Experience

The Gym - software development trainee program

• Rwanda
• Software Development
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Director

  • Aug 2022 - Present

  Kigali, Ruanda The Gym is Rwanda's most intense software development trainee program. Participants are selected in a rigorous assessment process to ensure they come in with strong foundations in software development. During the 6 month program they undergo a highly demanding training that brings them to the level of being able to be productive team members in international software development teams. Gym cohorts are mandated by international software development companies, digital agencies, startups… Show more The Gym is Rwanda's most intense software development trainee program. Participants are selected in a rigorous assessment process to ensure they come in with strong foundations in software development. During the 6 month program they undergo a highly demanding training that brings them to the level of being able to be productive team members in international software development teams. Gym cohorts are mandated by international software development companies, digital agencies, startups, corporations and SMEs who employ The Gym trainees after graduation. The Gym focusses on professional skills and communication just as much as on technical excellence. Daily mental agility exercises, communication role plays and supervised interactions in real-life projects with international teams are guaranteed to bring everyone out of their comfort zone and allow for a steep learning curve throughout the traineeship. On a technological level we push everyone to look under the hood of their tech stack and check their progress in weekly mental model conversation sessions. Building up on this deepened understanding of the structures of their programming language, we foster critical thinking and solution finding through our daily algorithm practice and challenging real life projects. When it comes to technical knowledge that will be relevant in the specific jobs participants will be hired into we focus on "building muscles", i.e. going through a high volume of targeted exercises until each participant is not only familiar with the technological approaches but has the muscle memory to deliver solutions reliably and with speed. Show less



NewBranch Developer Teams

• Rwanda
• Software Development

• Founder & Managing Director

  • Aug 2014 - Present

  Kigali, Ruanda NewBranch builds remote developer teams, based in Rwanda. - We recruit experienced software developers from the Rwandan and East African tech scene and forge them into effective squads that work as fully integrated remote teams of international startups, digital agencies, corporations and SMEs - We offer full team-handover after recruitment or continued management and coaching of the remote team, depending on the client's needs and preferences.



German Rwandan Tech Network - Tech in Ruanda e.V.

• Co-Initiator & Chairman

  • Jul 2019 - Present

  The German Rwandan Tech Network is a platform that brings together tech-leaders from Rwanda and Germany and catalyzes the exchange of ideas and the initiation of joint projects between them. We promote the job-creation efforts of the Rwandan IT-sector through business partnerships between our members and are heavily invested in capacity building through projects such as: - a software engineering mentoring program - Code+Design Camps introducing young people in Rwanda to digital… Show more The German Rwandan Tech Network is a platform that brings together tech-leaders from Rwanda and Germany and catalyzes the exchange of ideas and the initiation of joint projects between them. We promote the job-creation efforts of the Rwandan IT-sector through business partnerships between our members and are heavily invested in capacity building through projects such as: - a software engineering mentoring program - Code+Design Camps introducing young people in Rwanda to digital product creation - facilitation of the Rwanda Coding Academy & Code University Berlin cooperation Show less



IBM iX

• United States
• IT Services and IT Consulting
• 700 & Above Employee

• Senior Project Lead / Product Owner

  • May 2021 - Jul 2022

  IBM iX is one of the largest digital agencies in the world. Building on IBM's deep technological expertise and focusing on building holistic user experiences we work at the intersection of strategy, creativity and technology. As Project Lead / Product Owner, I - co-create the product vision with the client - work with software engineers, UX/UI designers and other specialists in my team to transform the product vision into technological reality - am responsible for ensuring… Show more IBM iX is one of the largest digital agencies in the world. Building on IBM's deep technological expertise and focusing on building holistic user experiences we work at the intersection of strategy, creativity and technology. As Project Lead / Product Owner, I - co-create the product vision with the client - work with software engineers, UX/UI designers and other specialists in my team to transform the product vision into technological reality - am responsible for ensuring on-time and on-budget results delivery while at the same time making sure our result hits the digital awesomeness sweet spot Show less



Various digital agencies from Germany and Rwanda

• Project Manager, Facilitator and Coach in software development projects

  • Jan 2015 - Apr 2021

  Setting up, managing and coaching mixed German-Rwandan developer teams for a network of digital agencies from Germany and Rwanda. - Managing individual client projects in an agile, cross-functional setting. - Coaching team-members in agile methodologies. - Moderating constructive and efficient collaboration between sales people, developers, designers and QA-engineers. - Setting up client-facing processes for requirements analysis, managing feedback-loops and change requests… Show more Setting up, managing and coaching mixed German-Rwandan developer teams for a network of digital agencies from Germany and Rwanda. - Managing individual client projects in an agile, cross-functional setting. - Coaching team-members in agile methodologies. - Moderating constructive and efficient collaboration between sales people, developers, designers and QA-engineers. - Setting up client-facing processes for requirements analysis, managing feedback-loops and change requests, reporting and receivables management. - Facilitating the intercultural aspects of collaboration between German and Rwandan teams. - Coaching team members in their personal and professional growth. Show less



The Owners Forum GmbH

• Director

  • Mar 2013 - Dec 2020

  Berlin, Deutschland The Owners Forum is a network of leading family enterprises from around the world committed to sharing their expertise and global networks. - responsible for the overall organizational development of the firm - chaired the strategy development circle - built and led the Sales & Customer Relations team - developed and led the People function - led the accounting unit



FOLKDAYS

• Germany
• Retail
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Co-Founder, non-executive Advisor

  • Jan 2013 - Dec 2020

  FOLKDAYS is a label for contemporary fair fashion and design with its base in Berlin and products from all over the world. We collaborate with carefully selected artisans from developing countries and emerging markets who have preserved and passed down their traditions as well as unique production techniques from generation to generation.



Various German startups

• Organizational Development Consultant

  • Jan 2011 - Dec 2019

  I help companies fulfill their mission more effectively. My work centers around: - Change management in growth phases - Culture and leadership-development - Strategy development and stakeholder management



Various Rwandan startups and social businesses

• Advisor Business Development and Organizational Development | Rwanda

  • 2010 - Dec 2015

  Advising startups, SMEs and social businesses on topics ranging from business development and corporate strategy, to HR and leadership, to the optimization of operations processes and the introduction of effective management accounting practices.


Various
• Financial Services
• 1 - 100 Employee
• Corporate Law

  • Sep 2010 - Feb 2013