Governing Body Spotlight

I studied Business Administration at the Universities of Osnabrueck and Augsburg, as well as at Katz Graduate School of Management in Pittsburgh, PA. After finishing my diploma in 2001, I spent 5 years in consulting at KPMG/BearingPoint. In 2006, I continued my professional career at The Coca-Cola Company, where I held various positions within the corporate IT function. Amongst others, I was IT-Director at Coca-Cola Deutschland GmbH as well as Regional Director for Business Intelligence, Big Data & Analytics and finally Global Lead Data Management. Since January 2017 I'm heading Pfizer’s Digital Function in Germany.

Learn more about leaders in the DACH CIO community here.

Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.

I was lucky enough to learn IT on the job. My original goal when signing up for Business Administration at University was in fact to aim at a career in Marketing, Sales or Strategic Management. Tech was not really on my radar screen. 

So when starting in consulting after graduating, I was part of multiple IT-projects of different size and scope - predominantly in the SAP space. That's how it all started. But it was clear to me from the very beginning that I never wanted to become a Specialist or Subject Matter Expert in a certain software or programming language. 

Instead, my ultimate goal was to have a very broad view and responsibility in the IT arena. So that eventually brought me to Pfizer, where I look at Digital End-to-End and with a strong focus on driving outcomes and business value.
 

What is one of your guiding leadership principles?

I think the key guiding leadership principle for me has always been staying authentic and trusting one another.
 

With disruption being a key theme of recent years, where do you see the CIO role going in the next 1-2 years?

The shift to superb customer experiences is more important than ever. Digital can be an enabler to achieve this. So, I certainly see my role moving toward that direction — emphasizing the value-add of IT that drives measurable outcomes.
 

What advice would you give to someone just starting out as a CIO?

Stay curious and constructively challenge the status quo. And enjoy what's ahead of you because you can't be successful if you don't enjoy what you do.
 

Tell us 3 fun facts about yourself.

1. I'm really into sports. I love snowboarding (although I'm way too old for it in the meantime).
2. I started to play golf a few years ago, and it became one of my favorite activities.
3. Last not least, I love to take a sauna every now and then.

What is the value of participating in an Evanta community?

It’s always good and most valuable to leave your own silo at least temporarily and connect with peers from other companies and industries. The Evanta community is very enriching, diverse and thus brings in different perspectives. Also, the various events are always insightful and fun.

Evanta Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.

by CIOs, for CIOs

Join the conversation with peers in your local CIO community.