Interim Manager Operations and Commercial
Operational and commercial leadership on demand for consumer brands
I have run both ends of the value chain: the supplier and the margin.
Seven years of production planning, supplier management and quality assurance in the automotive industry. Then sourcing, private labels and finally commercial leadership of an e-commerce business across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Today I am co-founder of my own start-up.
- Experience
- 13 yearsPlanning, sourcing, commercial
- Most recently led
- 60+people, full P&L
- Scope
- 1 to 2fixed days per week
- At a time
- max. 2clients in parallel
Where I help
Suppliers and quality
Selection and negotiation, second sources, contracts, specifications, complaints and a quality assurance that still holds at ten times the volume.
Planning and inventory
Demand and replenishment planning, capacity, working capital. So that growth does not fail because of empty shelves or full warehouses.
Margin and channels
Contribution margin by product and channel, costing and pricing logic across D2C, Amazon, Zalando, Otto, B2B and retail.
Steering and organisation
Forecast, KPIs and reporting to shareholders and investors. Plus building the team that will take over my role in the end.
Assortment and category management
Assortment strategy, targets by category, pricing and terms, listings and delistings. With an eye on margin and inventory, not just revenue.
Strategy and sparring
Hands-on work on strategy and planning, as a sparring partner for management and shareholders. I bring experience from a large corporation, a scale-up and my own start-up, challenge assumptions and say clearly what I think can be delivered.
Formats
- Interim management Leading operations or commercial for a defined period, as interim manager or fractional COO. One or two fixed days per week, minimum three months, accountable for agreed results.
- Fractional leadership Leading a function for a defined period, such as category management, e-commerce, procurement or supplier management. Also on fixed days per week, including cover for a vacancy.
- Strategy sparring Working alongside you through a strategy or planning phase over several weeks: testing assumptions, weighing options, bringing in experience from comparable situations. A good way to start working together.
- Operations check Five days on suppliers, sourcing, margin, processes and organisation. The result is a prioritised action plan, not a report.
- DACH market entry For international brands: channels, pricing, assortment, local infrastructure and a plan for the first twelve months. If needed, also as interim country manager.
- Supplier setup From the first request to the signed contract including a quality agreement, for brands building their first own product.
I run a company myself. That is why I know what a founder needs from someone like me: decisions, not slide decks.
In working together, honesty, respect and reliability matter to me. I lead in a participative and cooperative way, involve the team and then make the call.
A maximum of two companies at a time, on fixed days, accountable for results.
Background
- since 2026 Co-Founder and Co-CEO My own company in consumer health. Company formation, financing, suppliers, regulatory affairs and building the online business.
- 2023 to 2025 Director Commercial AMORELIE and Head of DACH, EQOM Group Omnichannel responsibility for AMORELIE and BEATE UHSE in Germany, Austria and Switzerland: own online shop, marketplaces, B2B and retail. Full P&L responsibility, more than 60 people across one management layer, reporting to the Group Board.
- 2021 to 2023 Head of Private Labels and Quality, before that Head of Sourcing, Production and Quality Expanding the private label portfolio and leading category management, supplier selection and price negotiation, quality assurance across all product groups.
- 2013 to 2021 Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Volkswagen Poznań Production planning, purchased parts and supplier management, most recently acting head of a sub-department with a team of nine.
Contact
I look forward to hearing from you and about your topics, and first names are fine with me. Two sentences on your situation are enough to start. If it fits, we talk on the phone, and if it does not, I will tell you.
christoph@schickadvisory.deAvailable from December 2026, remotely and on site, across Germany and internationally. Engagements in German or English.