Independent architect. Based in Cologne.
I've been in IT since 2008, starting with an apprenticeship at Deutsche Telekom and growing into operational roles there until 2017. Since then I've worked in consulting — first at ACT Gruppe and CONET, then nearly four years at OBI as Senior and later Lead Engineer, building a large-scale platform serving 100+ contributors — Data Scientists, AI Engineers, Data Engineers, Software Engineers, and Data Analysts — across the organization.
I went fully independent in 2025. Today I split my time between independent engagements — software architecture, data engineering, and AI systems — and my role as Co-Founder of searchsquare, an AI-driven SaaS for SEO and LLM optimization. I take on a small number of engagements per year — advisory, hands-on builds, and team enablement — where I can be genuinely hands-on. I write the code, not just the slides.
A track record in production.
Independent consultant · Co-Founder, searchsquare
Advisory, hands-on builds, and team enablement in software architecture, data engineering, and AI systems. In parallel, building searchsquare — an AI-driven SaaS for SEO and LLM optimization.
Principal Data / AI Engineer
Short remote engagement leading data and AI architecture work as a senior individual contributor between OBI and going fully independent.
Senior → Tech Lead Data Platform Engineer
Built and led a large-scale data platform serving 100+ contributors across the organization. Drove platform architecture, governance, and reliability from senior individual contributor into the tech-lead role.
Consultant, Software & Data Engineering
Consulting engagements across enterprise IT and data — moving out of operations and into client-facing delivery. Operations transferred from ACT Gruppe to CONET in 2020.
Apprenticeship → Incident Manager
Started in IT with a vocational apprenticeship in Cologne, then Second-Level Support in Düsseldorf, and finally Incident Manager in Master Service Management in Bonn. Foundation in production systems and on-call discipline.
Sharing what I learn.
I speak at meetups and community events on software architecture, data engineering, and AI systems. Practical experience — what holds up in production and what doesn't — shared with people building the same kinds of systems.
How I think about the work.
Evolvability
Software that cannot be changed is done. Every design decision should leave the codebase easier — not harder — to modify next quarter. Managed coupling and clear responsibilities are not abstract ideals; they are the difference between a system that grows and one that calcifies.
Correctness
Requirements need to be understood before they can be met. I push for clarity up front — not because I like meetings, but because ambiguity is paid for in production incidents. Testing is verification, not discovery.
Production efficiency
Manual steps compound into drag. Automation, repeatable pipelines, and observable systems are force multipliers. I build things that can run without me standing next to them.
Continuous improvement
Every engagement leaves the code better than I found it. Not because of cleanup sprints, but because quality is a default setting, not a phase. I reflect on what worked, incorporate the learning, and move forward.