About | Florian Leonhart

Head of Operations with 5+ years of experience in the end-to-end management of mid-sized companies. I've led teams of up to 60 employees across all core functions: IT, Sales, Marketing, Production 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'm a pragmatic executor: I build systems that work and enable teams to evolve them independently. With Zoyos GmbH, I've deepened my technical skills in AI automation, software development and sales.

16 years of competitive sports at the highest level gave me discipline and resilience. My entrepreneurial thinking and execution strength come from practice: profitable growth in shrinking markets, significant cost reduction, and digital transformation that truly delivers.

I am relocating to Doha in November 2026. My residency visa is already secured.

Leadership

Leading people and processes

60 people across 7 locations

Cross-functional responsibility for IT, Sales, Marketing, Production and Project Management
Full ownership of hiring, terminations and people development
Member of the executive management, reporting directly to the CEO
Leadership shaped by 16 years of competitive team sport: direct, calm under pressure, focused on the group

Reporting into private equity ownership

maleco Farbwerk is held by Motus Unternehmerkapital, so the numbers had an owner waiting for them every month
KPI reporting and budget management towards the shareholder side
Presented and defended figures directly to the shareholders, alongside the CEO
Investment cases from business case to commissioning, including a €500k site expansion and €150k in machinery

Building with the team, not around it

Automation built together with the people who use it, never imposed on them
100+ recurring workflow steps automated, a large share of them by team members I enabled
Systems handed over documented, so teams keep developing them without me
Most operations leaders never build, most builders never led 60 people. I do both.

Experience

Work Experience

Founder & Managing Director

Zoyos GmbH

Mar 2026 to Present

Order automation: workflow for automatic detection, validation and ERP transfer of incoming orders, with entry errors −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

Head of Operations / Member of the Executive Management

maleco Farbwerk GmbH

Oct 2021 to Feb 2026

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 market trend: +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 & inventory: restructured processes, data-driven, with purchasing errors −80% and inventory −30%
IT & 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

Business Development & Project Management

maleco Farbwerk GmbH

Sep 2020 to Sep 2021

Took over IT infrastructure
Modernized brand & communications
Launched B2B and B2C e-commerce
Led 15 employees

Master's Thesis & Working Student

Latupo GmbH

Aug 2019 to Aug 2020

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

B2B Software Sales (Working Student)

Convertus UG

Feb 2018 to May 2019

B2B software sales (lead generation) incl. cold outreach
Contributed to the development of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

B2B Software Sales (Intern)

SevenOne Media GmbH

May 2017 to Sep 2017

B2B software sales internship at major media company

Founders Associate (Intern)

GymPro UG

Nov 2016 to Apr 2017

Founders associate at fitness startup

Sales, Automotive Iberia (Intern)

Mankiewicz Gebr. & Co.

Aug 2016 to Oct 2016

Sales department internship in automotive coatings

Skills & Tools

My Stack

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 & Web Apps

Data Analytics

Languages

German (native)

English (fluent / business proficient)

I solve complex operational problems in a structured way, fast and with lasting impact

Leading people and processes

60 people across 7 locations

Reporting into private equity ownership

Building with the team, not around it

Results that speak for themselves

Work Experience

Academic Background

My Stack

Competitive Sports

16 Years of Field Hockey at the Highest Level

Let's connect and explore how we can work together