Florian Leonhart
Operations, production and sales in industry

Complex operational problems, solved in a structured way, fast, and for good.

Head of Operations with more than five years of end-to-end responsibility for a mid-sized manufacturer. I have led teams of up to 60 people across production, sales, IT, marketing and project management.

My track record covers process automation, ERP integration and digital transformation: inventory reduced by 30%, IT downtime cut by 90%, profitable growth in a shrinking market, and company-wide AI integration. I am a pragmatic executor. I build systems that work and enable teams to evolve them on their own. With Zoyos GmbH I have deepened my technical skills in AI automation, software development and sales.

Sixteen years of competitive sport at the highest level gave me discipline and resilience. My entrepreneurial thinking and execution strength come from practice.

Doha, November 2026Relocating from Hamburg. Residency visa already secured.
90%IT downtime reduced in six months
30%Inventory reduced via ERP integration
60People led across seven locations
+5 to 10%Growth per year while the market shrank 2 to 8%

Career.

2016 to today, newest first.

Mar 2026 to now
Founder & Managing DirectorZoyos GmbH, Hamburg
  • Order automation: workflow for automatic detection, validation and ERP transfer of incoming orders, with entry errors down 50% and processing time halved
  • ERP automation: 4 desktop apps for automated master data maintenance and ERP processes, eliminating one full-time back-office role
  • Strategy consulting: advising mid-sized clients on AI adoption and the optimization of operational processes, from opportunity assessment to implementation
Oct 2021 to Feb 2026
Head of Operations, Executive Managementmaleco Farbwerk GmbH
  • Mid-sized paint manufacturer held by Motus Unternehmerkapital, 60 employees across 7 locations
  • Member of the executive management, reporting to the CEO and directly to the shareholders, with cross-functional responsibility for IT, sales, marketing, production and project management
  • Growth against the market: +5 to 10% p.a. while the market shrank by 2 to 8%, achieved by realigning sales strategy, opening new segments and optimizing pricing
  • Leadership: 60 FTE across 7 locations with full ownership of hiring, terminations and people development
  • Investments: site expansion (€500k) and machinery (€150k), from business case to commissioning
  • Purchasing and inventory: restructured processes, data-driven, with purchasing errors down 80% and inventory down 30%
  • IT and digitalization: downtime cut by 90% within 6 months; launched B2B portal and AI sales tool with early warning system
  • Automation: 100+ recurring workflow steps automated, with solutions built personally or by enabling the team
Sep 2020 to Sep 2021
Business Development & Project Managementmaleco Farbwerk GmbH
  • Took over IT infrastructure
  • Modernized brand and communications
  • Launched B2B and B2C e-commerce
  • Led 15 employees
Aug 2019 to Aug 2020
Master's Thesis & Working StudentLatupo GmbH
  • E-commerce management (Amazon, eBay): data maintenance, analysis and optimization of sales data
  • Internal research study on organizational development as basis for a planned restructuring
Feb 2018 to May 2019
B2B Software Sales, Working StudentConvertus UG
  • B2B software sales and lead generation, including cold outreach
  • Contributed to the development of the minimum viable product
May 2017 to Sep 2017
B2B Software Sales, InternSevenOne Media GmbH
B2B software sales internship at a major media company.
Nov 2016 to Apr 2017
Founders Associate, InternGymPro UG
Founders associate at a fitness startup.
Aug 2016 to Oct 2016
Sales, Automotive Iberia, InternMankiewicz Gebr. & Co.
Sales department internship in automotive coatings.

Education.

M.A. Sustainable Marketing & Leadership

Hochschule Fresenius, Hamburg. Focus on organizational management.

Sep 2018 to Jul 2020

B.A. Business Administration

Hochschule Fresenius, Hamburg.

Sep 2013 to Jul 2016

Skills.

Leadership & organization

P&L responsibility, multi-site leadership, change management, people development, stakeholder management, investment planning

Strategy & finance

Budget management, KPI reporting, pricing strategy, procurement optimization, inventory management

Sales & customers

B2B sales, key account management, e-commerce, CRM processes

Digitalization & tools

ERP (Sage 100, JTL), Microsoft 365, AI automation, Python and web apps, data analytics

Languages

German, native. English, fluent.

Sixteen years of first-division field hockey.

1. Bundesliga for Uhlenhorster Hockey Club Hamburg and Grossflottbeker THGC. The discipline, resilience and team mentality from competitive sport directly shape how I lead operations today.

2008 to 2024

Let's talk about your operation.

Operational strategy, AI-driven automation, or just hello. Available in Doha from November 2026, remote before that.

florian@maxleonhart.de Download CV
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