IT executive with 20 years of experience in leadership, program management, IT transformation, post-merger transformation, and IT operations.I do things my way. I have a brain which I like to use. I don’t get paid to follow orders but to use my experience and expertise to get things moving. I bring order to chaos and develop the future.
Born and raised in Germany, but lived, studied and worked in the Netherlands, United States, Australia and England.
In over 20 years of working in IT projects, transformation and leadership I have developed extensive relevant skills
Selected highlights from over 20 years of work experience
October 2018 - Present
Led the post-merger integration of all workplace IT after E.ON/Innogy merger. Oversaw development and rollout of greenfield modern workplace concept. Responsible for operation of all workplace IT globally.
October 2010 - September 2018
Executive Assistant to the CIO. Led the PMO for data center transformation programm. Programme Manager for workplace transformation. That aside, managed workplace department and conducted multiple oursourcing deals.
January 2008 - September 2010
Managed IT migration and transformation projects
August 1999 - July 2006
Responsible for local IT support and later development of web applications as a team lead and project manager.
September 2016 - June 2017
Full time MBA at the University of Cambridge. Focus on Finance and Management/Leadership. I met so many great people there.
January 1998 - July 1998
Exploring the world. University exchange program, studying for one semester in Adelaide, Australia
September 1995 - August 1999
Bachelor of Economis (International Business) at the HAN University of Applied Sciences, Arnhem (Netherlands)
David is a great visionaire as well as people leader, inspiring, fresh thinking, always informed about news/innovation on the market, broad spectrum of IT Knowledge and way beyond.
My teams contributed to two lighthouse transformation projects for the user services department at E.ON lead by David on the service provider side. These projects were mission critical for the entire E.ON group as they had an impact on each of the 75.000 employees.
David and I worked on a number of strategic and global programs. David is a rare talent who combines a number of critical values. Always focussed to drive for the best possible solutions, a person one can rely on, trustful, results driven and a sharp thinker. David has a natural talent to lead and identify the best team members to finish his mission.
I have known David for almost 5 years as that is amount of time he had been my Boss. It was clear to me from our very first interaction itself that he is one of those unique managers who really understood the value of being a leader and practiced it. He made a complex program which was exponentially scaling globally look both adventurous and fun. I personally felt mentored for improving my leadership skills by drawing examples from how he deals with challenges and conflicting scenarios. Anytime of the day, he is available for his team and is always one step ahead of deep diving into any technical topics. Most of the time it felt like he is aware of the topics more than the "Technical Specialists". I am of the opinion that his feedback was always fair and tangible and therefore value-adding to ones growth. David had been a positive influence, especially while sharing his knowledge and his "books", which certainly added great value to me personally and professionally.
David is a very talented modern, pragmatic and hands-on leader with a real passion for IT. He has demonstrated his capabilities in various complex roles and has grown with every new challenge. With his agile mindset he's a quick learner, receptive for feedback and open for change and well suitable for transformation roles in volatile environments.
I very much enjoyed working with David, who's depth of knowledge, patience and understanding was always appreciated by my Project and Development team. During our relationship, David skillfully steered a large global project through many changes and facilitated communication between a large number of stakeholders with dedication and tolerance.
I do things - may way. I do what is right - which sounds simple but most people struggle with. I have a brain which I like to use. I talk to people. I analyze, I understand, I take decisions. It is amazing what you can achieve by following this seemingly simple steps.
I have been involved in leading roles in various IT Transformation programmes. 1st gen and 2gen outsourcing, re-sourcing, restructuring, carve-outs... In these roles I have worked with CxO functions and many of the big IT vendors and always came out with a smile.
Turning bad into good or good into excellent is what I enjoy. Relentless and continuous improvement, always challening the status quo and asking what else can be done magically turn things green.
Mergers, take-overs, carve-ins... I've been there when it happens and I can confirm: it can be done, but of course it is hard work and can become political. But hey, you have convinced the shareholders and the board, then you can handle some rouge managers.
Do I like ITIL? No, i think it is so 1990's. But it has some valuable lessons. Monitoring, measuring, Problem management and RCA are essential for stable IT operations. But of course it doesn't end there and dev-ops isn't compatible with ITIL. But there are ways.
I dream big and often find myself ahead of time. I connect the dots and see things coming. I love working in companies that appreciate radical ideas and innovation and who want to be ahead of the curve.
It is soo simple: you slice the elephant and then you can eat it. Isn't it obvious? Derived from project management I call it the problem-breakdown-structuture. First you understand, then you break it down. Easy!
Johann-Wilhelm-Scheidt-Str. 11
45219 Essen
Germany
info [at] benkelberg.com
www.benkelberg.com
Mobile: (+germany) 1512 7536438