Delivering Transformation – since 1999
Marcus Podorf is an award-winning, independent director with 21 years experience in leading the transformation and marketing of premium and luxury brands, products and services.
Key Facts
Born in Ahlen, North Rine-Westphalia, in July 1978
Started his career on 01 September 1999
Diploma in Marketing Communications (CCI/IHK) in 2002, acts according to the principles of the honourable businessman (CCI/IHK)
Trainer, Mentor and Certified Marketing Communications Instructor (CCI/IHK) since 2009
21 years experience with brands, marketing and transformation strategies in the high-end, premium and luxury sector
Led several premium brand relaunches and highly complex premium and luxury brand transformation projects (incl. Design, Intelligence, CRM, UX, CX and Digitisation)
Set up and led various teams, accounts and business units
Led teams from 2 to 88 people in approx. 6,500-7,000 projects of all sizes
German: native
English: fluent
Attitude
Vison-driven, goal-focussed, with proven history of innovation and achievement
Achieves outstanding results and excellence through hard work, performance, and attention to the detail
Believes in taking the human approach to everything
Acts according to the principles of the honourable businessman (IHK/CCI)
Career
Marcus Podorf | Brands. Transition. Marketing.
Founder, 2012
Professional Services
- Ind. Senior Advisory Services
- Ind. Brand, Business & Marketing Strategy Services
- Premium Brand Identity & Brand Image
- OKR, KPI & Business Modeling
- Professional Relaunches & Redesigns, Rebrandings
- Strategic Marketing
- Strategic Communications & Implementation
- Strategic Sales narratives & Operations
- CRM, UX & CX
- Integrated Brand & Marketing Excellence
Professional Functions
- Project Lead – Head of Project
- Senior Advisor
- Senior Consultant
- Interim Manager – Interim CMO, COO & CEO
- Interim Director / Interm Product Owner
- Interim Director, Brand Strategy & Planning
- Lead Design & Intelligence
The Berlin Strategy School℠
Project / Founder, 2019
Senior Advisory Services
VORN Strategy Consulting, Berlin, Oct 2018 – Jun 2020
Senior Advisor / Interim Director (ext.) – Delivered various fast-paced projects
Wantedly Inc., Tokyo, Oct 2018 – Jan 2019
Senior Advisor – Brand & Integrated Marketing Excellence
Base Element, Nicosia, Sept 2017 – today
Senior Advisor – Digital Transformation & Strategy
Interim Management
Zalando / Zalando Outlet Stores, Berlin, Jun 2019 – Aug 2019
Interim Marketing Lead Zalando Outlet Stores
VORN Strategy Consulting, Berlin, Dec 2019
Interim Director, Brand Strategy & Planning, for an international high-end manufacturing account
VORN Strategy Consulting, Hamburg/Berlin, Oct 2018 – Feb 2019
Interim Director, Brand Strategy & Planning (international) / Ind. Executive Strategy Director
DDB & Tribal, Hamburg, Jul 2017 – Apr 2018
Interim Head of Lufthansa “New Premium” Brand Refresh and Lufthansa Group Airlines Rebranding
Freelance Gigs & SMB projects
Upljft, Hamburg, Sept 2018 – Sept 2019
Delivered various projects for national and international, industry-leading accounts
thjnk, Duesseldorf, Oct 2013 – Apr 2014
Strategic client leadership, various accounts, also innovation advisory services for Bobby & Carl, a start-up of thjnk and ThyssenKrupp
Stefan Peter Götz / For the Change Leader in you, Herrsching am Ammersee, 2013 – 2014
Brand Identity & Claim / Personality Coaching
Philipp und Keuntje, Hamburg, Oct 2012 – Nov 2012
Digital strategist/UX strategist – platform strategy, branding and campaign experience system for T-Systems
Antonio Rubio / Ihr Unternehmen lebt., Hamburg, 2012 – 2013
Brand Identity & Claim / Personality Coaching
Ann-Marlene Henning / Make Love Movement, Hamburg, 2012 – 2013
Planning & redesigning the digital ecosystem of website, vlog and social media, Business Change Strategy, Workshops & Communications Strategy in preparation of the Make Love TV series & Book publishings
And many more from the entrepreneurial and start-up sector
Permanent Positions
antoni, Berlin / start-up for Mercedes-Benz, Feb 2016 – May 2017
Account Director CRM, Mercedes-Benz
Foodspread, Hamburg/Cape Town, start-up, Aug 2014 – Aug 2015
Founder
The Wunderman Network, Hamburg/Frankfurt, Jul 2008 – Sept 2012Client Service Director & Instructor Marketing Communications (IHK/CCI)
Account Director & Instructor Marketing Communications (IHK/CCI)
weigertpirouzwolf, Hamburg, Apr 2006 – Jun 2008
Account Director
Senior Account Manager
KP&Z Werbeagentur, Minster (Westf.), Aug 1999 – Mar 2006
Key Account Manager
Marketing Consultant and Head of Production
Diploma in Marketing Communications (IHK/CCI)
Awards
ADC Award, 2018 – 1x (Team) – Mercedes-Benz ‘Grow up’ campaign
Silver Effie, 2018 – 1x (Team) – Mercedes-Benz ‘Grow up’ campaign
Cannes Lions Gold, 2018 – 1x (Team) – Mercedes-Benz ‘Grow up’ campaign
RISE Conference 2015 Alpha Stage Nominee, 2015 – 1x – ‘Foodspread’ start-up
Grimme Online Award Nominee, 2014 – 1x (Team) – ‘Make Love Movement’ strategy
Agency of the Future Award Winner – 1x – Independent
red dot Award: Communication Design – 1x (Team) – Konica Minolta Europe
DDP Deutscher Dialogmarketing Preis – 3x (Team) – airtours luxury travel, Konica Minolta Europe
Golden Award of Montreux – 1x (Team) – airtours luxury travel
BoB Best of Business Award – 1x (Team) – airtours luxury travel
GWA Production Award (German Association of Communications Agencies) – 1x (Team) – Lufthansa Miles & More Credit Card
Mailing Award – 9x (Team) – greenpeace magazine, and others
CREA Credential Award – 1x (Team) – Wunderman Germany
Conventions
eCommerce expo 2020, Berlin
Connections 2019 by LeBook, London, UK
Aviation Event 2019 Conference, Salzburg, Austria
Salesforce Basecamp 2019, Berlin, Germany
Wework Summer Camp 2018, Eridge Park, England
Connections ’18 by LeBook, Berlin, Germany
TOA 2018, Berlin, Germany
APG Grow 2017 Account Planning Group conference, Hamburg, Germany
Hillsong Conference 14, New York, USA
Web Summit 2014, Dublin, Ireland
re:publica 14, Berlin, Germany
dmexco 2013, Cologne, German
Campus Party Europe 12, Berlin, Germany
dmexco 2012, Cologne, Germany
and others
Mentorings & Pro Bono
Berlin UX Mentor 2018 meetup with tinidad Labs, Berlin, June 2018
Mentor & expert for brand and user experience
antoni, Berlin / Start-up, February 2016 – May 2017
Mentor & expert for digital culture and culture change strategy
The DO School, Berlin, February 2016 – September 2016
Mentor & expert for various students, led branding workshop for NGOs
ADC Art Directors Club Germany, Berlin, 2014
Mentor & expert, led strategic planning workshop
The Wunderman Network, Hamburg / Frankfurt, July 2008 – August 2012
Instructor Marketing Communications (IHK/CCI)
Mentor Corporate Communications for the Wunderman Germany group
Education
Trained in Cultural and Social Studies in
- Israel, 2014
- South Africa, 2012-2014 (approx. 150 days)
- Hong Kong, 2017, and
- South East Asia, 2015-2019 (approx. 270 days)
Diploma in Marketing Communications (IHK/CCI), IHK Dortmund, 2001
Designing UX with Willy Lai, former Director of User Experience at Apple/Samsung/Paypal & Macy’s, LA/New York, 2017
Meisner Technique Workshops with Steven Ditmeyer, an alum of Sanford Meisner – 14 units/55 hours, 2019
B2B Marketing on LinkedIn, LinkedIn Academy
Advanced Google Analytics, Google Analytics for Beginners, Google Analytics Academy
We Change Integral Leadership, imu Augsburg – 16 units/512 hours, 2012-2013
Action from the Heart with Nobel Peace Prize nominee Scilla Elworthy, The Be(e) School, 2013
Business Model Canvas, Personas & Empathy Cards, Kreativ Gesellschaft, 2012
Digital Entrepreneurship, Campus Party Europe 12, 2012
Dragon Dreaming Innovative Project Management, Kreativ Gesellschaft, 2012
Salesforce Basecamp, 2019
Storytelling: The Journey of Heroes, Kreativ Gesellschaft, 2012
Business Management B.A., HFH University of Applied Sciences – Two semesters, 2009-2010