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At TalentFormation, Michael is responsible for the sales and methodological development of the software development approach used in TalentFormation's projects. Since 1999, Michael has focused on the strategic and operational development of business models and digital products. While first working within an implementation-oriented international consultancy, then within OTTO's Strategic Management, he followed through by initiating, driving, and ultimately being responsible for setting up otto.de's Digital Product Management. His organizational and architectural approaches remain the basis for the OTTO's current digital growth and other firms he has worked with, alongside his growing team of experienced experts, since founding TalentFormation. Michael has been a member of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) since 2012 and is active as a business angel.

As CTO, Benedikt Stemmildt advances TalentFormation's company rebuilding approach with his many years of experience in the areas of Software Development, Architecture, Continuous Delivery and Cloud. He gained his first professional experience as a software engineer at OTTO. From 2017, he was responsible for the entire online store platform at Breuninger as Lead Software Architect. In 2020, he moved to the role of CIO at BLUME2000 and took over responsibility for all employees in the e-commerce IT department. Together with his team, he was in charge of the customer-facing software systems. Benedikt is a passionate software architect, full-stack developer and speaker with enthusiasm for technology, architecture and organization. He develops and runs software in a data-driven way with a focus on customer-added value. He also enjoys educating and training himself and others and is a founding member of the Hacker School.

Christoph is responsible for software engineering within TalentFormation's product development approach. Christoph took his first steps in developing web-based software during his school years and switched to freelance software development in 2006 during his studies. His focus was on building a digital platform for clinical research, which spun off into a start-up. In Otto, MOIA and Klingel projects, Christoph focused on more extensive data volumes and gained experience with modern software architecture in the cloud. He has discovered he has a soft spot for data-intensive systems and is also interested in how sustainable macro- and micro-architectures are created and what conditions create long-term high-performance teams.

At TalentFormation, Johannes is responsible for furthering our customer-centric product development approach. Johannes built his first websites for clients during his studies together with Andreas Stephan in 2002. A few years later, he gained experience in a start-up as a co-founder of a social network platform and worked for G&J on the GEO travel community. During this time, the team developed several open-source projects in the context of semantic technologies. After a stint at StudiVZ, Johannes ended his career in web development in 2009 and moved to product management at Parship. In the past years, he gained experience as ext. product owner in large e-commerce projects at OTTO, Galeria Kaufhof and Klingel. In addition to his great passion for questions of structuring and distributing data, his focus is on methodological approaches to product execution & operations in combination with cloud services.

At TalentFormation, Martin is responsible for managing existing customer and product development projects. Martin has been building digital products since 2001. Starting at OTTO with the early digitization of critical processes for disposition and assortment decisions, he then focused on expanding the customer-centric assortment at otto.de by opening up to selected external partners in strategic preparation and concrete operational implementation. These models still form the basis of OTTO's successful platform business today. His enthusiasm for developing new online businesses led him to become a Product Manager at the start-up Yalook, where he was known for its innovative spirit. He then worked for an eCommerce service provider, where he was responsible for the initial development and operation of the eCommerce activities of global fashion brands for Europe and China.

Anne Weiser is Head of Personnel and Organizational Development at TalentFormation. Her focus is the continuous development of organizations, teams and personalities. After studying psychology, Anne spent ten years as a personnel and organizational developer at OTTO and in the otto group. In various roles, she helped shape the transformation of the company and, in particular, supported the managers and teams of the tech divisions. This was followed by two positions: at an international IT services provider in the Learning & Development department and as a manager in the development of a training and development department for a medium-sized medical technology company. Anne has various further trainings in systemic coaching, training, consulting and mediation. In her work with teams and individuals, Anne brings heart and clarity, depth and lightness. She is guided by a fascination for learning and 'aha moments' in change processes.

Thomas's passion for innovation and the management and evaluation of digital business models are what brought him to TalentFormation in 2019. He advises on commercial issues and bridges the gap between agile product development and profitability analysis. Thomas has been involved in the business management of online platforms since 2003. At OTTO, he set up the first WebAnalytics team. As Head of Controlling at otto.de, he oversaw the development of Digital Product Management from a commercial perspective. Thomas subsequently brought his experience from large transformation projects and from the management of digital products to other industries. At Europcar, he was, among other things, responsible for FP&A and Operations Controlling and thus for managing the station network within Germany. Thomas is also CFO at DVV Media Group. In addition to Controlling / Finance, he manages HR and IT, supports M&A projects in Germany and the UK, and contributes to the successful digitalization of the media company.

As Finance Manager, Arthur is responsible for the further development of the finance department as well as controlling at TalentFormation. His affinity for numbers and key performance indicators finds its origin in 2009, when he took over the responsibility for logistics reporting at the Federal Ministry of Defense and immersed himself in the world of controlling. After successfully completing further training as a certified Business Economist - specializing in controlling & finance - he was able to expand his knowledge as a Finance Manager in a start-up. As Head of Finance, he then managed controlling at Foodist GmbH.

Simone is Business Model Designer at TalentFormation. She rebuilds companies with power and mastery by transforming their current, core business model into a sustainable, growth-driven one. People are Simone’s passion – listening to what matters to them, understanding their pains and gains. Consumer or client, friend or random acquaintance: every story fascinates her; she loves to discover what lies underneath and finding ways to leave a positive impact. She is TalentFormation’s retail and consumer goods expert, with over 20 years of industry experience in sales, product development, assortment controlling, and strategic development. She learned retail from scratch and transitioned early into vertically integrated brands, drawn by their customer centric approach. Her time with an international strategy consultancy taught her the art of connecting the dots through a holistic view, restructuring companies with efficiency instead of drama, and leading dedicated project teams to deliver tangible results. Although crazy globetrotter and working nomad, she remains true to her Bavarian roots, treasuring authenticity and honest values.

Lars joined Talentformation as Head of Phygital to bring the product development process of hardware products to the next level by using digital development methods. Lars gained his first e-business experience early on in the automotive industry where he was involved in the creation of the first supplier portal of a major automotive OEM. Through many development projects in the automotive supply industry and by establishing a company in the field of rapid prototyping, he realized that product development can be faster, more cost-effective, and more customer-oriented if design and testing remain in the digital space as long as possible. After a deep dive into digital product development and management, he understood the full potential: established agile methods in software development can be applied much more effectively to hardware development when digital prototypes are tested in multi-stage simulations and also used to obtain early customer feedback.

Gina joined TalentFormation as Talent Relationship Manager and is responsible for onboarding and mentoring talent. Recognizing and nurturing the talents and strengths in others are Gina's motivations. As the central point of contact in the TalentFormation network, her mission is to drive, improve and expand network products and services to fully realize the network's potential. After her International Business Management studies, Gina gained experience in online marketing and human resource management. She discovered her passion for working with people during her years in the HR department of the Ritz Carlton in Barcelona. Between 2019 and 2021, she was able to further expand her knowledge as a Community Manager at WeWork in Hamburg.

At TalentFormation, Daniel is responsible for communicating our product development approach and is available to advise and assist TalentFormation members. Daniel sees product management as the art of problem-solving and is motivated by products that positively impact people, companies, and society. Daniel's passion lies in innovation and the potential to solve relevant problems better than before. He learned product management 'from the ground up.' He had the opportunity to work with an array of outstanding companies, such as Scout24 as Product Manager, OTTO as Head of User Experience Design, and Immonet (today Immowelt) as Head Of Product & Design. Further engagements were as Lead Consultant at ThoughtWorks, Product Director at Costa/AIDA Digital Unit, Product & Delivery Lead at Trade Me, and Product Principal at Wunder Mobility.

As Head of Marketing, Daniela is responsible for Branding and Marketing at TalentFormation. As a passionate Content Marketer, she loves to tell stories to find a way into the audience’s hearts and minds. In 2006, Daniela started a commercial video production agency in Berlin. That is where she learned to communicate highly complex products and services in an easy way. She produced commercial films, explainer videos, and animations for companies of all sizes and from all industries. Daniela created films for Lufthansa, Knappschaft, Minijobzentrale, and many more. As Executive Producer at a film production company, she produced commercial films for Opel, Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot and DS and was responsible for the company’s Sales & Marketing activities. As International Marketing Manager at the e-procurement platform Unite.eu, she was Project Manager for the global relaunch of the corporate brand website in 14 European markets. She supported the company’s growth and internationalization strategy by co-ordinating international marketing activities.

Mahmoud teamed up with TalentFormation as Low-Code/No-Code Specialist. Due to his great passion for technology, start-ups, and the business world, he shifted from Civil Engineering to IT. Originating from Jordan, Mahmoud moved to Germany to get a master’s degree in Data Science, AI, and Digital Business. Before he joined TalentFormation, he worked with a tech start-up in Berlin, where he gained lots of experience in data handling, structuring, and automation using Low-Code/No-Code applications. Mahmoud successfully automated over 80% of the operational work for the handover and return of cars rented via a subscription model. He completed his skills with a certificate as No-Code Developer. At TalentFormation, Mahmoud contributes to adding more efficiency to internal and customer projects.

As Office Manager, Maria optimises the processes at TalentFormation Headquarters and supports with administrative tasks. As a qualified hotel management assistant and mother of two children, she is a true professional at reconciling various topics, prioritising tasks and putting things in a soothing order. She likes to lend a hand and knows how small changes can have a significant impact. Maria is the contact person for Talents in the network, our clients and the internal TalentFormation team. Her experience in customer care and office management ensures smooth processes and a pleasant atmosphere in our office.