Learn. Understand. Experiment. Build. Grow. Serve.
A passionate and transformative leader with over 15 years of industry experience in digital, innovation and human-centric design. Extensive knowledge of strategic frameworks, discovery and innovation processes, concept development and a proven track record of delivering best-in-class digital products and services. Deep experience in facilitation, mentorship, group dynamics, enabling high-performance teams and achieving long-term positive relationships with all critical stakeholders in highly complex, uncertain and volatile environments.
Expertise
- Change management, transformational leadership and group dynamics.
- Business strategy, development and transformation.
- Creativity, idea generation and concept development.
- Entrepreneurship and innovation to create change.
- Designing for the consumer, user-centred design and service design.
- Working in agile workflows such as SAFe, Scrum or Kanban.
- Ability to systematically plan, organise and coordinate complex projects.
- Rapid familiarisation with new knowledge and tasks.
- Independent, efficient, precise and solution-oriented approach to working.
Head of Experience Design
Vorwerk, Wollerau — 03/2019 - today
Overseeing Vorwerk's digital experience for all customer-facing touchpoints. Building design solutions that are scalable, reusable and shareable across products and markets.
Achievements
- Grew the design team from two to six direct reports within one year.
- Established a global embedded UX community with over 25 members.
- Introduced a global design system for all digital products.
- Designed the Vorwerk problem and solution discovery process.
- Implemented UX-research capabilities and increased customer validation loops.
- Increased design and concept quality while improving time to market.
Head of Digital Product Development
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zürich — 01/2018 - 03/2019
Established the digital product development department. Conception and realisation of new products and services with user-centred methods and management of several cross-functional teams.
Achievements
- Designed and introduced NZZ audio, the first intelligent template-driven TTS service.
- Launched the digital product themarket.ch, from business case validation to final product.
- Redefined how the NZZ group develops digital products.
- Introduced state of the art innovation-, service- and digital product design processes.
- Built the first intelligent news personalisation service for the Google news initiative.
- Redesigned and relaunched the NZZ.ch ecosystem, including a new digital business model.
- Introduced company-wide objectives and key results (OKR).
Product Manager Apps
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zürich — 02/2014 - 12/2017
Led the mobile app portfolio of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung as well as the redesign of NZZ.ch.
Concept Developer / Information Architect
Kreisvier, Basel — 12/2011 - 01/2014
Communication Planner
Contexta, Bern — 11/2010 - 11/2011
Product Marketing Manager
MOBILEtechnics, Biel — 02/2008 - 10/2010
Account Manager
MOBILEtechnics, Biel — 01/2007 - 01/200
Customer Program Manager
MOBILEtechnics, Biel — 11/2005 - 12/2006
Operations Manager
NTH, Niederwangen — 03/2003 - 10/2005
Head of Administration
IT-Logix, Bern — 09/2002 - 02/2003
Kind words of humans, I had the pleasure to work and to collaborate with.
Chief Product Officer at Mindfuel
Niklaus is one-of-its-kind. He combines a human leadership style with great experience in how to build awesome digital products. He is always fighting for customer value and never puts any personal motivations before that. He knows exactly when the feasibility and viability of a product play an essential role to create customer success which makes him not only a great UX but an even better product guy!
You basically can give him every challenge and he will provide results in a lightning-fast time through focus and passion. Niklaus tries always to get different perspectives into his view of things, is super open to feedback, and tries to become better every single day. And the best part? He does this with fun as well, every company can be more than happy to have him on board.
Consultant at Netlight
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Niklaus for approx one year. I appreciated Niklaus for his broad and deep knowledge about leadership and teams in general and feedback in particular. In addition, he made work a joy with his positive attitude and playfulness; however still always with that nice professionalism, you expect from a leader and executive, creating structure in chaos and pushing the whole team and organization for continuous improvements.
Personally, I value his caring attitude and his ability to be vulnerable, why we fast developed more than a working relationship. I would be happy to work with Niklaus again and I highly recommend him for any journey he wants to take on.
Head of Performance at Insify
I’ve had the chance to see Niklaus work on a number of projects over the last few months and have been continually impressed. His technical understanding and attention to detail are highly impressive, and his affable, hard-working attitude makes him a pleasure to be around and work with.