My story
After graduating from the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, where I studied industrial engineering and management until 2001, I added a Master in Management at the Grenoble Ecole de Management in France 2002.
My first professional step was with a European sales office of a large Japanese enterprise called Sanyo in 2002 (acquired by Panasonic in 2011). As a Product Manager I was in charge of TVs (tube TVs back then!) and digital cameras. This is where I earned my first spurs as a Product Manager.
My next step led me to Micronas in 2006 (acquired by TDK in 2016), a company specializing in semiconductor products for TV and consumer electronics manufacturers. I broadened my technical background and learned about the specifics and business models of a fabless semiconductor company in a highly dynamic environment.
In 2008, after a short intermezzo in the space of professional metal working tools (Hoffmann Group) I moved back into the audio visual industry with NEC Display Solutions Europe. I managed various product groups, such as projectors and embedded computing solutions and was in charge of managing cooperations with several software start-ups as well as major players in the industry like Texas Instruments, Intel, Advantech, Aaeon and Raspberry Pi. Some of my professional highlights during that time:
- Initiated and launched world’s first TCO certified projector range in October 2009
- European Pilot Study about 3D in education with Texas Instruments in 2010
- Established new partnership and launched a collaborative software with DisplayNote in 2012
- Launched first digital signage solution with the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3 in 2017
- Started a new partnership and developed a Raspberry Pi based Digital Signage player with signageOS in 2019
- Set-up a new global portfolio of Intel® Smart Display Modules for Sharp NEC Display Solutions in 2020
Personal stuff
- Proud father of six great kids
- Podcast addict
- Enthusiast about Japanese culture and food
- I enjoy meeting new people and learning about other cultures
- Amateur sportsman (running, working out) and passionate hiker
In a nutshell
Product Management has been my job for two decades. I was fortunate to work with great people in international settings. I was exposed to many different cultures and had the opportunity to work in various cross-functional teams. I am a strategic thinker and open communicator. I am not afraid to rock the boat, yet at the same time I am an experienced mediator of different interests.