Stefan Kirsch
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Digital Solutions, Vention
As a seasoned technology leader with over 15 years of experience spanning software development, executive leadership, and entrepreneurship, I bring a comprehensive blend of technical expertise and business acumen to the CTO role. My career trajectory demonstrates a proven ability to develop technology strategies, lead high-performance engineering teams, and drive digital transformation across diverse industry sectors. Having successfully served as CTO for multiple organizations and led technical initiatives from concept to implementation, I possess the strategic vision and hands-on technical capabilities required to guide Vention's digital solutions in the DACH region. My native German proficiency, combined with extensive experience in building scalable architectures, implementing AI solutions, and navigating complex regulatory environments, positions me ideally to bridge business and technology while representing Vention as a technical thought leader in the market.
Experience
Interim CTO - Senior VP Engineering
2023-04 — Presentdigital rapids GmbH · Hamburg
- Spearheaded strategic technology transformations across 3+ diverse industry sectors, driving innovation and technological modernization
- Provided executive-level technical leadership as interim CTO for multiple high-growth technology clients, delivering critical strategic guidance
- Conducted comprehensive technical assessments for 6+ M&A projects, evaluating technological assets, infrastructure, and potential scalability risks
- Enabled 20%+ operational efficiency improvements through targeted technological interventions and strategic technology roadmaps
Co-Founder
2023-01 — PresentCognition Compound UG · Berlin
- Co-founded Cognition Compound to develop AI-powered products, demonstrating commitment to innovation in emerging technologies
- Created ResuFit (www.resufit.com), an AI-powered job seeker toolkit, leveraging extensive experience in technical hiring
- Applied expertise in AI implementation to develop market-ready solutions, showcasing ability to transform technological concepts into viable products
Tech Owner Buy & Fulfil
2022-03 — 2023-04Peek & Cloppenburg KG · Düsseldorf
- Led a team of 40+ members in developing and implementing technology stack and architecture for omnichannel checkout and fulfillment systems
- Orchestrated the creation of a carve-out organization to centralize software engineering capabilities across the enterprise group
- Served as Head of SRE, introducing modern DevOps practices and infrastructure management methodologies
- Developed and led project to replace 1,000+ legacy POS systems with modern implementations based on current hardware and UI libraries
- Drove widespread adoption of agile development practices, enhancing team productivity and software quality
CTO & Co-Founder
2021-01 — 2022-12Arbour GmbH · Berlin
- Defined and executed strategic technology direction for a B2B FinTech company operating in a highly regulated industry
- Built initial product MVP and subsequently hired and led the first engineering team from ground up
- Conducted customer interviews to inform product roadmap planning and feature prioritization
- Established state-of-the-art engineering practices and culture focused on technical excellence and innovation
CTO & Managing Director
2014-01 — 2020-12Kialo GmbH · Munich - Berlin
- Led creation of a platform for thoughtful discourse reaching hundreds of thousands of active users, overseeing all technical aspects from architecture to implementation
- Managed company operations as Managing Director, including successful relocation from Munich to Berlin
- Globally recruited and led a diverse team of nearly 40 engineers and managed an additional remote team of 15
- Built and structured engineering organization including 4 Full Stack Engineering teams, QA testing/automation team, SRE team, and administrative teams
- Developed comprehensive career framework fostering culture of open feedback, ownership, and technical excellence
Principal Consultant
2008-01 — 2014-12TNG Technology Consulting GmbH · Munich
- Delivered high-end consulting services across multiple sectors including automotive, telecommunications, insurance, banking, and publishing
- Led technical teams, established architecture guidelines, and performed due diligence analysis for clients
- Conducted hands-on development while simultaneously providing technical leadership and strategic guidance
- Introduced and coached agile practices across diverse company environments, demonstrating adaptability and change management skills
Software Engineer Intern
2001-01 — 2008-12SiemensVDO AG · Regensburg
- Developed OEM navigation systems for global automotive manufacturers, focusing on map creation backend and embedded system development
- Created transformation pipeline from raw satellite mapping data to final customer DVD using Java, Oracle, and C++
- Improved standard K-D Tree algorithm with custom tiling algorithm, later patented by Siemens
- Served as official Siemens representative in industrial initiative to standardize map data format across suppliers
Education
Diploma in Physics (Dipl.-Phys.)
Physics with focus on Computer Science applications
- Completed thesis at the chair for high temperature superconductors and optimization of industrial processes: 'Efficient routing calculation by applying physical optimization procedures'
- Applied physics algorithms to various Computer Science problems, including AI and continuous optimization
- Combined theoretical physics principles with practical software engineering applications