Dr. Florian Forster — CEO

I am an executive leader and digital architect focused on the intersection of board-level operating rigor and radical innovation. My career has been defined by a commitment to the principle that past performance is the most reliable indicator of future value creation, particularly when navigating the high-complexity environments of global market leaders like Amazon, Alibaba, Birkenstock, IU, or zooplus. My professional scope encompasses the end-to-end management of P&Ls exceeding €300M and the leadership of international organizations scaled from the ground up to over 650 FTEs. I specialize in bridging the gap between core business stability and transformative change, leveraging a background that combines postdoctoral research at WHU and UC Berkeley with deep operational experience across 27+ countries. >> Enterprise Scaling & P&L Governance: I direct high-growth organizations by balancing fiscal accountability with organizational health, having delivered +15% efficiency gains alongside a +36pt eNPS improvement. >> AI-Driven Operational Excellence: I specialize in re-engineering business processes through GenAI and Agentic AI, recently unlocking +50% productivity gains by aligning emerging technology with existing human capital. >> Global Change Management: I have a proven track record of navigating the competing interests of global stakeholders to deliver sustainable expansion, including a €12M NetOV increment and a +4pp CAGR in annual growth. Recognized as a ‘Top 100 Leader in E-Commerce (W&V)’, my goal is to build resilient, high-performing teams capable of turning technological disruption into a long-term competitive advantage. Expertise: Digital Transformation | Strategic GTM | AI/ML Implementation | Executive Board Reporting | Organizational Design | International Market Expansion | P&L Management

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Digital Transformation Leader with extensive experience in E-Commerce and AI-driven operational excellence.

Location: Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Experience: 18 yrs 7 mos

Skills

Digital Strategy
P&l Management
Customer Experience Management
Ai/ml Implementation
Customer Relationship Management
Strategic Gtm
Operational Excellence
Mentoring
Strategic Leadership
Operational Strategy
Project Management
Research
Business Development
Market Development
Team Building

Career Highlights

Led P&L governance exceeding €300M.
Achieved +50% productivity gains through AI integration.
Recognized as a Top 100 Leader in E-Commerce.

Work Experience

MAM Baby AG, Switzerland

VP Digital (2 mos)

Waldorfschule Daglfing

Member of the Board of Trustees (8 mos)

BIRKENSTOCK

Senior Director (8 mos)

DEFACTO

Senior Advisor (11 mos)

Arthur D. Little

Senior Advisor (1 yr 2 mos)

IU International University of Applied Sciences

Senior Director (7 mos)

Alibaba.com

Country Manager (1 yr 9 mos)

zooplus

Head of Operational Excellence & Head of Customer Care & Head of Product (VP level) (2 yrs 7 mos)

Dirk Rossmann GmbH

International Head of Strategic Innovation (11 mos)

Amazon

Acting Country Leader - Prime Now 3P DE (2 yrs 1 mo)

Senior Project and Project Manager - Marketplace EU B2C (2 yrs 4 mos)

Forster&Co

Founder | Digital Strategy Transformation (10 yrs 5 mos)

University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business

Postdoctoral Fellow - Swiss National Science Foundation fellowship (1 yr 1 mo)

HSG Entrepreneurship Campus

Head of Business Management (3 yrs 4 mos)

University of St Gallen

Head of Business Incubator, Co-founder (3 yrs 3 mos)

WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management

Project Leader, Startup Coach (1 yr 8 mos)

Fon

Head of Market Development CE (4 yrs)

FON Technology (fon.com)

Head of Business Development (4 yrs)

GI Ventures AG

Summer Intern (2 mos)

FinnMedi Oy

Market Research Assistant (1 mo)

Airbus

Student Trainee (1 mo)

EndoRivet

Co-Founder, COO (3 yrs 5 mos)

TUM International GmbH

Student Assistant (4 mos)

Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM)

Working Student (9 mos)

Siemens

Student Assistant (3 yrs 5 mos)

Group 3G UMTS GmbH - Quam

Student Intern (7 mos)

ANTENNE BAYERN GmbH & Co. KG

Promotions Manager (5 yrs 6 mos)

Education

Postdoctoral Scholar at University of California, Berkeley

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) at University of St.Gallen

Dr. rer. pol. at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management

Visiting Scholar at Copenhagen Business School

Visiting Student and Scholar at QUT (Queensland University of Technology)

Dipl.-Kfm. Univ. (Informatik) at Technical University of Munich

Erasmus Student Exchange at Tampere University

Doctoral Student in Entrepreneurship at University of St.Gallen

Post Doctoral Degree at University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business

Master's Degree at Technical University of Munich

Doctoral Student in Entrepreneurship at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management

Dr. Florian Forster

CEO

Munich, Bavaria, Germany18 yrs 7 mos experience

AI EnabledAI ML Practitioner

Key Highlights

Led P&L governance exceeding €300M.
Achieved +50% productivity gains through AI integration.
Recognized as a Top 100 Leader in E-Commerce.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Digital Transformation Leader with extensive experience in E-Commerce and AI-driven operational excellence.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Digital StrategyP&l ManagementCustomer Experience ManagementAi/ml ImplementationCustomer Relationship ManagementStrategic GtmOperational ExcellenceMentoringStrategic LeadershipOperational StrategyProject ManagementResearchBusiness DevelopmentMarket DevelopmentTeam BuildingStartup Development

Other Skills

Director levelDigital MarketingEnterprise Resource Planning (ERP)ScalabilityUniversity TeachingAnalytical SkillsOperationsScrumBusiness InsightsC-LevelCross-functional Team LeadershipFinancial AnalysisSustainable GrowthComputer ScienceFinancial Planning

About

Experience

18 yrs 7 mos

Total Experience

2 yrs 4 mos

Average Tenure

2 mos

Current Experience

Mam baby ag, switzerland

VP Digital

Apr 2026 – Present · 2 mos · Munich, Bavaria, Germany · Hybrid

Waldorfschule daglfing

Member of the Board of Trustees

Oct 2025 – Present · 8 mos · Munich, Bavaria, Germany · Hybrid

Birkenstock

Senior Director

Jun 2025 – Feb 2026 · 8 mos · Munich, Bavaria, Germany · Hybrid

Led a €x00M P&L and 9 departments for 27 countries, driving strategic business growth and customer excellence.

Digital StrategyDirector levelDigital MarketingEnterprise Resource Planning (ERP)P&L Management

Defacto

Senior Advisor

Mar 2025 – Feb 2026 · 11 mos · Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany · Remote

Arthur d. little

Senior Advisor

Feb 2025 – Apr 2026 · 1 yr 2 mos · Munich, Bavaria, Germany · Hybrid

Iu international university of applied sciences

Senior Director

Jan 2024 – Aug 2024 · 7 mos · Munich, Bavaria, Germany · Hybrid

✓ Spearheaded agile transformations for 170 FTEs in a remote setup to a multi-platform business model in Germany, the UK, and Canada. Boosted operational efficiency by +15% and raised employee NPS by +36 bps.
✓ Led a 20-member AI and SaaS team to develop GenAI solutions for video/text automation, reduced costs by -75%, and drove a +50% increase in productivity and AI adoption through targeted training programs and workflow optimization.
✓ Managed a €12M P&L and streamlined organizational structures and operations, driving -€1.3M in annual operating expense (OpEx) savings through AI integration, process optimization, and partner collaboration.

Customer Experience ManagementScalabilityMentoringUniversity TeachingEnterprise Resource Planning (ERP)Analytical Skills+45

Alibaba.com

Country Manager

Apr 2022 – Jan 2024 · 1 yr 9 mos · Munich, Bavaria, Germany · On-site

✓ Developed and executed a Mittelstand go-to-market strategy, built and led a global high-performing sales and marketing team of 12 FTEs.
✓ Negotiated and secured 10 strategic partnerships, growing the B2B customer base to 100+ and delivering the highest global basket value of +30% in the first year.
✓ Served as media spokesperson at 25+ industry events, boosting brand visibility and generating 1000+ qualified leads for future sales pipeline growth.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)MentoringLeadershipEnterprise Resource Planning (ERP)Business-to-Business (B2B)Analytical Skills+54

Zooplus

Head of Operational Excellence & Head of Customer Care & Head of Product (VP level)

Sep 2019 – Apr 2022 · 2 yrs 7 mos · Munich, Bavaria, Germany · On-site

✓ Delivered strategic guidance to the COO and board by establishing an agile Project Management Office (PMO, 12 FTEs), setting OKRs to prioritize operational and strategic improvement initiatives for 300+ FTEs across 9 departments.
✓ Initiated the digital transformation of the global customer service team (30 FTEs, 600 agents) for 5M inquiries p.a. in 22 languages with 5 BPOs. Head of Product: launched a new CRM, reduced total budget by -15%, and improved customer satisfaction by +25%.
✓ Championed a €900K carbon footprint offsetting program, optimized supply chain processes, and positioned Zooplus as the industry leader in sustainability.

Customer Experience ManagementScalabilityMentoringEnterprise Resource Planning (ERP)Analytical SkillsOperations+46

Dirk rossmann gmbh

International Head of Strategic Innovation

Oct 2018 – Sep 2019 · 11 mos · Greater Munich Metropolitan Area · On-site

✓ Established and led a European innovation hub focused on New Retail and digital transformation, driving commercial viability through innovative digital services.
✓ Revamped a cross-border alignment strategy involving 6 European entities, improving organizational collaboration and operational efficiency across international teams.
✓ Advised C-level executives on setting a collaboration strategy to enhance operational efficiency and business process redesign (e.g., self-checkout, loyalty app).

MentoringEnterprise Resource Planning (ERP)Analytical SkillsOperationsCalculusTeam Building+35

Amazon

2 roles

Acting Country Leader - Prime Now 3P DE

Sep 2016 – Oct 2018 · 2 yrs 1 mo · Greater Munich Metropolitan Area · On-site

✓ Launched ultra-fast delivery service in 9 months, exceeding revenue targets by +50% through cross-functional collaboration with a team of 8 and 5 strategic partners.
✓ Designed and implemented a new logistics and organizational structure, reduced costs by 25%, and improved delivery efficiency and scalability through technical leadership.
✓ Co-founded a recognized initiative promoting inclusivity across thousands of Amazon employees, improved cross-team collaboration, and drove employee engagement.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)ScalabilityMentoringEnterprise Resource Planning (ERP)Business-to-Business (B2B)Analytical Skills+46

Senior Project and Project Manager - Marketplace EU B2C

May 2014 – Sep 2016 · 2 yrs 4 mos · Greater Munich Metropolitan Area · On-site

✓ Orchestrated cross-functional collaboration between 50 stakeholders to launch the European Fulfillment Network, reducing fulfillment costs by -20% while enhancing delivery speed and customer satisfaction.
✓ Developed and deployed an innovative data collection tool for EU Account Managers, improving seller insights by 5x in accuracy and speed, driving business growth and customer satisfaction.
✓ Streamlined operations procedures for long-tail selection and returns, driving a +5% to +25% increase in product assortment and profitability across key European markets.

ScalabilityUniversity TeachingEnterprise Resource Planning (ERP)Analytical SkillsOperationsTeam Building+32

Forster&co

Founder | Digital Strategy Transformation

Jan 2016 – Present · 10 yrs 5 mos · Munich, Bavaria, Germany · Hybrid

Helping organizations thrive in today’s fast-paced, digital-first world in digital transformation, AI integration, leveraging technology, and operational efficiency. Interim & Fractural Management for C- or VP level.

University of california, berkeley, haas school of business

Postdoctoral Fellow - Swiss National Science Foundation fellowship

Oct 2012 – Nov 2013 · 1 yr 1 mo · University of California, Berkeley · On-site

✓ Research on Cluster of Innovation and Sustainability
✓ Lean LaunchPad Educator facilitator, MBA staff, Berkeley Postdoc Entrepreneur Program
✓ Diplomas in Executive Venture Capital and Executive Program in Innovation

MentoringUniversity TeachingAnalytical SkillsOperationsPublic RelationsComputer Science+17

Hsg entrepreneurship campus

Head of Business Management

Jul 2010 – Nov 2013 · 3 yrs 4 mos

Co-founded business accelerator, raising €1M+ in venture funding for 13 start-ups.

University of st gallen

Head of Business Incubator, Co-founder

Jul 2010 – Oct 2013 · 3 yrs 3 mos · St.Gallen, Switzerland · On-site

✓ Co-founded and shaped a thriving business accelerator, spearheaded fundraising efforts that raised €1M+, and supported the growth of 13 start-ups.
✓ Initiated and led multiple founder programs, increased awareness and participation, and received awards for excellence in public communication.
✓ Admitted as the youngest faculty in the prestigious HSG-MBA program, recognized with the highest student rating for teaching excellence and entrepreneurial drive.

MentoringUniversity TeachingAnalytical SkillsOperationsTeam BuildingC-Level+26

Whu - otto beisheim school of management

Project Leader, Startup Coach

Nov 2008 – Jul 2010 · 1 yr 8 mos · Greater Koblenz Area · On-site

✓ Pioneered an entrepreneurial network at WHU connecting students, RWTH Aachen, WHU Alumni, and the corporate network.
✓ Established and managed a mentoring program for entrepreneurial students, focused on strategic planning and business development - secured €500K in venture funding.
✓ Participated in and supported two international business plan competitions.

MentoringUniversity TeachingAnalytical SkillsOperationsTeam BuildingBusiness Insights+26

Fon

Head of Market Development CE

May 2006 – May 2010 · 4 yrs · Munich Area, Germany · Hybrid

✓ Cultivated strategic partnerships with leading European corporations (DTAG, KPM, and XING), driving market penetration in the telecommunications and media sectors.
✓ Formulated and executed a scalable peer-to-peer business model, drove growth to 2M+ hotspots globally, and pivoted through pre-SaaS innovations.
✓ Introduced an innovative urban Wi-Fi Community showcase, resulting in a 3x increase in user engagement and expanding the network’s public presence in key urban areas.

MentoringUniversity TeachingAnalytical SkillsOperationsTeam BuildingBusiness Insights+26

Fon technology (fon.com)

Head of Business Development

May 2006 – May 2010 · 4 yrs

Pioneered early SaaS/networking innovations, scaling a peer-to-peer business model to 2M+ hotspots globally.

MentoringAnalytical SkillsOperationsTeam BuildingBusiness InsightsC-Level+25

Gi ventures ag

Summer Intern

Mar 2005 – May 2005 · 2 mos · Munich, Bavaria, Germany · On-site

German Incubator GI Ventures AG invests in early-stage German startups, offering funding and mentorship to foster growth (Private Equity & Venture Capital)

Finnmedi oy

Market Research Assistant

Nov 2003 – Dec 2003 · 1 mo · Tampere Metropolitan Area · Hybrid

German market analysis on pharmaceutics (mediated by the Tampere Chamber of Commerce & Industry)

Airbus

Student Trainee

Mar 2003 – Apr 2003 · 1 mo · Ottobrunn, Bavaria, Germany · On-site

Strategic Procurement and eSourcing

Endorivet

Co-Founder, COO

Jan 2003 – Jun 2006 · 3 yrs 5 mos · Munich, Bavaria, Germany · On-site

MedTech Startup - developping a process for closing wounds using a minimally invasive gastroscope. Promises less risk of healing complications than today’s methods. Prototype, filed for a patent

Tum international gmbh

Student Assistant

Nov 2002 – Mar 2003 · 4 mos · Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Center for digital technology and management (cdtm)

Working Student

Oct 2002 – Jul 2003 · 9 mos · Munich, Bavaria, Germany · On-site

Student assistant for cultivating the international partner network
The Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM) is a joint institution of the two universities in Munich, the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) and the Technische Universität München (TUM). CDTM offers the interdisciplinary certificate program Technology Management.