Driving Strategic Procurement for a Dynamic World

Detlef Schultz is a globally respected procurement executive and one of the co-founders of Akirolabs. With a distinguished career spanning over 25 years, he has held senior leadership roles across supply chain, finance, and operations on five continents — including Germany, South Korea, Singapore, the U.S., the UK, and Luxembourg.

Detlef began his career at Siemens, held executive positions at Applied Materials in Silicon Valley, and later joined Vodafone, where he served as CEO of the Vodafone Procurement Company and Group Supply Chain Management Director. Under his leadership, VPC became one of the most advanced and centralized procurement organizations in Europe, managing billions in spend and setting global standards for procurement excellence.

He is a recognized thought leader in the field and a Procurement Leaders Lifetime Achievement Award laureate, honored for his lasting impact on the profession. Today, Detlef is also an advisor and investor in several early-stage startups, bringing his deep experience and global network to support innovation in procurement and enterprise tech.

At Akirolabs, Detlef contributes his unmatched operational expertise and strategic insight to help shape the next generation of AI-powered procurement solutions.

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Jens Rassloff is a highly respected leader in European enterprise technology, digital strategy, and scale-up governance. As Chair of the Advisory Board at akirolabs, he helps shape the company’s long-term vision and supports strategic expansion across global markets.

He also serves as Chair of the Advisory Board at Coparion, a leading German venture capital fund focused on early-stage technology companies, where he advises on investment strategy, exits, and cross-border growth. His additional board roles at Parloa, Intapp, and d.velop reflect his deep influence across AI, SaaS, and enterprise innovation ecosystems.

As a Senior Advisor to Kapital 1852, he supports investment strategies for one of Germany’s foremost private equity teams. Previously, Jens led global alliances and investments at KPMG International, forging high-impact partnerships with major tech players like Microsoft and IBM.

Across all roles, Jens brings a unique combination of enterprise perspective, startup agility, and boardroom leadership to help companies scale responsibly and strategically.

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Michael Pleuger is one of the four co-founders of akirolabs and leads the company’s overall strategy and growth. He brings over 25 years of international experience in procurement, business transformation, and digital innovation — spanning both industry and consulting leadership roles.

Before launching akirolabs, Michael was a Senior Partner at Roland Berger and KPMG, where he advised global clients on procurement transformation and large-scale value creation programs. Earlier in his career, he was part of Vodafone’s corporate procurement team, where he helped design and launch the Vodafone Procurement Company in Luxembourg — now recognized as one of the industry’s most advanced procurement organizations.

Michael is known for delivering award-winning innovation and sustainable impact. He is a regular keynote speaker and panelist on digital transformation, procurement innovation, and ecosystem collaboration.

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Dr. Christian A. Rast is a globally recognized authority in procurement, supply chain, and digital ecosystems. As a Member of the Advisory Board at akirolabs, he advises on product vision and market strategy, helping position the platform at the forefront of AI-powered category management.

He also serves as Global Head of Technology & Knowledge at KPMG International, where he leads digital transformation, innovation platforms, and knowledge strategies across more than 140 countries. His leadership blends technology foresight, analytics, and practical procurement expertise to enable global enterprises to navigate disruption and unlock new value.

Previously, Christian co-founded BrainNet Supply Management Consultants, one of Europe’s top supply chain consultancies, later acquired by KPMG. His entrepreneurial mindset, paired with deep consulting expertise, continues to shape the future of procurement and strategic supply chain management.

Across all roles, Christian brings a unique mix of entrepreneurial drive, digital transformation expertise, and board-level perspective to redefine procurement as a true engine of business growth.

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Dr. Christoph Flöthmann is a procurement innovation leader and co-founder of akirolabs, where he serves as Chief Product Officer. With deep expertise in strategic sourcing, supply chain analytics, and digital transformation, Christoph is responsible for translating akirolabs’ vision into a cutting-edge AI-driven product that redefines how enterprises approach category management.

Before co-founding akirolabs, Christoph worked as a senior management consultant at Roland Berger and KPMG, where he led procurement transformation programs for global clients and shaped digital strategies across complex supply networks.

Christoph also brings an academic perspective to his work, having published research on procurement value creation, supplier collaboration, and analytics. His strength lies in bridging rigorous research with real-world application — enabling organizations to adopt more agile, data-driven, and intelligent procurement practices.

As Chief Product Officer (CPO), Christoph leads the product and innovation roadmap at akirolabs, combining deep domain expertise with a clear focus on usability, collaboration, and strategic impact.

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Heiko Schwarz is a seasoned enterprise software executive with over two decades of leadership across procurement, supply chain management, and SaaS innovation. He brings deep expertise in digital transformation, risk mitigation, and supplier lifecycle management — helping global organizations unlock value, improve resilience, and drive performance.

Heiko began his career at Xcitec and IBM/Emptoris, where he led global sales for supplier management solutions and acted as a thought leader in strategic purchasing and digital procurement.

In 2013, he co-founded riskmethods, a category-defining platform for supply chain risk management. Under Heiko’s leadership as CEO, riskmethods grew into a global market leader, serving over 225 enterprise customers and monitoring over 1 million suppliers and locations.

In October 2022, riskmethods was acquired by Sphera, a global leader in ESG and operational risk management software backed by Blackstone. The acquisition marked one of the most notable exits in European supply chain tech, solidifying Heiko’s reputation as a visionary founder and operator in enterprise SaaS.

At akirolabs, Heiko serves as an advisor, providing strategic input on product, go-to-market, and procurement innovation. His proven experience in building, scaling, and successfully exiting a SaaS business brings tremendous value to akirolabs' growth journey.

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Tim Ergenzinger is Co-Founder and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of akirolabs, where he leads all aspects of finance, operations, legal, and organizational scaling. As the architect behind akirolabs’ operational engine, Tim ensures the company grows with strategic discipline, investor readiness, and long-term resilience.

With over a decade of experience in procurement consulting and transformation at Roland Berger and KPMG, Tim brings a rare combination of domain expertise and executional depth. He has led large-scale procurement strategy programs for global enterprises — experience he now channels into building akirolabs from the ground up.

Since co-founding the company in 2021, Tim has overseen fundraising, operational scaling and enablement. He plays a critical role in aligning company’s vision with business performance. As a CFO, Tim brings more than financial stewardship — he’s a builder, operator, and integrator with a sharp eye on metrics, market timing, and momentum.

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Christian Herdelt is the Director of Customer Success at akirolabs, where he leads post-sales engagement, implementation success, and long-term value delivery for enterprise customers. With deep expertise in procurement transformation and sourcing optimization, Christian ensures that customers realize the full strategic potential of akirolabs’ AI-powered platform.

Prior to joining akirolabs, Christian served as a Solution Consultant at Keelvar, working with some of the world’s largest organizations to optimize over $150 billion in annual spend through AI-driven sourcing automation. Before that, he spent over 5+ years at IBM and Bearing Point, where he held progressive roles in procurement transformation — advising global clients on digital strategy and implementation.

With hands-on experience across both consulting and product-led environments, Christian brings a unique blend of technical insight, customer empathy, and operational excellence to the akirolabs team. He is passionate about driving procurement transformation from concept to real-world value.

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Fredrick Spalcke is a globally recognized procurement leader and strategic advisor with deep operational and transformation experience at some of the world’s largest enterprises. Over the past 20+ years, he has led global procurement and supply chain operations as Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) at Philips, Huawei, and Unify, shaping multi-billion-euro sourcing organizations across Europe and Asia. Today, Fredrick is a sought-after advisor and angel investor, working with cutting-edge startups across Europe in procurement, supply chain, and enterprise SaaS. At akirolabs, he brings unmatched insight into scaling procurement solutions for enterprise customers — guiding product strategy, go-to-market alignment, and enterprise readiness from the lens of a former buyer at global scale.

Dr. Oleksandr Kondratiuk is the Chief Technology Officer at Akirolabs, where he leads the company’s technology vision, AI architecture, and engineering organization. A seasoned technologist with over 18 years of experience in artificial intelligence, enterprise software, and data platforms, Oleksandr is the driving force behind akirolabs’ tech innovation and excellence.

Before joining akirolabs, Oleksandr served as Head of Engineering at Scalable Capital, one of Europe’s leading digital investment platforms. There, he led the company’s technology strategy, scaled the engineering team from two to four cross-functional development squads, and played a key role in product delivery and organizational growth. Prior to that, he held senior roles at SIXT SE and Stibo Systems, contributing to the development of scalable, AI-driven enterprise platforms.

At akirolabs, He is building and scaling a world-class engineering organization, ensuring akirolabs remains at the forefront of applied AI in enterprise procurement.

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Bernard Gracia is the visionary Founder, Dean, and Director of the European Institute of Purchasing Management (EIPM), the world’s first purchasing- and procurement-focused MBA program, which he launched in 1990. With over four decades of leadership in strategic procurement and professional development, Bernard has shaped global best practices through his work with multinational organizations such as ArcelorMittal, Axa, Bayer, and Nokia.

Under his guidance, EIPM has advanced a unique model combining academic rigor and pragmatic industry relevance. His initiatives include founding the EIPM Research Centre, championing the Value Creation Observatory and the Peter Kraljic Think Tank, and initiating structured education programs in nine languages—impacting professionals at all career levels

As a member of the Advisory Board, Bernard brings unmatched expertise in procurement education, innovation, and multi-language global training. His experience in founding transformative institutions, curating cutting-edge research initiatives, and celebrating procurement leadership positions him as a powerful catalyst for strategic and human-centered development.

Kai Elsermann is the Chief Revenue Officer at akirolabs, responsible for leading all go-to-market functions, revenue strategy, and customer growth. With over 15 years of experience in scaling B2B SaaS companies, Kai brings a strong track record in enterprise sales, revenue operations, and commercial strategy — particularly in the fields of procurement, sustainability, and risk management.

Before joining akirolabs, Kai held key executive roles at some of the most respected players in the enterprise software space. At Sphera, he served as VP of Sales, driving product sustainability solutions across global markets. At riskmethods, a category leader in supply chain risk management, he held multiple leadership roles — including Global VP of Revenue Operations and VP Sales EMEA — helping the company scale from early growth through international expansion.

Kai has also held senior commercial roles at Achilles Group, where he led business development for supplier information and risk platforms.

At akirolabs, Kai is focused on building a world-class go-to-market organization and accelerating growth across industries and geographies. He plays a central role in taking akirolabs' AI-powered platform to market — aligning customer needs with scalable, high-impact solutions for strategic procurement.

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Markus Ehrle is a seasoned technology executive with over two decades of experience in driving digital transformation and enterprise growth across Europe. Currently serving as Vice President & General Manager EMEA Central at ServiceNow, he leads the company's strategy and operations across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Eastern Europe, focusing on accelerating digital transformation for clients in the region.

Before joining ServiceNow, Markus held the position of Senior Vice President Germany at Salesforce, where he was instrumental in expanding the company's footprint and fostering customer success in the German market. His career also includes significant leadership roles at SAP, IBM, and Netscape, where he contributed to business development and sales strategies across various technology sectors.

At akirolabs, Markus serves as an advisor, bringing his extensive experience in enterprise software and digital innovation to support the company's mission of transforming strategic procurement through AI-driven solutions.

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Dr. Karsten Machholz is a distinguished expert in strategic procurement, supply chain management, and digital transformation. Since 2012, he has served as a Professor at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS), where he focuses on the digitalization of global value chains, real-time risk management, corporate social responsibility, and blockchain technology.

Alongside his academic work, he is the Founder and CEO of CPO Consulting, advising companies on procurement strategy, supply chain resilience, and digital transformation. His dual perspective from academia and industry makes him a valuable contributor to bridging innovation and practical implementation in the field.

Karsten has held senior roles in global procurement and supply management at companies like BioPartners, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Capgemini Consulting, where he led complex transformation programs and procurement strategy initiatives.

At akirolabs, he serves as Chair of the Customer Advisory Board, guiding product development through deep domain knowledge, practitioner empathy, and a sharp focus on innovation that serves real procurement challenges.

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