Executive Partner for Mission-Critical Initiatives

Clarity. Leadership. Impact.

As a sparring partner at the executive level, I take ownership of your most important initiatives – with commitment, speed, and clear communication. For sound decisions, measurable results, and the consistent execution of your growth strategies.

How I create value

Program Leadership

Leading mission-critical initiatives and complex programs – clearly structured, pragmatically executed, and always outcome-driven.

Taskforce Management

Taking over and turning around crisis projects under pressure and hard deadlines – focused, hands-on, and delivering quick wins.

C-Level Sparring

Providing strategic clarity and actionable insights for complex decisions – trusted, discreet, and solution-oriented.

Cross-industry
24 mandates
Experience
94 months
Global
8 countries
Portrait of Jonas Schnabel - Executive Partner

Vita

Jonas Schnabel

Value Creation Extensive experience in commercial execution, business development, and the structured delivery of value creation programs for portfolio companies in high-stakes environments

Corporate Leadership roles with responsibility for larger teams with international project and program steering, including the rollout of strategically critical initiatives across markets and functions

Consulting Solid background in management consulting at Kienbaum and Deloitte, methodologically shaped by top-tier trainers and mentors

Founding Co-founder of seven tech-focused companies in Germany, including two investment vehicles and five operating businesses, as well as mentor to multiple startups

Education RWTH Aachen B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and M.Sc. in Automotive Engineering (Top 5%), as well as B.Sc. in Business Administration with a study abroad in the U.S. focusing on entrepreneurship

Non-Profit Co-founder and board member of a non-profit association with a tech focus in Berlin; advisor to public institutions and policy leaders on Europe’s technology and AI ecosystem

What sets me apart

Clear Communication
Direct, honest, and straight to the point at every level
Confident Execution
Entrepreneurial, focused, and driven to deliver
Personal Relationship
Engaged, respectful, and positive in every situation
High Commitment
Always ready to go the extra mile with energy and integrity
"
Jonas delivered significant value in a business-critical program within one of our portfolio companies. After numerous unsuccessful attempts, he was the first to truly master the complexity of the challenge. His structured approach and strong execution capabilities had a lasting impact and helped us make meaningful progress.
EQT
Marc-Alexander Straubinger
Managing Director · EQT Group

Let’s connect – no sales pitch.
Just an honest conversation.

Mandates

Typical situations

I take on strategically important mandates and complex initiatives when…

Programs stall
  • Complexity becomes paralyzing
  • Topics lack end-to-end ownership
  • Results fail to materialize
​Acute problems arise
  • Every minute is burning money
  • Pressure overwhelms internal teams
  • ​​The path to a quick solution is unclear
Initiatives lose momentum
  • Internal capacity is lacking
  • Key requirements remain unresolved
  • Roadmaps are undefined or outdated
Ralf Ackermann
Ralf Ackermann
Division Lead · Transport & Logistics · Germany
"The core challenge in our project was aligning internal teams and external partners around a shared objective. One of Jonas’ standout qualities is his ability to listen, synthesize, and unite stakeholders in a solution-oriented way. He takes full ownership and leads from within. Jonas quickly grasped the complexity of the situation and showed an exceptional understanding of commercially driven operational needs and their IT implications. His positive presence and active engagement helped lower resistance, cut through complexity, and significantly reaccelerate project momentum – all while keeping us on budget. A truly valuable and respectful collaboration. We’d gladly work with him again."
Michael Labuschewski
Michael Labuschewski
Division Lead · Automotive · Germany
"The resolution of a critical quality issue involved numerous stakeholders across different levels and organizations, making coordination increasingly challenging – particularly with the OEM. Jonas played a key role in de-escalating the situation thanks to his recognized standing and experience, while also expanding our problem-solving approach with a valuable outside perspective. Collaboration was clear, focused, and at all times on equal footing. I recommend Jonas especially for complex customer situations and projects requiring stabilization – where subject-matter expertise must go hand in hand with communication skills, diplomacy, and the ability to act as a trusted and neutral intermediary."
Claude Schnider
Claude Schnider
C-Level · Technology (TMT) · Switzerland
"Working with Jonas was highly professional and genuinely rewarding. He brought deep expertise and a broad knowledge base, reflected in the clarity and structure of the concepts he developed. His professional approach and strong personal commitment were key contributors to the success of our project."
Michael Sosna
Michael Sosna
Division Lead · Telecommunications (TMT) · Germany
"Jonas took over a central program in a particularly challenging phase - with high visibility at top management level and clear expectations for progress and impact. He quickly assumed responsibility, structured the complex setup, and established a clear steering logic that significantly improved decision-making and execution speed. What impressed me most was his combination of strategic foresight and operational implementation strength. Jonas has a deep understanding of the issues, thinks in terms of impact logic, and is consistently solution-oriented. In our collaboration, he was a reliable sparring partner at eye level - clear in his communication, committed in his actions, and with a leadership style that engages and empowers teams. I would gladly work with him again anytime."
Markus Vieler
Markus Vieler
C-Level · Retail & Consumer · Germany
"Our challenge was to approach the Amazon marketplace in a more analytical and efficient way, while at the same time transforming from a no-name business into a brand-led organization. Drawing on his deep knowledge of marketplace dynamics, Jonas quickly defined KPIs as effective steering tools for our e-commerce team – giving the project immediate traction. His direct, no-nonsense, and solution-oriented communication resonated with everyone involved. Thanks to his contribution, we significantly accelerated both our brand transformation and our e-commerce growth."
Andre Reifenrath
Andre Reifenrath
C-Level · Technology (TMT) · Germany
"Jonas consistently impressed me throughout our work on a major IT project with his unwavering honesty and lasting clarity. Many can manage projects – but few can communicate the truth clearly, consistently, and in an understandable and comprehensible way that truly resonates."
Paul Rottstegge
Paul Rottstegge
Division Lead · Technology (TMT) · Germany
"Jonas was a critical success factor in the implementation of our onsite ad server. With his support, we professionalized collaboration across a wide range of stakeholders, reliably managed tight deadlines, and initiated necessary escalations with precision. I can fully recommend Jonas for complex projects at the intersection of business goals, technology, and transformation."

Topics

Typical areas of impact

Transformation & Change
Stabilizing at-risk initiatives and realigning business units.
Strategy & Growth
Accelerating strategic programs and scaling new business models.
Digitalization & Technology
Translating digital and technology strategies into concrete execution.
Supply Chain & Operations
Evolving and strengthening processes and operational units.

Let’s talk – honest, open, direct.

I look forward to a brief conversation.

Case Studies

From direct experience

A selection of previous mandates.

Values and Collaboration

The pillars of success

What you can expect from our collaboration and what we achieve together.

Strategy & Structure
  • Strategic and operational excellence
  • Clarity on dependencies and priorities
  • Activation of key value creation levers
  • Governance maturity and policy awareness
Execution & Results
  • Relentless execution power
  • Absolute solution orientation
  • Efficient complexity reduction
  • Precision, focus, and tangible outcomes
People & Relationships
  • Honest, direct, and constructive communication
  • Personal reliability and professional integrity
  • Respectful collaboration with a positive mindset
  • Aligning stakeholders around shared goals

AI for Business Impact

Together with Yannick Schuchmann, I co-founded NextStep KI Consulting to cover all automation-related topics.

Here we bring together years of hands-on experience in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) for enterprise use cases. Our approach is free of hype and buzzwords – we focus on real, measurable business impact.

App screenshot