Project and program management
I lead complex IT and digital initiatives through to go-live. My focus is on platform migrations and international rollouts with several teams and vendors.
Senior IT Project & Program Manager / Interim Manager
Understand complexity.Change organisations.Create impact.
I lead complex IT and digital initiatives, stabilise projects at risk and set up project organisations from the ground up. I bring more than 25 years of experience in corporations and mid-sized companies, on the client side and the service provider side. I work with classic, agile or hybrid methods.
Freelance · Remote and on site by arrangement
Services
How I help my clients
Companies bring me in when complex IT and transformation initiatives are stuck or when an IT organisation first needs to become manageable.
Project recovery
I stabilise projects and programs that have gone off track. I make risks and dependencies visible, give management a sound basis for decisions and make sure delivery moves forward reliably.
Interim head of IT
I take over the management of IT departments for a defined period, especially in mid-sized companies. I set up clear roles, processes and decision paths and make the IT organisation able to deliver.
In addition: Agile Coach (SAFe 6 SPC), Scrum Master (CSP-SM) and Product Owner (CSP-PO).
Approach
Understand – Change – Embed
Every engagement follows three phases. How I shape them depends on the situation and the experience of the teams.
-
Clarify
In the first weeks I build a clear picture of the starting point. I look at goals, portfolio, organisation, teams, systems and vendors. This leads to first priorities for change, which I agree with management.
-
Transform
Depending on the situation, I reset roles, teams and decision paths or I steer the initiative through the existing structures. For projects at risk, stabilisation comes first.
-
Establish
I stay with new processes until they are part of everyday work. Then I hand them over to your team. We agree the handover criteria during the clarify phase.
Agility
Agile transformation with a sense of proportion
For me, frameworks are tools, not the goal. Which operating model works best depends on the culture and maturity of the organisation. Sometimes that is Scrum in the team, sometimes a classic plan with agile teams doing the delivery.
I work with classic, agile or hybrid methods. What counts is that initiatives deliver faster and more reliably.
↓ Alignment · ↑ Feedback
FL 3: Strategic portfolio managementTranslate strategy into outcomes and actions
FL 2: End-to-end coordinationAlign teams along the value stream, manage dependencies
FL 1: Operational level
- Team
- Team
- Vendor
Within the team
Teams and roles
I build cross-functional Scrum and Kanban teams and coach product owners and Scrum Masters in their roles.
Across teams
Steering with Flight Levels
I connect strategic portfolio management, end-to-end coordination and the operational work of the teams. That shows what has priority and where dependencies slow things down.
Across the company
Organisation design and scaling
I shape teams, roles and decision paths so that the organisation fits the work. As a SAFe 6.0 Practice Consultant I advise and train on scaled ways of working and Lean Portfolio Management.
Selected engagements
Trademarks belong to their owners. Their mention does not imply endorsement.
Projects
Selected projects
Automotive · Premium car brand
Customer platform for the European market launch
Role: Senior IT Project Manager
For its market launch in Europe the brand needed a business-critical customer platform. I led the project. The platform was ready for the launch.
Travel · Cruise line
Program with several platform migrations
Role: Principal Program Manager
Core digital channels moved to a new platform while in operation. I managed the program with parallel development streams. The migrations went live as planned.
Automotive · European headquarters of a manufacturer
PMO for a platform relaunch in 20 markets
Role: Lead Program Manager / Proxy Product Owner
I set up and ran the PMO for the relaunch. Later I managed a program covering a web platform, online sales and a car configurator with headquarters, markets and vendors.
Trade · Mid-sized wholesaler
Interim IT leadership
Role: Interim Head of IT
I took over the management of an IT department of 31 people. I built roles, processes and a team structure and hold leadership responsibility including disciplinary duties.
About
Michael Henze
My career started as a web designer who wrote his own code. Project management followed, then leading a business unit of 17 people and international programs in automotive, travel and aviation. Today I work as a freelancer, leading IT initiatives and IT departments for a defined period.
I know both sides. I have delivered for service providers and steered on the client side. That is why I know that good results only come when technology, organisation and management are understood as one.
Certifications
- SAFe® 6.0 Practice Consultant (SPC)
- Certified Scrum Professional – ScrumMaster (CSP-SM)
- Certified Scrum Professional – Product Owner (CSP-PO)
- Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner (A-CSPO)
- Flight Levels 2 Design
Industries
Automotive · Travel · Aviation · Insurance · Finance · Retail · Industry · Chemicals · Distribution
Languages
German (native)
English (fluent, C1)
Contact
What are you working on?
Send me a short note about your project. I will reply within two working days. In a first 30-minute call we find out whether I am the right fit.
mihenze@mihenze.de
+49 170 342 88 55
LinkedIn (opens in a new window)
Profile at a glance (PDF, German, 147 KB) (opens in a new window)
CV in English or German on request