Frank Hilderts

About me

Responsibility where things get hard

Interim CIO/CDO in transaction, crisis, deadline and vacancy. Interim CEO for restructuring and commercial management of IT service providers.

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Experience
  • 26 Years of IT leadership
  • 35 Mandates & projects
  • 10+ Industries
  • 8 PE mandates
Scope of responsibility
  • up to 400+ employees
  • EUR 150 million IT budget
  • 14+ countries

What sets me apart

Breadth and depth

35 mandates & projects, 10+ industries, assignments in DACH, Europe and South-East Asia; about a third of the mandates entirely in English.

Entrepreneurial perspective

Managing director and majority shareholder of my own consulting company (2015–2022), before that technical operations manager (COO).

Specialised in deadline-driven transformations

Carve-out, integration, exit, turnaround and restructuring during live operations.

Delivery with decisions and liability

Top leadership level, decisions and liability on my own responsibility.

One accountable leader, a network behind him

You get the person you spoke with – from day one to handover. Depending on the mandate, we bring in specialists and further interim managers and work alongside other interim C-level managers.

Compared with other interim managers

vs. other interim CIOs/CDOs

Broader reference base: 35 mandates & projects in 10+ industries, 8 PE mandates, documented and quantified results (case studies). Entrepreneurial background as managing director and COO.

vs. consulting team

One accountable leader at top leadership level with decisions, budget and liability – complemented where needed by specialists and interim managers from our network. Accountability for results in the line, handover to the successor included.

vs. permanent hire

Available from day 1, while a search takes 12–20 weeks plus notice period. Results per phase; you decide on continuation.

Available in these roles

  • Interim CIO/CDO (full-time)
  • Interim CIO/CDO (fractional)
  • Interim CEO for IT Service Providers
  • Interim Head of IT Operations
  • Advisor to the board
  • Sparring partner for CEO and CFO
  • Member of the advisory or supervisory board

What I stand for

I take responsibility.

As a full member of the top leadership level – with decisions, budget and liability.

I say what is.

Even when it is uncomfortable – independent of internal interests.

I measure myself by results.

Impact is the success criterion: stable IT, deadlines met, protected investments.

I make myself dispensable.

Knowledge transfer and a capable successor are a fixed part of every mandate.

Career

Overall IT responsibility since 2004: CIO in permanent roles, managing director and majority shareholder of his own consultancy, interim mandates and consulting projects since 2005.

  1. since 2022

    HILDERTS Interim Management & Management Consulting

    Interim CIO (freelance): interim IT management, IT management consulting, CxO advisory.

  2. 2019–2022

    ias Group (occupational health and safety, ≈ 1,300 employees)

    Group Chief Information Officer: 36 direct staff, 4 direct reports; reporting to the executive and supervisory boards, member of the FK1 leadership group. Built IT, cloud and security strategy, prepared ISO 27001 certification; rolled out Microsoft 365 group-wide; established IT controlling, PMO and project portfolio management; delivered networks at 92 sites.

  3. 2015–2022

    Hilderts & Partner Consultants GmbH, Berlin

    Managing director (2015–2020), majority shareholder, corporate officer: interim IT management, IT management consulting, CxO advisory.

  4. 2004–2006

    Securitas Wertdienste Holding GmbH (division of Securitas AB, EUR 6.2 billion revenue)

    Chief Information Officer DACH and Benelux: 120 staff, 6 direct reports, reporting to management. Total operating costs −35%, operating productivity approx. +55%, sites 23 → 16; ERP and site operations software with payback after 14 months; shared services for IT and administration.

  5. 2000–2004

    Hüngsberg AG (automotive industry software, 120 employees)

    IT Business Manager: 40 staff, 3 direct reports, reporting to the board. Two WebEDI platforms generating first 15%, then 40% of total revenue in the first year; market leader for WebEDI in DACH for at least four years.

  6. 1996–2000

    Ott GmbH, Freiburg (building management systems, 60 employees)

    Technical operations manager (COO): 50 staff, 3 direct reports. Total revenue roughly quadrupled in the first two years.

  7. 1994–1995

    Goetz GmbH, Braunschweig (building services, 120 employees)

    Head of Direct Digital Control: built the building automation department; over 20% of company earnings after one year.

Languages

  • German (native)
  • English (business fluent, TOEFL C1, studied in the USA; about a third of mandates entirely in English, a further third partly)

Education and networks

  • MBA in Business Management, University of Pittsburgh (Katz) / University of Augsburg, award ‘Best Master’s Thesis’
  • Dipl.-Ing. Industrial Automation, Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel University
  • Chief Information Officer and ‘From IT professional to IT leader’, ZFU International Business School
  • VOICE e.V. (member)
  • CIO | IT (Austria)
  • ELEPHANTS Club e.V., CxO workshop expert group

Who I work for

Find your situation: triggers, contacts and references per client group.

PE portfolio companies

Situations

Acquisition and 100-day plan, carve-out, add-on integration, exit readiness, performance slump, management change

For

Operating partner, deal team, portfolio CEO and CFO, advisory board

References
  • ARTEMIS
  • Recipharm
  • Utsch
  • Kelvion
  • TeamViewer
  • Design Offices

Corporate groups and divisions

Situations

Portfolio clean-up, IT separation, TSA exit, shared services, site consolidation

For

Separation management office, CFO, Head of M&A, divisional board, Group CIO

References
  • Carrier
  • Gazprom Germania
  • Bertelsmann arvato

Upper mid-market and family businesses

Situations

CIO departure, ERP crisis, cyber incident, NIS2, succession, sale

For

Shareholders, management, CFO, advisory board

References
  • Utsch
  • Kelvion

Health and social sector

Situations

Merger and change of provider, losses and risk of insolvency, digitalisation backlog

For

Executive board, management, providers, supervisory bodies

References
  • Oberlinhaus
  • ARTEMIS
  • Ranova
  • UKM

Foreign buyers of German companies

Situations

Integration after the acquisition, Day 1, building local IT leadership between Group IT and the German organisation

For

Integration lead, Group CIO, operating partner, country manager

References
  • Carrier (carve-out to a Chinese shareholder)

Companies in crisis and restructuring

Situations

Restructuring concept, self-administration, protective shield proceedings, distressed M&A

For

Management, CRO, restructuring advisors, lenders

References
  • ITDZ Berlin
  • Kelvion

Regulated companies

Situations

NIS2, KRITIS, DORA, CRA – registration, evidence, audit finding, incident

For

Management, supervisory board, CFO

References
  • Alliance Healthcare (KRITIS)
  • ARTEMIS (NIS2)

IT service providers and shared service centres

Situations

Plan missed, receivables backlog, contracts and prices unmanaged

For

Investor, shareholders, board of directors, group executive board

References
  • ITDZ Berlin
  • Gazprom Germania

Industries

IndustryReferences
Healthcare and social servicesARTEMIS, Oberlinhaus, Ranova, UKM, Bayerisches Rotes Kreuz, Justizvollzugskrankenhaus NRW
PharmaRecipharm, Alliance Healthcare Deutschland, Bayer, Altana
Building technology / refrigerationCarrier
AutomotiveUtsch, Dräxlmaier, BMW, Daimler, Hüngsberg
Mechanical and plant engineeringKelvion
Software / ITTeamViewer, Software AG
Public-sector IT service providersITDZ Berlin
EnergyGazprom Germania, Stadtwerke Bielefeld
MediaBertelsmann arvato
Real estate / coworkingDesign Offices
Transport / logisticsAlliance Healthcare Deutschland, Rickmers
Food and retailSchwartauer Werke, Lidl
Occupational health and safetyias Group (permanent role)

Publications & talks

Book

Handbuch der Unternehmensberatung (Handbook of Management Consulting), Erich Schmidt Verlag, section ‘IT Interim Management’

Articles

The most expensive decision – waiting until exit to find a CIO

LinkedIn

Talks

Change management, leadership and the challenges of an interim CIO

LSZ, Wien

All publications

Let’s talk.

The simplest route to a conversation is the best one. A call, an email or a meeting – and in 20 minutes we’ll know whether and how I can help.

Book a meeting

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