Remit before activity
First the target state and the handover, then the approach. No mandate without a clear end.
About
Responsibility, for a defined time.
I take leadership in phases where decisions matter – not presentations.
For 25 years I have enjoyed working alongside C-level executives across a wide range of industries – at the intersection of technology, organisation and business. My path led from the top-tier consultancy Accenture into operational responsibility: as CDO of BdK Bank and in the management of Jungheinrich Digital Solutions.
I combine hands-on strategy with deep knowledge and bridge fast action and effective steering – with agile methods, an analytical eye, and at eye level with the people who carry change. Everything points to one outcome: results that last. That is the core of my three fields – transformation, turnaround and enablement.
Because change works when people want it. So I stay clear on the matter and dependable in how I work with people – a partner for organisations that want to shape their digital future, not merely manage it.
Engagement
In two roles
How I enter a mandate depends on the situation: reinforcement at your side – or responsibility in my hands.
Interim manager
I take on operational responsibility for a defined time – line, programme or outcome. With a clear remit, a defined period and a measurable handover.
Discuss a mandate →Executive consultant
I actively help shape things without occupying the line: sharpening strategy, second opinion, de-risking decisions. The responsibility stays with you – I amplify your impact.
Ask for a sparring partner →Elmar is exactly the manager that large organisations need in change projects and challenging situations! He stands out for his agile, flexible thinking and his ability to communicate clearly and effectively across all hierarchical levels. With his collegial manner, his strong conflict-resolution skills and his consistent focus on goals and results, he is a genuine asset to any management team – especially in phases critical to success.
How I work
Pace with substance
Fast, robust decisions instead of complete certainty. Correctable, transparent, documented.
Enablement over lock-in
Success means: the organisation can continue without me. Knowledge stays in-house.
Tools
AI in the toolkit
This website is its own proof point: built with Claude, the imagery created with Google Gemini. The watermark in the images stays visible – deliberately. What is made with AI should be recognisable as such.
AI is a fixed part of how I work – not a buzzword, a tool. Whoever decides on technology should master it first-hand. One line holds throughout: my clients’ confidential information does not reach any AI system – unless explicitly agreed and secured, contractually and technically.
Partner & Network
Partnered with Acent AG
As a Principal I am part of Acent AG, a management consultancy for transformation based in Berlin. Acent steers complex, IT-driven transformations deliberately neutrally – free of its own implementation interests. That keeps recommendations honest.
For you that means: where a mandate grows beyond one person, an established team with hands-on experience from operational roles is ready – from business agility through IT modernisation to data, AI and security.
Teaching
Guest lecturer at the HSBA
I am responsible for the module “Agile Working” in the master’s programme Digital Transformation & Sustainability at the HSBA Hamburg School of Business Administration. Teaching is enablement in practice for me – it keeps my own thinking sharp.
Curriculum Vitae
Career as PDF
The full CV with positions, mandates and qualifications is available as a PDF.