Delivering Transformation since 1999

Marcus Podorf is an award-winning, independent director with 23 years’ experience in leading the turnaround, marketing and transformation for premium and luxury brands, products and services.

Key Facts

Born in Ahlen, North Rine-Westphalia, in 1978

Marcus Podorf started his professional career on 01 September 1999

Youth: Founded several clubs as Youngster, e.g. the VFB ’94 Ahlen football club, founding member of a street soccer league and regular cup tournaments / Customised various computer-games for his friends (and himself) / First PR-stunts for the travel agency of his mother and the local LR Ahlen football club

Diploma in Marketing Communications (CCI/IHK) in 2002, acts according to the principles of the honourable businessman (CCI/IHK)
Mentor and Certified Marketing Communications Instructor (CCI/IHK) since 2009

Led several premium brand relaunches and highly complex premium and luxury brand transformation projects (incl. Design, Intelligence, CRM, UX, CX and Digitisation) / Operational experience in media production, direct marketing and communications planning, tactical and strategic

Set up and led various teams, accounts and business units / Led teams from 2 to 88 people in approx. 7,000 projects of all sizes

Today, Marcus Podorf is a top-notch Director, Strategist and Senior Advisor, including 23 years’ operational and strategic experience with brands, marketing and transformation strategies in the digital, high-end, premium and luxury sectors

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 (CCI/IHK) / Advises independently and objectively / Builds relationships based on trust, transparency and reliability

Senior Strategy Advisory

Marcus Podorf | Strategy Advisors & Ventures
Led by Marcus Podorf, Founder

Brand & Marketing Leadership

Marcus Podorf | Brands. Transition. Marketing.
Formerly also known as Marcus Podorf, Connecting your dots
Led by Marcus Podorf, Founder, 2012

Professional Services, e.g.:

Brand, Business & Marketing Strategy Services / Premium Brand Identity & Brand Image Building / OKR, KPI & Business Modeling / Professional Relaunches & Redesigns / Rebrandings / Strategic Planning / Strategic & Tactical (Operational) Marketing / Strategic Communications & Implementation / Strategic Sales Narratives & Operations (CRM) / Direct Marketing / Digital Marketing / CRM, UX & CX / Integrated Brand & Marketing Excellence / Marketing and Sales Initiatives

The Berlin Strategy School
Project / Founder, 2019

Interim & Independent Senior Advisory

BMW x Media.Monks x The Marcom Engine, transnational, 2022-2023
Projects & Campaigns for BMW Austria, BMW Eastern Europe, BMW Germany and BMW Switzerland

Doublecheck IT / TIIME App, Berlin-Brandenburg, 2022-2023
Product, Brand & Integrated Marketing Excellence

PayPal Europe x Scholz & Friends, Berlin, 2022
Projects & Campaigns

thyssenkrupp infrastructure x thjnk, Berlin/Duesseldorf 2021-2022
Director of Rebranding for thyssenkrupp infrastructure – Design, Identity & Delivery Excellence

BMW x Media.Monks x The Marcom Engine, transnational, 2021
Lead CRM, Design & Intelligence Projects for BMW Germany

kolula GmbH / kolula.com, Berlin-Brandenburg, 2020-2021
UX Strategy / Digital Product Experience

tom logisch® / tomlogisch.com, Berlin-Brandenburg, since 2020
Brand & Integrated Marketing Excellence

VORN Strategy Consulting / Hirschen Group, Berlin, 2019-2020
Interim Director – Delivered strategies for various accounts

Zalando / Zalando Outlet Stores, Berlin, 2019
Interim Marketing Lead Zalando Outlet Stores

VORN Strategy Consulting, Hamburg/transnational, 2018-2019
Interim Director, Brand Strategy & Planning (international)

Wantedly Inc., Berlin/Tokyo, 2018-2019
Communications Strategy, Brand & Integrated Marketing Excellence

Upljft, Hamburg, 2018-2019
Delivered various projects for national and international, industry-leading accounts

Base Element, Nicosia, 2017-2019
Digital Transformation & Strategy

Lufthansa x DDB & Tribal, Hamburg, 2017-2018
Interim Head of Lufthansa Premium Brand Refresh and Lufthansa Group Airlines Rebranding for DDB Hamburg

ValueChange / valuechange.net, Geneva, since 2016
Brand Identity, Brand Design, Website code and content strategy

Foodspread start-up, Hamburg/Cape Town, 2014-2015
Founder

Home of the Wild / homeofthewild.com, Marloth Park/South Africa, since 2014
Brand Positioning, Brand Identity, Brand Design, Website code and content

thjnk, Duesseldorf, 2013-2014
Client Services & Direction for various accounts of thjnk

Antonio Rubio / Ihr Unternehmen lebt., Hamburg, 2012-2013
Brand Positioning, Brand Identity, Brand Design, Claim Development, Website code

Pott & Harms Immobilien GmbH / Immobilien neu gedacht., Hamburg, 2012-2013
Brand Positioning, Brand Identity, Brand Design, Claim Development, Digital CX Workshop, Website code and content strategy

Ann-Marlene Henning / ‘Make Love’ Movement Strategy, Hamburg, 2012-2013
Planning & redesigning the digital ecosystem of website, vlog and social media, Business Change Strategy, Workshops and Communications Strategy in preparation of Ann-Marlene’s ‘Make Love’ TV series & ‘Make Love’ Book publishings

T-Systems x Philipp & Keuntje, Hamburg, 2012
UX Strategy – Platform strategy, branding and campaign experience ecosystem for T-Systems

Permanent

antoni start-up for Mercedes-Benz, Berlin, 2016-2017
Account Director CRM, Mercedes-Benz

The Wunderman Network, Hamburg/Frankfurt/transnational, 2008-2012
Client Service Director & Instructor Marketing Communications (IHK/CCI)
Management Supervisor & Instructor Marketing Communications (IHK/CCI)
Account Director & Instructor Marketing Communications (IHK/CCI)

weigertpirouzwolf advertising agency, Hamburg, 2006-2008
Account Director
Senior Account Manager

KP&Z advertising agency, Minster (Westf.), 1999-2006
Key Account Manager
Marketing Consultant and Head of Production
Diploma in Marketing Communications (IHK/CCI)

Awards

Finalist at Effie Austria, 2020
Sky X Announcement Campaign, client rewarded

ADC Award, 2018
Mercedes-Benz ‘Grow up’ Campaign, team rewarded

Silver Effie, 2018
Mercedes-Benz ‘Grow up’ Campaign, team rewarded

Cannes Lions Gold, 2018
Mercedes-Benz ‘Grow up’ Campaign, team rewarded

RISE Conference 2015: Alpha Stage Nominee, 2015
‘Foodspread’ Start-up

Grimme Online Award Nominee, 2014
‘Make Love’ Movement, client rewarded

Agency of the Future Award Winner, 2012
Independent

2x DDP Deutscher Dialogmarketing Preis, 2012
airtours Luxury Travel, team rewarded

Silver Medal, SDV Award, 2012
airtours Luxury Travel, team rewarded

Golden Award of Montreux, 2012
airtours Luxury Travel, team rewarded

BoB Best of Business Award: Shortlist, 2012
airtours Luxury Travel, team rewarded

CREA Credential Award, 2012
Wunderman Germany, team rewarded

Mailing Award, 2010
Tourism Ireland, team rewarded

Mailing Award, 2009
Tourism Ireland, team rewarded

Mailing Award, 2008
greenpeace magazin, team rewarded

GWA Production Award, 2008
Lufthansa Miles & More Credit Card, team rewarded

red dot Award: Communication Design, 2004
Konica Minolta Europe, team rewarded

DDP Deutscher Dialogmarketing Preis, 2004
Konica Minolta Europe, team rewarded

2x Mailing Award, 2005
itelligence AG/SAP, ista® Energy Services, team rewarded

Mailing Award, 2004
Konica Minolta, Projekt “Scranning”, team rewarded

Mailing Award, 2003
KP&Z Agentur für Dialogmarketing/Eigenwerbung, team rewarded

Mailing Award, 2002
Teupen AG, team rewarded

Mailing Award, 2001
x-dot, team rewarded

National Fan Website Awards of ‘PC Magazin’: 2nd place, 1996
Reviewed as ‘Pioneer of the Internet for the former German BL2-Bundesliga Club LR Ahlen’
redspirit.de

Conventions


eCommerce expo 2020, Berlin, Germany

Future Affairs 2019, Berlin, Germany
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

Speaker at Mailing Tage 2009, Nuremberg, Germany

and others

Mentorings

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 & Studies

Meisner Technique Workshops with Steven Ditmeyer, an alum of Sanford Meisner, 2019

B2B Marketing on LinkedIn, LinkedIn Academy, 2019
Advanced Google Analytics, Google Analytics for Beginners, Google Analytics Academy, 2019

UX Direction Designing UX with Willy Lai, former Director of User Experience at Paypal, Apple, Samsung & Macy’s, 2017

‘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
‘Dragon Dreaming’ Innovative Project Management, Kreativ Gesellschaft, 2012
Storytelling: The Journey of Heroes, Kreativ Gesellschaft, 2012

Cultural and Social Studies in South Africa, Israel, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, 2012-2019
Digital Entrepreneurship, Campus Party Europe 12, 2012

Instructor Licence: Marketing Communications (IHK/CCI), HK Hamburg, 2009
Diploma in Marketing Communications (IHK/CCI), IHK Dortmund, 2001