Jose Manuel Gavilanes — CEO
After 8 years in strategy consulting and another 8 years in a German DAX corporation, I now have the privilege of working in a role that truly combines all elements of my professional “sweet spot”. I work with a product I deeply believe in—one that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families. I operate in a fast-growing, entrepreneurial scale-up environment with a marketing-driven hybrid business model, built on a proven, profitable foundation with double-digit million revenues. And last but not least, I get to do this close to home in the Düsseldorf/Cologne area. Today, I am CEO of an EdTech company providing an online learning platform for school children, focused on building essential learning competencies. Our mission is simple but powerful: to help kids experience school in a happier, more effective, and less stressful way—without the constant need for short-term tutoring. I lead a team of 30+ highly motivated pedagogical, marketing, and service experts. As CEO, my role is to set and protect our long-term vision, build the right partnerships and teams to realize our ambitious growth strategy, and ensure that we scale without losing our familiar, human-centric culture grounded in respect and trust. In my second role as Acting CMO, I work hands-on with the marketing organization. My focus lies on developing a deep understanding of our very specific target audience, driving effective performance marketing with one of the largest budgets in the country, and building a strong, trusted brand in a highly sensitive and responsibility-driven market. I am motivated by growth with purpose—scaling businesses that combine commercial success with real societal impact.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a seasoned leader in EdTech and digital marketing with a strong focus on growth and user experience.
Location: Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Experience: 16 yrs 8 mos
Skills
- Leadership
- Strategic Planning
- Consulting
- Marketing
- Digital Marketing
- Ecommerce
- Omnichannel Marketing
- Digital Sales
- Agile Development
- Digital Platforms
- Product Development
- Campaign Management
- E-commerce
- Marketing Management
Career Highlights
- CEO of a successful EdTech scale-up
- Expert in digital marketing and eCommerce
- Passionate about impactful growth strategies
Work Experience
Akademie für Lernpädagogik (AfL) GmbH
CEO (5 mos)
Gavilanes Coaching
Mentor, Coach, Trainer, Consultant (1 yr 1 mo)
International School of Management, Germany
Private Honorary Professor (Honorardozent) Digital Marketing & eCommerce (2 yrs 1 mo)
QIAGEN
Vice President Digital Commercial Operations (2 yrs 2 mos)
Senior Director, Head of Digital Sales and Experience (3 yrs 4 mos)
Senior Director, Head of Digital Experience (Website, Webshop and Digital Services) (10 mos)
Senior Director, Head of Campaign Management and Head of Web Shop (8 mos)
Director, Head of Campaign Management; Head of Web Shop (1 yr)
The Boston Consulting Group
Project Leader (1 yr 6 mos)
Consultant (6 yrs 9 mos)
RWTH Aachen University
Chair Assistant (1 yr 11 mos)
BMW Financial Services
intern (2 mos)
Education
PhD at RWTH Aachen University
CEMS Masters in International Management at SGH Warsaw School of Economics
CEMS Masters in International Management at University of Cologne
Dipl.-Kfm. at University of Cologne
