project: Digital Sovereignty – Toll Collect

Workshop: Digital Sovereignty Recognize dependencies, reduce risks, remain capable of acting

Format

• One-day practical seminar

Target group

• Executive management
• IT managers
• Data protection officers
• Compliance functions

Content and objectives

• Systematic analysis of digital dependencies
• Assessment of legal and operational risks
• Development of a concrete plan to increase digital sovereignty
• Mapping of the entire IT infrastructure by participants
• Identification of critical dependencies on non-European providers
• Creation of a prioritized risk matrix based on:
• GDPR
• NIS2
• EU AI Act
• Joint development of options for action – from a hybrid model to complete migration to European solutions
• Development of an individual sovereignty roadmap with:
• Responsibilities
• Milestones
• Budget framework

Agenda

• Preliminary self-assessment (current infrastructure)
• Digital sovereignty? Nothing but an illusion
• Digital sovereignty 2026 – Germany’s dangerous dependency in focus
• Digital sovereignty & open source
• What is digital sovereignty?
• Three questions raised by digital sovereignty
• Reflection: Digital sovereignty in your own life
• Why is digital sovereignty existential now?
• Practical examples of digital sovereignty
• Schleswig-Holstein initiative
• Benefits of digital sovereignty for your company
• Assessing strategy options (cost-benefit matrix)
• Sovereign provider? 10 questions
• What does digital sovereignty specifically mean for your company?
• How do you shape digital sovereignty?
• Digital sovereignty and psychological safety
• Psychological safety: The key to high-performing teams
• Why psychological safety in your company?
• Benefits of psychological safety
• Invitation to group work: PsySafety Check (PS-C)
• The “Braintrust” experiment
• Creating a risk matrix
• Creating a roadmap & project plan
• European alternatives to US Big Tech
• 10-point plans:
• NIS2
• EU AI Act
• GDPR
• ISO 27001

• Architected, Deployed and Supported hosted email solutions in Linux and Windows environments with enterprise-grade anti-spam and security architecture for service-provider environments.
• Managed Microsoft Azure environments including Virtual Machines, VNets, Storage, VPN, and Firewall configuration.
• Administered Microsoft Exchange Server (2010-2019), Microsoft Exchange Server SE, Active Directory, PKI, Hyper-V and Zimbra environments with disaster recovery planning and operational support.
• Led Microsoft 365 onboarding and migration projects from Exchange, IMAP, and Zimbra platforms to Microsoft 365.
• Prepare security and compliance to support Microsoft 365 Copilot.
• Implement information protection and data loss prevention by using Microsoft Purview.
• Implement retention, eDiscovery, and communication compliance in Microsoft Purview.
• Integrated Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS), and Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS).
• Delivered secure hybrid infrastructure solutions integrating Microsoft Windows Server and Linux-based enterprise environments.
• Supported enterprise integration projects involving Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, Red Hat, Barracuda ESG, Qmail and Zimbra Platforms.

CXO AI OS is an agent system made up of six components. Instead of using AI as a chat window, it creates a system that understands a company’s context, makes decisions according to its rules, and acts on its behalf.

• For mid-sized companies: a guided sprint followed by ongoing operations for a team, department or prioritized cluster, based on an AI assessment
• For self-employed professionals: a program where participants build their own agent system
• Sequence in the company: assessment, prioritization, sprint, operations
• Implementation in Claude Cowork or ChatGPT Work, without coding
• Architecture: Chief of Staff, Goals, Advisors, Agents, Context, Catalog

• Instructor for an AZAV-certified AI training program for working professionals; designed in February 2026, with five cohorts each running for one month from March 2026
• Designed and created all modules and learning materials
• Topics: AI fundamentals, prompting, use cases in communication, analysis, and processes, agents and workflows, the EU AI Act, and GDPR
• Taught small groups of 3 to 9 participants from different professional fields and levels of seniority
• Provided individual learning support throughout each course
• Result: completed five cohorts with around 500 hours of live instruction

• Designed and developed a production-ready data platform based on Microsoft Fabric for an e-commerce company
• Built a scalable Medallion Architecture (Bronze, Silver, Gold) with Lakehouse and Delta Lake as the foundation for analytics and AI applications
• Developed a metadata-driven ETL platform with PySpark and a generic Incremental Loading Framework (SQL Server → Bronze → Silver → Gold)
• Developed reusable components for Microsoft Fabric Notebooks to standardize data integration, transformation, and validation
• Implemented automated data pipelines including monitoring, logging, error handling, and Delta MERGE strategies for stable production operations
• Built a business layer architecture for reporting, data warehousing, and reusable data products
• Integrated heterogeneous data sources via SQL Server, REST APIs, Amazon SP API, and Google Analytics 4
• Worked closely with business departments to analyze business requirements and translate them into scalable data architectures

Technologies: Microsoft Fabric, PySpark, Python, SQL Server, Delta Lake, Lakehouse, OneLake, Data Factory, Data Warehouse, REST APIs, Amazon SP-API, Google Analytics 4

Started as a Business Transformation Consultant for IT and process analysis, and from 09/2025 additionally took on the role of Interim CIO with overall responsibility for IT.

• Reduced IT operating costs by 28 %.
• IT and process analysis, target vision and roadmap; governance with SLA, RPO/RTO, RACI and TOMs.
• Led the introduction of Microsoft Dynamics 365: migration, integration and connection of existing systems.
• Established reporting with Power BI; prepared decision documents and 30/60/90-day quick wins for the executive management.

Independently built a data platform with cross-system process monitoring.

• Designed the Bronze/Silver/Gold architecture and Python-based pipelines for diverse operational sources.
• Cleaned, harmonized, and validated data; processed and stored it in Parquet format.
• Tracked data history and built business-focused fact and dimension models for traceable reporting.
• Automated data delivery with Python and Power Automate (desktop and cloud); used SharePoint for archiving and data access.
• Developed the Power BI solution from data preparation through to visualizing process statuses, work progress, and deviations.

Technologies: Python, SQL, Parquet, Power BI, Power Query, Power Automate, SharePoint, Copilot

I am responsible for developing and implementing AI, innovation and digitalization initiatives at the German Golf Association. My focus is on developing digital products, identifying new technologies and successfully connecting strategy, communications and innovation.

I work closely with the executive board, specialist departments, the communications department as well as external agencies and technology partners, and support projects from the initial idea through to successful implementation.

Highlights:

• Strategic co-responsibility for the relaunch of golf.de, Germany's leading digital platform in golf
• Development and implementation of the German Golf Association's AI strategy
• Development of new AI-supported products and digital services for golf clubs, coaches and golfers
• Management of innovation and transformation projects
• Close collaboration with communications and press relations on future-focused and innovation topics
• Design and delivery of workshops, presentations and AI training sessions
• Management of external software, digital and technology partners
• Preparation of strategic concepts and decision papers for the executive board and management committees

Focus areas: Digital Product Development, AI & Innovation, Digital Transformation, Marketing, Corporate Communications, Public Relations, Business Development, Stakeholder Management

With project PRIZMA, DB will modernize its infrastructure on the one hand, and develop a fail-safe IT landscape on the other hand, which can be restored quickly and securely in case of a disaster.

• Capture current architectures of existing systems as well as methodical consulting and development of target architectures
• Deepen and maintain the building plan / target IT landscape
• Implement technical architecture concepts & architecture descriptions
• Implement migration concepts for updating and further developing the platform and information systems
• Assess submitted improvement suggestions as part of the project
• Capability management: identify capability gaps, develop target visions, and support transformation planning within the enterprise architecture.
• Create a compatibility matrix of the components in use and compare dependencies of specific versions
• Create an IT concept for extending the platform with the following topics: hardware and software requirements, security, licensing, high availability, load balancing, backup & recovery, update strategy, monitoring integration, etc.
• Coordinate with business architects as well as technical architects from the cross-functional architecture area of the PRISMA program for the topics (backup, Active Directory, monitoring, Citrix, and business applications ...)
• Status meetings and alignment of project planning with the Release Train Engineer / Project Manager
• Advise the Release Train Engineer / Project Manager in identifying project risks
• Advise the System Architect Engineers in steering the implementation of the concept
• Implement the IT concept
• Document the infrastructure

Label: MS Project, LINUX, Windows, ORACLE, Java, REST, SharePoint, Microsoft Exchange, UML, Enterprise Architect, BPMN, AZURE, AWS, V-MODEL, Micro Service, VisualStudio, SAP S/4HANA, SCRUM(SAFE), ESB (TIBCO), Python, Innovator, LeanIX (TOGAF), Ansible, Ansible Tower, Ansible Automation, ROBOT, SpringBoot

• Developed cloud-native enterprise applications on SAP Business Technology Platform using Node.js, SAP UI5, and RESTful APIs, delivering solutions across training management, procurement, employee information, and logistics domains
• Served as the primary developer for the maintenance, enhancement, and production support of three enterprise applications, delivering new features, resolving production issues, and coordinating releases with business stakeholders
• Experienced in leveraging AI-assisted development tools such as Microsoft Copilot to accelerate feature development, generate code, prototype solutions, and support application migration and modernization
• Designed backend services, domain models, and SAP Fiori/UI5 interfaces, implementing business workflows, role-based access control, validations, scheduling, reporting, and data import/export capabilities
• Designed and integrated enterprise services with SAP SuccessFactors, SailPoint, ERP systems, and external Learning Management APIs, including automated synchronization for 11,000+ user data
• Designed and implemented AMQP-based event-driven services processing up to 500 RFID parcel scan events per day for a logistics application
• Managed deployments and application operations using CI/CD pipelines, SAP Solution Manager, SAP BTP Cockpit, Kibana, and cloud monitoring tools, performing root-cause analysis and resolving production incidents
• Managed application dependencies by resolving npm package version conflicts and remediating critical and high-severity security vulnerabilities, ensuring production compliance and application stability
• Collaborated with architects, business users, SAP governance teams, and distributed Agile teams throughout technical design, code reviews, sprint planning, documentation, and software delivery

Interim Lead ITSM Transformation

Industry: Retail & Industry – Optics (partly critical infrastructure)

Mandate: Transition of ITSM governance to the product- and capability-oriented governance model already established across the Group, as well as acceleration and partial automation of service volumes through optimized entry channels. Design and system-based implementation of an ITSM target operating model.

• ITSM target process design based on the capability owner model: target processes and ownership for Incident, Service Request, Problem, Change Enablement, CMDB, Service Level, Supplier and Knowledge Management, derived from the Group-wide target operating model
• AI-supported Enterprise Service Management: Reorganization of currently mixed requests into a structured, cross-functional service model including a new self-service portal. AI-supported classification and automation considered in the architecture model
• Migration & Cloud Architecture: Planning and management of the end-to-end migration, coordination of cutover management and go-live support; ensuring productive stability during the hypercare phase. Consideration of a multi-source CMDB (~500,000 assets), connection of go-live-critical field service and vendor interfaces
• Scaling & Blueprint: Central instance for headquarters and production, designed as a blueprint for additional international retail and production sites
• Delivery and Stakeholder Management: End-to-end management from target vision to go-live with regard to time, budget & quality. Building consensus and balancing interests between independently managed IT units up to CIO level

• Led enterprise reporting modernization by migrating legacy SSRS reporting solutions to Power BI, supporting 500+ business users while ensuring full GDPR/DSGVO compliance.
• Designed and optimized Power BI and Microsoft Fabric semantic models using star schema, dimensional modeling, advanced DAX, and performance optimization techniques, reducing query latency by 25%.
• Delivered 20+ executive and operational dashboards featuring KPI scorecards, drill-through, bookmarks, and row-level security, improving reporting efficiency by 20%.
• Enabled self-service analytics through governed Power BI datasets, dataflows, and gateway architecture, increasing business-led reporting adoption by 35%.
• Configured an incremental refresh policy and query folding for a 50+ million row sales dataset, reducing daily report refresh times by 85%.
• Deployed automated ETL/ELT pipelines using Azure Data Factory, Microsoft Fabric, and Snowflake, reducing reporting delivery timelines by 40% through workflow automation.
• Spearheaded Microsoft Fabric analytics modernization initiatives including lakehouse architecture, OneLake integration, and centralized data platform development, reducing data latency from 2 hours to 20 minutes.
• Translated business requirements from 15+ stakeholders into scalable Power BI semantic models and dashboards, improving reporting consistency and reducing ad-hoc reporting requests by 25%.
• Applied Microsoft Copilot and generative AI tools to accelerate SQL development, DAX authoring, technical documentation, and testing activities, reducing development effort by approximately 15 hours per week.

Designed and developed an Azure-based AI and data platform transforming distributed project documents into searchable, structured knowledge for an enterprise AI assistant. Combined incremental document processing, hybrid keyword/vector retrieval, knowledge graph extraction, and conversational AI for Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Implemented Python document-processing pipelines for PDF, Word, Outlook and text files; Azure Cosmos DB lifecycle management; Azure AI Search; Azure AI Foundry and Azure OpenAI; identity-aware retrieval with Microsoft Entra ID; project authorization; a TypeScript Microsoft Agents SDK agent; Pulumi infrastructure; resilient scheduling, retry and diagnostic tooling. Technology stack: Python, TypeScript, FastAPI, Pydantic, Azure AI Foundry, Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Search, Azure Cosmos DB, Blob/Table Storage, Container Apps/Jobs, Service Bus, Key Vault, Entra ID, Docker, Pulumi, pytest, Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot.