James German
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Digital, Innovation, and Business Transformation Leader
Digital, Innovation, and Business Transformation Leader
Are you looking for a Unicorn from the Technical World? Someone like a MacGyver with a diverse skillset across many different fields? (Polymath)
Leading global teams remotely with travel since 2004.
I am happy to discuss specifics of the success we could have together at your convenience.
Contact me at: james.german@outlook.com
Experienced Technology Innovation Leader
Technology and strategy leader with 20+ years of cross-industry experience guiding global enterprises through digital transformation, enterprise automation, modernization, and sustainable growth. Specializing in fractional CIO advisory, IT strategy, and operational transformation, with a proven track record delivering $47M+ in revenue through technology-enabled business model innovation. Advisor to Fortune 500 boards and emerging tech startups across maritime, CPG, education, and financial sectors.
Key differentiators:
Proven success scaling digital services, cloud strategy, and data ecosystems
100+ LinkedIn recommendations for integrity, impact, and innovation – May be contacted directly
Expert in aligning IT with revenue, ESG, and resilience initiatives
Career Highlights
93% adoption rate of all new business models within two years of design, with profits exceeding 35%
87% of mentored employees have advanced to successfully work in General Manager or higher positions
Led the collaborative effort for pivot to remote guidance business model during global COVID-19 lockdown, successfully cutting internal costs by over 39% and ensuring continued income stream
Core Competences
My experience is with Technology, Innovation and Transformation across multiple industries allowing for unique insights and application of efficiencies already proven.
Click the arrow to the right below to move to the industries (green check marks) I have the most experience in.
My experience is with Technology, Innovation and Transformation across multiple industries allowing for unique insights and application of efficiencies already proven.
Click the arrow to the right below to move to the industries (green check marks) I have the most experience in.
Published Author
While I have been published in various technical journals over the years, I have now started writing books as well. Most are related to Transformation and the use of all technology, not just hardware and software in a business context.
I prefer to only self-publish ebooks in order to keep the cost of natural resources and end-customer cost lower. All links are to US Amazon.com books.
Self-Employed | Consultant (2024 - PRESENT)
Services Offered:
AI Training: For both your human and AI team members.
Business Consulting: The Catch-all Category: Digital, Business, Cultural, Innovation, Technology.
Career Development Coach: Teaching your employees how they can upskill and grow to become more valuable than simply Individual Contributors.
Change Management, any level of Organization: Are you going through a 'transformation' in your industry? I can help you navigate it safely and come out stronger and more innovative on the other end.
Corporate Trainings: Training, any size group, remote or on-site, on any "technology".
Leadership Development: Want your leadership team to have more 'holistic thinking' about Employees, Customers, Business, Risk, Profit - We can customize training to strengthen existing strengths or cover areas of weakness.
Management Consulting: This one is actually teaching 'Managers' how to be "LEADERS".
Project Management: Helping you keep your Projects on-time and under budget!
Public Speaking: I offer a wide variety of topics or can customize to your needs.
Team Building: Stronger teams produce more. How do you make them stronger? By adding just the right mix of Stress and Training.
Training: on Technology, Holistic Ecosystem Thinking, efficiency, and letting the tools do the work for you.
Advisory Board Member | AdvisoryCloud (2020 - 2025)
When startups or established companies are looking for expert advice, but not to increase the membership of their Board of Directors, they can hire Advisory Board Members from AdvisoryCloud who are experts in various fields.
Providing counsel and advice on:
Transformation: Digital, Business, Cultural, Innovation, Technology
Automation: AI, RPA, IoT, endpoint computing
IT Leadership: IT Management, IT Strategy, IT Operations, Vendor Management
Advised executive boards on digital strategy, ESG compliance, AI ethics, and supply chain transformation across 5+ client organizations.
Co-created executive education programs with Zschool, boosting leadership alignment around digital disruption.
Guided Zero Net Energy Homes on scaling go-to-market strategy, increasing investor engagement by 30%.
Supported Diversity Cyber Council in program design, increasing job placement rates by 20% in underserved communities.
Partnered with Spring Labs to advise on decentralized data infrastructure and fintech regulatory compliance.
Capgemini
Global leader in consulting, digital transformation, technology and engineering services. At the forefront of innovation to address the entire breadth of clients’ opportunities in the evolving world of cloud, digital and platforms.
Drive complex client engagements across Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Financial Services, Telecommunications, and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industries globally – above $10B in annual revenue – with a mission to transform operations, deploy cloud and leading-edge technology, capture efficiencies, reduce costs, and elevate long-term customer loyalty. Head solutioning during discovery phase by examining technology, processes, and training with remote management of global teams.
100% remote work role with travel
Business Transformation Manager, Senior | Capgemini (2021 - 2023)
Directed global transformation initiatives in FMCG, Financial Services, Telecom, and CPG sectors, applying Agile and Lean Service methodologies and digital operating models.
Reduced client costs by 50% through SAP and other TPM-based re-design of Trade Promotion Spend and hybrid D2C strategies.
Launched blockchain-powered NFT rewards program, increasing market share by 12% and accelerating product adoption by 22%.
Built global Scope 1-3 emissions compliance database using ESG frameworks, enabling scalable audit readiness.
Mentored 10+ consultants in prescriptive analytics and transformation practices, leading to multiple internal promotions.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) | MentAT Enterprises, LLC (2020 - 2021)
Co-Founded boutique consulting firm offering end-to-end design, engineering, and implementation solutions supporting clients across diverse industries in lowering costs, transforming business models, introducing digital systems, and automating manual processes to leverage technology, data insights, and LEAN Service Creation.
Founded boutique consultancy delivering automation, self-service analytics, and business model redesign across CPG, education, and energy sectors.
Saved 4,000+ manhours annually by developing Power BI-integrated reporting systems that eliminated siloed operations.
Delivered workshops on self-service analytics using Tableau and Power BI, resulting in a 25% boost in collaboration and decision-making agility.
Using AI predictive lead generation, increased client's sales conversion rate by 29%
Published author
Manager Digital Transformation (Director level)| Wartsila & Combient (2018-2020)
Entrusted with ensuring the cultural transformation of all Wartsila subsidiaries, as well as customers and market ecosystems, to embrace and actually lead our markets into the Digital Age; from Bootstrap thru Sustain phases. This required working with Wartsila customers across all market segments from amusement parks to power plants.
Collaboratively working with internal and external stakeholders in order to ensure mutually efficient business models which take advantage of the benefits of Digitalisation.
Instilling a Transformation mindset into the global employee culture through leadership, mentoring, facilitation and influencing.
Creating content for the WeLeap internal gamified transformation companion as well as actively leading through change management and collaborative efforts the wider markets and internal business units digital transformation into and through the Sustain phase.
On a day-to-day basis this could involve working with a newly acquired company to optimize their business processes and interactions, collaborating with customers on a future approach to exceed upcoming regulations, or helping managers understand new technologies and how to take advantage of them in their sphere of business.
Drove strategic planning and execution for digital and cultural transformation of all Wartsila subsidiaries and customers/market ecosystems to embrace leading-edge digital tactics. Managed digital culture team of 39 in 13 countries. Partnered with internal and external stakeholders to ensure mutually efficient business models and maximize digitization impact.
100% Remote work role with travel
Spearheaded digital and cultural transformation across global subsidiaries using LEAN Service Creation and Agile frameworks.
Achieved 93% adoption and 35% profit margins on newly launched service models.
Created 23+ As-a-Service offerings (e.g., predictive diagnostics, remote ops), improving customer retention and speed to market.
Used AI on maritime datasets to reduce emissions by 14% for LNG carriers; scaled automation for EU MRV compliance.
Piloted wearable-based health monitoring (Apple Watch, Fitbit), cutting preventable client workplace injuries to <1%.
Represented company in FBI InfraGard, supporting cybersecurity resilience for critical infrastructure.
Key Skills used: Collaboration, Innovation, Digital Transformation, Agile methodologies, Mentoring, Cultural Transformation, Critical Thinking, Negotiation, Critical Observation, Problem Solving, Project Management
Sales Support Manager, Digitalisation (General Manager level)| Wartsila (2016-2018)
Tasked with ensuring the ability, training, knowledge and supporting of either stand-alone or contract type sales to the global customer-base of Wartsila and Eniram digital solutions; Independent lead generation and follow-up for Digitalisation portfolio solutions; verification and testing of Digitalisation portfolio solutions pre- and post- customer release.
Charged with ensuring awareness and training on compliance with NERC regulations and global maritime markets regarding cyber-security and developing business processes for Digitalisation portfolio solutions in the US market ecosystem.
Headed strategic planning and action to drive increased awareness and training surrounding NERC regulations and compliance related to global maritime markets and cybersecurity, shaping development of business processes for digitalization of portfolio solutions in the U.S. market ecosystem. Reported to Chief Digital Officer, partnering to drive digital transformations and solutions across organization in support of increased revenue and data-centric action. Led global team of 500+ with 39 direct reports.
100% Remote work role with travel
Led digitalization and NERC compliance strategy for U.S. maritime market, training teams and driving regulatory alignment.
Cut rework by 17% by overhauling RFP and quoting processes through CRM and workflow standardization.
Shortened sales cycle by 6 months by integrating analytics into product design and forecasting.
Reduced operating costs by €1.3M annually by digitizing field services and embedding customer quoting into Salesforce CRM.
Designed sustainable building concepts using biomimicry principles for port infrastructure.
Deployed AR-enabled remote support, cutting field dispatches by 30% and raising customer satisfaction by 18%.
Key Skills used: Collaboration, Continuous Process Improvement, Value Stream Mapping, Agile methodologies, Mentoring, Business Analytics, Negotiation, Business Model re-engineering, Project Management, Cost Management
E-Solutions Manager, Americas (General Manager level)| Wartsila (2008-2016)
Charged by CEO to step into and build up newly created role, examining pathways for increased revenue and decreased client cost while bolstering competitiveness in complex markets. Owned design, optimization, and administration of process improvements across both products and services. Led direct team of 7 with 100+ total team members. Acted as primary trainer and key user for Salesforce CRM. Reported directly to and partner with CEO.
Also tasked to ensure compliance with NERC regulations and global maritime markets regarding cyber-security. FBI Infragard and NERC representative for Wartsila.
80% Remote work role with travel
Leveraged complete ecosystem thinking to surface gaps in processes across all levels, craft innovative solutions, and build business cases for adoption and transformation.
Opened a projected $100M annual revenue stream through the design of novel 3D scanning, manufacturing, and (Additive Manufacturing) 3D-printing strategy and business model which generated and delivered digital files to countries for onsite printing – lowering costs and avoiding complex shipping requirements.
Headed design and delivery of North American Electric Corporation (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) compliant products for the U.S. energy market.
Championed evolution of Salesforce CRM strategy, conducted 400+ training sessions, and increased data-driven insights through utilization of proactive analytics reports.
Architect of nine new Digital Services, contributing and establishing 200 million Euro business line
Generated $27M in annual savings by replacing laptops with iPads for sales and field technicians, enabling increased agility while scaling performance of the global workforce. (On portfolio page)
Key Skills used: CRM Sales Development, Business Analytics, Customer Ecosystem Collaboration, Innovation, Digital Transformation, Agile methodologies, Mentoring, Negotiation, Problem Solving, Project Management, Standards Compliance, Active Listening
EDI Manager | Wartsila North America, Inc. (2004-2008)
Educated customers on utilization of self-assistance and education solution portal suite, supporting e-business integrations through vendor partners in the Americas region.
80% Remote work role with travel
Boosted vendor integrations 200% and enrolled 50+ customers into online portal and support functions in 3 months.
Captured $53K monthly internal cost savings, enabling direct ERP-to-ERP integration
Key Skills used: Agile methodologies, Customer Service, Sales Development, Active Listening, Qualification Questioning, Mentoring, Negotiation, Critical Observation, Problem Solving, Project Management
WAN Administrator | Wartsila North America, Inc. (1998-2004)
Administered, secured, and managed WAN servicing in 8 countries, including complete U.S. business down to device level. Served as 1 of 6 Corporate Administrators for the global network. Managed team of 6 and $2.7M budget.
Administered physical location security systems and total telecommunications integrity.
Boosted sales 15% and lowered operating costs 150%, developing business processes for Sales and Service.
Managed team of six direct reports handling 23 countries, 46 offices; 1,340 network devices, after streamlining operations
Responsible for annual budget of $2.7 million (North America only), managed to keep expenses static while expanding user base year over year for five years
Aligned IT support with business needs and business strategies in Marine and Energy markets
Key Skills used: Innovation, Agile methodologies, Mentoring, Critical Thinking, Negotiation, Problem Solving, Project Management, Strategic Planning, Business Process Optimization, Cost Optimization, System Administration, System Architect
Network Administrator/Senior Technical Consultant | ATG, Inc (1996-1998)
Responsible for planning, design, installation, training, administration of networks (LAN & WAN) for multiple clients.
Consultant for all computer related technology to a variety of industries and customers.
Worked to design, install, configure and administer remotely or on-site networks for companies
Managed security for networks and provided remote access for international users
Ensured 99.5% uptime for all networks managed
Awarded 43 new clients with network designs and changed business process designs enabled by technology
Key Skills used: Critical Thinking, Negotiation, Problem Solving, Project Management, Network Administration, System Administration, System Architect, Customer Service
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