Governing Body Spotlight

I am the Chief Information Officer of Mercedes-Benz Mobility, shaping and executing our global IT strategy to enable digital transformation across all markets. With 15 years of experience across consulting, software development, and IT leadership, I focus on connecting people and technology to deliver meaningful outcomes. At Mercedes-Benz, I’ve modernized IT landscapes, scaled e-commerce globally, and enabled digital-first mobility solutions for millions of customers. A fun fact about me, I enjoy hand-crafted things — from brewing beer to making homemade sausages — where creativity and process improvement mirror my approach to technology.

Learn more about the DACH CIO community here.
 

Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.

I started my career with a dual study program at Hewlett-Packard, gaining hands-on experience across finance, marketing, after-sales, software engineering and international IT consulting. I then moved into IT and business consulting in the banking sector, working on portfolio planning and treasury. Since joining Mercedes-Benz IT in 2015, I’ve led initiatives such as optimizing global sales & production planning processes, developing our first charging solutions platform with the start of our first electric cars, successfully launching and running our global e-commerce platform. Each role deepened my ability to align people, technology, and business strategy, preparing me for the CIO role where I now drive digital transformation at scale.
 

What is one of your guiding leadership principles?

Trust people, leverage technology, and focus on outcomes — that is my guiding principle. I empower teams by creating psychological safety and distributing decision-making power to the experts closest to the problem. This unlocks ownership, time-to-market and innovation. I foster open communication and alignment on a shared vision, enabling us to turn complex technology challenges into tangible business results.
 

What is the greatest challenge you are facing today, and how are you addressing it?

The greatest challenge is accelerating innovation while responsibly modernizing legacy environments in a highly regulated financial services context. Security, trust, and compliance are non-negotiable. I address this by focusing on two priorities: building resilient, continuously learning global teams and developing future-ready digital platforms that scale across markets. This approach allows us to deliver stability today while preparing the company to shape the future of financial services in the digital mobility ecosystem.
 

What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CIO?

Start with people and trust. Build strong, trustful relationships with teams and stakeholders, listen actively, and co-create a vision that inspires cross-functional collaboration. Pair this with strategic foresight (anticipating technology trends such as AI-driven personalization & automation, cloud and integrated solutions) and execution discipline (ensuring delivery of today’s business outcomes). So balancing visionary leadership with pragmatic delivery — ensuring we not only navigate today’s challenges but also shape the future.
 

How do you measure success as a leader?

The outcomes we deliver for our customers, the sustainable growth and engagement of our people, and the trust we earn across the business. True success is when technology becomes an engine of innovation — when AI accelerates decision-making, cross-functional collaboration sparks breakthrough offerings, and IT helps shape the future of our business, rather than just adapting to it.
 

Gartner C-level Communities Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.