Program & Communications Manager · Research, Corporate & Change Communications
Science and corporate communications, knowledge transfer, and transformation programs for research institutions and enterprises. 10 years in fintech, technology, and institutional publishing. Native English, C2 German. Rhine-Main and remote.
About
I'm a senior communications professional with ten years' experience in research, corporate, and change communications, connecting complex content to the audiences who need it, in global technology, financial services, and institutional publishing.
At AirPlus International (Lufthansa Group), I steered communications across a €1M repositioning, a 36-month cloud transformation affecting 55,000+ clients, and high-stakes crisis response, advising at board level and bringing strategy to life with writing, editing, and cross-functional coordination.
I now work independently with executives on thought leadership (ghostwriting, LinkedIn presence, bylined articles, speeches) and with organizations on internal narrative and the human work of adopting new tools, structures, and ways of working. Current work includes grant proposal support for a doctoral research team in systems engineering.
Certified in Change Management (AZAV) and Agile Project Management (PSM I).
What I bring:
Research and institutional communications: work for LMU, Goethe Frankfurt, JGU Mainz, Fraunhofer, and the BSI; current grant proposal support
Corporate, transformation, crisis, and internal communications across 13 markets and 7 languages
Executive messaging, stakeholder alignment, and board-level advisory (incl. Crisis Board)
Editorial leadership: building standards, mentoring writers, governing quality
AI fluency: strategic research and analysis, with published perspective on adoption in communications work
Bilingual fluency (EN native / DE C2) with an American-German cultural perspective
Selected Work
01
Brand Repositioning & Launch (€1M, 13 markets)
Theme: Executive Influence · Brand Voice · Strategic Alignment
Context: AirPlus International needed to reposition from a legacy payments brand to a modern fintech identity — across 13 countries, 7 languages, and every customer-facing channel.
What I did:
Advised the executive board on brand voice, narrative architecture, and messaging principles
Unified ~40 fragmented product pages into 17 core pages across 13 country websites
Wrote and shaped launch communications including customer and partner emails, social content, and internal enablement materials
Led Brand Academies for ~250 employees and coordinated brand portal rollout
Results:
Customer mailing: 29.3% open rate, 4.1% CTR (vs. 25–30% / 2.5% benchmarks)
Partner mailing: 33.4% open rate, 5.9% CTR
New contact forms: +51% submissions (Nov YoY), +67% (Dec YoY)
Social launch: +131% impressions, +107% page views vs. monthly average
Brand portal: 144,000+ asset downloads within months
LinkedIn follower base: +15%
111 leads captured at GBTA launch event, with major prospects (Continental, KPMG, Siemens, adidas)
Launch generated trade media coverage across 8+ European publications
02
Research & Institutional Communications (Universities, Fraunhofer, BSI)
Theme: Scientific Precision · Knowledge Transfer · Editorial Rigor
Context: Research institutions and federal authorities needed complex technical and scientific content made accurate, readable, and audience-ready without losing precision.
What I did:
Consulted with researchers and SMEs on white papers, handbooks, and reports
Managed editorial standards and technical accuracy across institutional publications
Selected bylined work: e.g. feature writing for SCHOTT solutions technology magazine (p. 40 below)
Handled technical translation and localization for DIN
Currently: Supporting grant proposals for a doctoral systems engineering team through structure, argumentation, and reviewer-facing revision.
03
Change Communications for Technology Migration (55,000+ clients)
Theme: Risk · Trust · Adoption · Change Management
Context: AirPlus International undertook a 36-month cloud transformation, migrating 170 applications to Microsoft Azure and implementing SAP S/4HANA across its technology stack. The program affected 55,000+ corporate clients and carried significant risk of confusion, churn, and trust erosion. Internally, the migration was high-stakes: multi-year, costly, and culturally sensitive as it shifted core infrastructure to cloud and SaaS providers. Communications needed to be carefully staged across customer-facing, internal, and executive channels.
What I did:
Led narrative strategy and stakeholder alignment across product, customer teams, leadership, and communications over the full migration window
Developed customer FAQ documentation, executive briefing decks, and phased notification sequences for each migration stage
Created communications for a parallel Know Your Customer compliance program, activating and verifying clients within regulatory timeframes
Managed press and partnership announcements of successful migration milestones
Designed escalation and contingency messaging frameworks for high-pressure moments
Led internal communications addressing workforce concerns around cost, strategic direction, and infrastructure changes
Supported leadership with decision framing during critical go/no-go moments
Results:
Escalation volumes remained below forecast throughout the rollout
Consistent messaging across touchpoints reduced reactive decision-making
04
Crisis Communications (Board-level advisory)
Theme: Judgment Under Pressure · Reputation · Risk Management
Context: As a member of the Crisis Board, I advised senior leadership on messaging during time-sensitive, reputationally critical situations where communication and risk were inseparable.
What I did:
Evaluated tradeoffs between transparency, legal risk, and stakeholder trust
Designed response structures to prevent reactive or inconsistent messaging
Provided leadership with framing that enabled calm, credible, and defensible decisions
Outcome: Crisis responses became more consistent and deliberate, reducing reputational volatility and increasing leadership confidence in high-pressure situations.
05
Thought Leadership & Editorial Strategy
Theme: Intellectual Authority · Market Narrative · Credibility
Context: AirPlus needed to shift from promotional content to credible industry commentary — engaging senior, enterprise, and decision-making audiences in a regulated industry.
What I did:
Designed editorial strategy centered on analysis, data, and forward-looking perspectives
Elevated content from product messaging to market interpretation
Established voice and editorial standards for consistency across markets
Content frequently reused in sales enablement, client presentations, and executive briefings
Outcome: Shifted audience perception from vendor messaging to credible market authority. Contributed to 15% growth in LinkedIn follower base and increased executive participation in authored content.
06
Editorial Team Leadership
Theme: Leadership · Standards · Culture
Context: As content volume and strategic importance grew, the organization needed stronger quality standards and editorial governance.
What I did:
Functionally led a team of writers, setting editorial standards and narrative principles
Introduced review and feedback structures that balanced autonomy with accountability
Mentored team members to move from task execution toward strategic thinking
Outcome: Reduced revision cycles, fewer late-stage escalations, and earlier involvement of the writing team in strategic initiatives. The team evolved from a service function into a trusted strategic partner.
Testimonials
Experience
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Independent / Freiberuflich
Program Communications & Change Management Consultant · May 2025 – Present
Current work includes grant proposal support for a doctoral research team in systems engineering; structure, argumentation, and reviewer-facing revision through submission. Executive thought leadership and change communications advisory for enterprise clients. Clients across agency and independent engagements include Goethe University Frankfurt, Fraunhofer, and a HealthTech startup.
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Lufthansa Group | AirPlus International
Senior Manager, Communications & Transformation Programs · Feb 2019 – Apr 2025
Ran communications for two multi-year programs at a global fintech: a €1M repositioning across 13 countries and 7 languages, and a technology migration affecting 55,000+ corporate clients. Coordinated product, country, and leadership teams around phased messaging, advised the executive board on high-stakes communications (Crisis and Innovation Boards), built the thought leadership platform, and functionally led a team of writers.
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IMC
Project Manager, Research & Institutional Communications · Nov 2016 – Jan 2019
Produced, edited, and translated research and institutional content for universities (LMU Munich, Goethe University Frankfurt, JGU Mainz, Ulm), research institutes (Fraunhofer), and federal authorities (BSI), alongside enterprise clients including SAP, Volkswagen, Deutsche Telekom, and Schott. Consulted with researchers and subject-matter experts on white papers, handbooks, and reports; managed editorial standards and technical accuracy.
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H zwo B Kommunikations
Volontär, Kommunikation · Sep 2016 – Oct 2016
Product communications and video scripts for science and technology leaders including Mettler-Toledo and Palo Alto Networks.
Skills & Tools
Communications
Corporate, research & science communications, change & transformation, crisis & issues, internal communications, thought leadership, editorial governance
Research & Transfer
Institutional publishing (universities, Fraunhofer, BSI), grant & proposal support, technical editing and translation, knowledge transfer
Strategic
Executive messaging, stakeholder alignment, narrative strategy, cross-market communications (13 countries, 7 languages), communications measurement & benchmarking
Leadership
Team leadership, mentoring, cross-functional collaboration, board-level advisory
Tools
Confluence, Jira, SharePoint, Google Analytics, HubSpot, Frontify, CMS/CRM platforms
AI
Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini; AI-assisted research, writing, and workflow automation; published analysis on AI in communications