Microsoft Word Expert

Working Environment

• Insurance / Claims Management (Property, Liability, Automotive)
• REST-based ClaimAPI with Guidewire ClaimCenter

Scope

• Further development of the internal REST-based ClaimAPI with Guidewire ClaimCenter as the backend and various portals/front-end offices as clients, and with the following objectives: + increased AI-supported claims processing outside of Guidewire ClaimCenter + and support for all lines (property, liability, automotive).
• Further development of automated claims processing

Activities

• Interfacing IT & Business
• Design activities with documentation in Confluence, Jira: + Requirements engineering (functional and non-functional) + Design of REST endpoints and coordination with interface partners (esp. AI-colleagues) + Identification, design and evaluation of alternative solutions (moving away from a monolithic approach toward fine-grained endpoints, with code reuse across all lines if possible) + Creation / refinement of product backlog items in Jira, i.e. epics, user stories and tasks, incl. alignment with developers & POs during (pre-)refinement sessions + Using AXA Secure GPT when creating / refining user stories (description, acceptance criteria) and designing REST endpoints + Estimation and prioritization of user stories and tasks during Sprint Planning sessions + Coordination and support during the implementation of Product Backlog items + Driving decision making with preparation and presentation of decision-making documents
• Quality assurance: + Test management, including test case creation using Xray in Jira + Test execution using Bruno as REST client and in Guidewire ClaimCenter + Submission of test artifacts for PO approval + Analysis of production bugs

Methods Big Room Planning (aka PI-Planning in SAFe), Scrum, BPMN, EPK, UML, ERM, DDD

Tools / Tech Stack Teams, Confluence, Jira with Xray, OpenAPI/Swagger, REST, JSON, XML, MS Office, Bruno, GitHub repository (reading), Guidewire ClaimCenter, AXA Secure GPT (AXA's in-house GenAI solution based on Azure OpenAI)

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.

• Impact: Structured requirements analysis and quality assurance as a foundation for the further development of a software solution.
• Analysis, documentation, and coordination of requirements. Conducting stakeholder analyses, interviews, and workshops to gather and validate requirements. Conducting requirements reviews and working closely with business departments and development teams.

Techniques & Tools: Requirements Engineering, Stakeholder Management, Workshop Facilitation, System Context Modeling, Requirements Reviews, Quality Scenarios, Miro, Jira, Confluence

Migration of an existing application to a new IT infrastructure.

• Managed all project activities (infrastructure, applications, data, security, architecture)
• Planned complex network architectures with security requirements
• Designed and coordinated firewall configurations
• Planned and managed interfaces between ERP, cloud, and third-party systems
• Coordinated middleware solutions (e.g. SAP Integration Suite, MuleSoft, Boomi)
• Defined data flows, mapping rules, and integration architectures
• Managed data migrations and master data harmonization
• Coordinated with business departments, IT teams, service providers, and external partners
• Team size: International team of 35 employees – Germany | Poland | India | USA
• Languages: English

Tools: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project), Brainloop, Jira, Confluence, MS SharePoint

• Comprehensive project support from analysis and piloting through to implementation in the areas of change, process and project management.
• Design and delivery of customer-specific training courses, seminars and workshops on processes, organization and structures with clear objectives.
• Worked as a coach, trainer and keynote speaker on leadership, conflict and communication for up to 300 people.
• Trainer for mediators.

• Supported monthly and annual closing activities
• Checked incoming invoices for formal and factual accuracy
• Posted incoming invoices
• Contact person for internal departments on accounting matters
• Created and maintained vendor master data
• Processed open items
• Took on additional accounting-related special tasks
• Managed the functional mailbox
• Performed payment runs

Training and knowledge transfer – Accounts Payable:

In addition to the tasks above, I was responsible for training and transferring knowledge to 8 employees of an external service provider in India who took over the accounts payable activities:

• Conducted structured training and practical guidance throughout the accounts payable process
• Trained employees in checking and posting incoming invoices, including formal and factual checks
• Taught vendor master data maintenance, open-item processing and payment runs
• Trained employees in using the functional mailbox and communicating effectively with internal departments
• Explained accounting procedures, controls and company-specific accounts payable requirements
• Conducted “Training on the Job” using practical posting cases and real business transactions
• Supported the team in independently carrying out accounts payable processes and resolving accounting questions
• Checked the quality and accuracy of work results and provided continuous feedback and coaching
• Supported the transfer of accounts payable processes to the external service provider and ensured structured knowledge transfer and an orderly handover
• Supported a smooth transition by documenting processes, clarifying responsibilities and ensuring consistent application of accounting requirements

Software: JDE, ELO, SAP Concur

• Project management for Porsche interior plastic parts
• Ensuring complete and smooth information flow between the customer and internal departments
• Creating and monitoring resource, schedule and overall project plans
• Active support and independent customer handling
• Coordinating technical discussions and pricing discussions
• Organizing, running and documenting coordination meetings with development and controlling
• Preparing quotations with cost specifications, analyses and presentations
• Independent cost negotiations, change handling and final negotiations
• Carrying out deviation analyses

• PMO Lead Security Clearance 2 (SÜ2) verified
• Reporting to the GMN sub-program management
• System maintenance 25+
• Functional management and coordination of the Jira setup
• Preparation of decision papers (e.g. project planning, governance model, communication plans, controlling models, roles and responsibilities matrices)
• Development of program-wide knowledge management using Confluence, creation of Jira concept
• Development of an access concept for all project tools
• Analysis of existing processes, identification of improvement potential, and design of solutions to increase efficiency and effectiveness
• Development of a concept for introducing automation approaches into existing tools
• Creation of intranet articles for project marketing
• Responsible for project governance through reporting and resource planning in the sub-program
• Agile development of the project methodology
• Gathering customer requirements (Requirements Engineering)
• Preparation and support of contract negotiations (7-year term, 500+ million budget)

• Create a tracking concept for Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics, including the data layer, events, triggers, and reporting
• Manage the project team (developers, designers, performance)
• Communication interface between stakeholders and digital specialist departments

Analysis and structuring of business and technical requirements for the further development of the LS One checkout system. Designing solution proposals and translating them into precise implementation tasks for international development teams. Prioritizing and coordinating requirements from a functional perspective, taking business and legal requirements into account. Quality assurance through reviewing, testing and evaluating the implementation based on defined acceptance criteria. Functional support for international deployments and rollouts, as well as analysis of feedback from locations for release planning.

Additionally: Supporting the integration of Anybill to provide digital receipts, as well as coordinating business and technical requirements within the existing POS environment.

Responsibility:

• R&D budget €6,7 Mio. p.a.
• 65 employees in the teams: PMO, Software, Mechanics, Electrical & Electronics, Systems Engineering/Testing/Autopilot, Kite Design
• Sole signing authority & member of the management board

Activities:

• Overall technological responsibility for a highly complex mechatronic system (autonomous flight system, ground station, electronics, software)
• Organizational development of R&D from a start-up to a scalable structure
• Introduction of technology/development roadmaps & product development process, alignment of priorities with Product Management/Sales
• Transformation to a fully agile way of working (SCRUM, Flight Levels) with an established feedback culture
• Introduction of a strategy process for the entire company
• Representation of R&D in investor relations and responsibility for IP protection activities (IP)

Achievements:

• TRL progression & product maturity: advanced from TRL 6→7/8; completed CE risk assessment for serial deliveries; responsible for the world's first certified power curve of a high-altitude wind turbine
• Development strategy: reduced cost-intensive field tests in favor of a validated digital end-to-end toolchain (simulation, load calculation, structural design) and lab tests as the primary development path; shortened design cycles by 50–75%
• R&D architecture & organizational transformation: differentiated the development organization into pre-development, product development and series support; transformed the start-up structure into a scalable, agile organization (diverse teams, stronger team engagement); turnover in R&D <4%
• Company-wide AI transformation: introduced/scaled AI tools across all areas – 92% usage rate, 78% demonstrated application competence
• Investor dialogue: represented the company in international investor dialogues

Transformation PMO:

• Establishment of strategic program and project management, development of a PMO, creation of a common understanding of projects.

• Marketing consulting for the EDL@Home and Commodity (electricity & gas) business areas
• Development of data-driven marketing and sales strategies
• Definition and expansion of key channels (Web, App, Portal, Social, Paid, Sales Partners)
• Target, annual and budget planning for the EDL@Home business area
• Definition of business requirements for marketing platforms
• KPI-based performance management
• Development of dashboards to measure success
• Performance reviews with management
• Management of external service providers
• Stakeholder management between Marketing, Sales, IT, Customer Service and Management