Communardo expands its advisory board
Dr Franz-Josef Seidensticker, as Chairman, and Christian Kranebitter are supporting the expansion of the company’s market leadership in the DACH region, its European expansion, process optimisation and the growth of its own product business
Communardo is strengthening its Industry Advisory Board in order to drive forward sustainable growth and strategic development in a targeted manner. With Dr Franz-Josef Seidensticker as the new chair and Christian Kranebitter joining the board, the committee gains further high-calibre expertise.
The Advisory Board will, in particular, provide guidance to help further strengthen the company’s market position amongst major clients and SMEs, drive expansion into additional European countries, further professionalise internal processes, and build a globally leading Atlassian app powerhouse.
In Dr Franz-Josef Seidensticker, Communardo gains an advisory board member with extensive strategic expertise in the areas of large corporate clients, SMEs and the IT market. He has worked at Bain & Company for over 30 years, including many years in leadership roles across the DACH region and globally. He has advised numerous companies in Europe and the US, particularly in the high-tech, telecommunications, software and IT services sectors. His areas of specialisation include enhancing corporate value, strategic reorientation and the scaling of IT service providers. He also has in-depth experience in optimising operational processes. Today, as a Senior Advisor, he focuses on corporate governance and transformation processes for growing SMEs. For more than eight years, he has also been a member of the advisory board at the ERP software provider proALPHA.
Dr Franz-Josef Seidensticker comments: “Communardo has established itself as a leading provider of digital workplace solutions and is demonstrating impressive growth. Particularly exciting is the opportunity to position the company as the preferred Atlassian partner for enterprise clients and as a Microsoft Modern Work / AI Powerhouse – with the necessary scale, experience and excellent delivery capabilities to play a leading role as a strategic go-to-market partner for both technology providers. I look forward to working with the team to support its strategic development and set the course for sustainable expansion in Europe.”
Christian Kranebitter will also bring valuable insights and network effects to the table. The entrepreneur and investor has many years’ experience in the technology and software sector. In 2005, he founded the BE-terna Group and built it into a leading European provider of business software solutions before selling the company to Telefónica Tech in 2022. Kranebitter is already familiar with Communardo from his previous roles on the advisory board and as an investor. Drawing on his experience in building scalable sales organisations across Europe, he will, in particular, provide advisory support for the expansion of Communardo’s Microsoft business. Furthermore, he will drive forward the integration of the existing service organisations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in order to harness synergies even more effectively and further increase operational efficiency. Christian Kranebitter explains: “Communardo has enormous potential to further professionalise its existing service business and create scalable structures for further growth. Close integration of the operating model across the DACH market will be crucial in optimally positioning the company for further growth. I also see significant opportunities to strengthen the Microsoft business in a targeted manner and to tap into new markets. I look forward to playing an active role in shaping this journey.”
Dirk Röhrborn, CEO of Communardo, says: “Our goal is to establish Communardo as the European market leader for digital workplace solutions. The addition of two outstanding experts to our advisory board is an important step in this direction. Franz-Josef Seidensticker brings in-depth experience in the strategic development of medium-sized companies as well as in the scaling of software and IT service providers. His knowledge will provide valuable impetus, particularly in the rapidly growing business with major customers and the expansion of our own product business. Christian Kranebitter complements our team with his entrepreneurial mindset, his many years of experience in setting up pan-European sales structures and the professionalization and integration of service organizations. Together we will drive Communardo's growth in a targeted manner and establish the company as a global leader in the Atlassian app sector.”
For Communardo's majority shareholder BU, the new appointment to the Advisory Board is also an important step in its ambitious growth plans: “Management, Advisory Board and shareholders work hand in hand to create added value for the business and support companies in their digital transformation,” explains BU partner Simon Lussi. “With Franz-Josef Seidensticker and Christian Kranebitter, we are gaining two highly experienced individuals who will support Communardo strategically and operationally in its expansion. Their experience will play a key role in positioning Communardo as a leading partner in the Atlassian ecosystem - both for the indirect and the more direct go-to-market approach of Atlassian in the future. We are all the more pleased to welcome both of them to Communardo's investor circle.”
About Communardo
Communardo is a leading provider of consulting services and solutions for the digital workplace. Modern working, agile processes, communication and collaboration in companies are Communardo's specialty. The experts support companies in various industries to become more efficient, automate processes and increase employee satisfaction. In its projects, Communardo provides advice, proposes suitable software solutions that are open to technology and implements intelligent solutions or develops customized apps.