Freelancer profile translated to English.
Back to original languageAbout Barbara
Are you looking for someone who not only develops strategy but also successfully implements it? I support companies as an interim executive, consultant, and sparring partner in creating growth, developing brands, and successfully managing complex changes.
For almost 20 years, I have worked at the intersection of brand, marketing, product, and corporate strategy. I guide companies in developing brand and marketing strategies, positioning, go-to-market concepts, business models, as well as transformation and innovation projects. I also support the development of high-performing marketing organizations, AI integration into marketing and business processes, and executive sparring at the C-level.
I have worked in corporations, agencies, start-ups, and as a founder. This allows me to understand the challenges of diverse organizations and develop strategies that are not only theoretical but also practically implementable.
What sets me apart is the ability to quickly grasp complex contexts, recognize patterns early on, and connect insights from various industries. This leads to pragmatic, data-driven solutions with clear prioritization and measurable added value.
Typical Projects:
• Brand & Marketing Strategy
• Positioning & Go-to-Market
• AI Integration & Marketing Transformation
• Business Model & Product Development
• Organizational Development & Team Building
• Interim CMO / Head of Marketing
• Executive Sparring & Strategy Workshops
I am usually engaged when companies need strategic clarity, rapid implementation, and experienced temporary leadership.
German
Native or bilingual
English
Fluent
Italian
Conversational
Can work on-site
Berlin (up to 50km), Frankfurt am Main (up to 10km), Hamburg (up to 10km)
Experience
- FreelanceIndependent Strategy & Interim LeadershipApril 2026 - Today (3 months)Berlin, GermanyAdvisory & Interim Leadership• • Strategic advisory and interim mandates for companies navigating growth, transformation, and cultural complexity: corporate and transformation strategy, product and platform positioning, tech and data infrastructure, and commercial narrative, with the organizational clarity to execute• • Bridges deep conceptual thinking with rigorous data and technology: AI and data-driven business models, platform logic, and the marketing and commercial layer on top• • Selective C- and Head-level engagements in high-stakes, ambiguous situations where a permanent hire is not yet the right fit. Sectors: media, retail, health, fintech, energy• • Social first Strategy including concept and realization
- We Are Era GmbH (RTL / Bertelsmann)Chief Product OfficerJanuary 2024 - March 2026 (2 years and 2 months)Berlin, Germany• • Joined as the company's first Chief Product Officer (RTL/Bertelsmann), appointed after ~1.5 years advising the business• • Led ~50 FTEs across strategy, product, data, and AI in a 12-market, 8-country ecosystem during a scale-up from 120 to 400 employees• • Winning enterprise clients including ALDI Nord, Telekom, McDonald's, Techniker Krankenkasse, and Group SEB (WMF, Tefal, et al.); initiated strategic industry partnerships including Jung von Matt• • Built the strategic and conceptual foundation driving that commercial result: a complete ecosystem of creator campaign products and pitch frameworks that defined how Era leads market conversations; personally drove nearly all major external pitches• • Designed Era's concept-led pitch model — a structured approach to what to lead with, at which depth, and at which stage — shifting the company from reactive briefing responses to proactive market engagement and roughly tripling pitch volume with no increase in team size• • Built the AI and data infrastructure enabling scalable commercial decision-making: Social Intelligence Hub (psychographics-driven), platform analytics systems, and a Tech & AI function scaled from 1 to 4 specialists, directly improving pitch effectiveness and product quality across all markets• • Launched 'CTRL+Culture' column at Campaign Germany during tenure — data-driven cultural analysis read across the German marketing and media industry; continued post-Era as 'Beyond Culture' under Beyond Metrics• • Outcome: Era moved from responding to briefs to shaping market conversations, with a pitch infrastructure, data intelligence layer, and strategic framework that became the default operating model across all 12 markets• • Member of the executive leadership team, integrated across all executive decision-making in a strategic and advisory capacity; selected for the Bertelsmann 2030 Leadership Program, including reverse mentoring with group leadership
- FreelanceIndependent Strategy & Interim LeadershipDecember 2020 - December 2023 (3 years)Berlin, GermanySelf-Employed — C- and Head-level mandates across digital transformation and growth• • Operated selectively across C- and Head-level mandates in digital transformation and growth. Sectors: health, fintech, energy, govtech, and entertainmentSelected Engagements◦ ◦ We Strategy Lead & CEO Advisory: aligned brand and product strategy for major FMCG clients on creator platform ecosystem◦ ◦ GGEW – Interim Product & CX Lead: overhauled full website communication and digital customer journey with explicit goal of increasing contract conversion; delivered to high client satisfaction◦ ◦ Memido – Interim CMO: redesigned brand and visual identity, leading to partnership discussions with Weleda and an exclusive product trial in their flagship store in Würzburg
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Education
- Master of B2B MarketingFreie Universität Berlin2012Master of Business 2 Business Marketing (MBM)
- Bachelor of ArtsFrankfurt University of Applied Sciences2011Bachelor of Arts (BA), Betriebswirtschaft