Gunther Gerlach

Gunther Gerlach

Interim management focus

  • Restructuring, turnaround, reorganization
  • Management of complex projects (PMO) to increase efficiency and restructuring
  • Strategic realignment of manufacturing and trading companies
  • M&A: acquisition, post-merger integration, spin-off/split-up, sale of companies
  • Internationalization and development of new B2C and B2B sales markets and company start-ups

Gunther Gerlach is a Partner of Executive Interim Partners. Prior to that, he worked as an independent management consultant, project and interim manager for medium-sized family-owned companies in German-speaking countries.

Gunther Gerlach has over 30 years of international experience in consulting and C-level management as a managing director or board member. During his career, he has held sales and P&L responsibility in various companies in different situations and industries. In doing so, he has successfully managed and developed companies of different sizes and ownership structures.

As a successful Chief Executive Officer, he is experienced in creating profitable organic growth through continuous improvement, innovation management, new market development and start-ups. His industry focus is on media, eCommerce, retail, chemicals as well as automotive and steel industry.

As Chief Restructuring Officer, Gunther Gerlach has succeeded in realigning and selling companies through restructuring and turnaround with fundamental measures along the value chain (including insolvency plan proceedings in self-administration). He has successfully completed M&A projects for inorganic growth and in restructuring situations.

In addition to his permanent or interim management and board roles, Gunther Gerlach is involved as Member of Foundation or Advisory Boards in the transformation of medium-sized companies and for their owners.

Gunther Gerlach started his professional career with McKinsey & Company, Inc. where he successfully managed various projects in German-speaking countries and Central Europe. Prior to that, he graduated from the University of Karlsruhe (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT) with a degree in industrial engineering and management.

Selected Interim Manager and Line Manager References

  • Chairman of the Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer of Epple Druckfarben AG, Germany: Reduction of sales and administrative structures and headcount in the DACH region as a prerequisite for further international growth, operational management of the medium-sized, manufacturing and globally active family-owned company with a strong commercial-sales focus: purchasing, human resources, finance and controlling, business development and sales
  • Chief Restructuring Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Weltbild Plus Medienvertriebs GmbH & Co. KG, Germany: Restructuring and successful sale of the store chain as part of insolvency plan proceedings
  • Interim Chief Restructuring Office and Chief Executive Officer of Verlagsgruppe Weltbild GmbH, Germany: restructuring and successful sale of a multichannel retailer in insolvency, including reduction of headcount from approx. 3,000 to approx. 2,000
  • Chief Restructuring Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Weltbild Polska Sp. z o.o., Poland: Merger, integration and restructuring of an acquisition target with subsequent split-up and sale of the operating activities and simultaneous closure of the administrative functions
  • General Director and Chief Executive Officer of ZAO “Moy Mir”, Russia: process improvement with parallel organic and inorganic growth measures, sale and closure of the company due to unfavorable market situation
  • Managing Director of buecher.de GmbH & Co. KG, Germany: Strategic and operational development of the two Internet media stores buecher.de and booxtra.de through brand management, product range and program design, customer acquisition and retention measures, acquisitions and cooperations – sustainable profitable growth
  • Member of the Management Board of artedona AG, Germany: conception and design of corporate strategy for an eCommerce business with high-quality gift articles and accessories, development and management of Internet-based customer services and integrated, fully automated business processes
  • Senior Project Manager Reengineering at Bertelsmann Buch AG, Germany: Optimization of logistics and background systems of the distribution and club businesses, conception and realization of processes and SCM as well as operational result improvement through purchasing, disposition, logistics and distribution, implementation of an SAP-based IT system for the club businesses in the DACH region
  • Management consultant at McKinsey & Company, Inc., Germany: Efficiency improvement programs for financial services and in heavy industry, process optimization in the automotive industry

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Gunther Gerlach

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