MANAGEMENT & TEAM

MANAGEMENT

Dr. Ing. Joachim P. Walser

CEO and Co-Founder

Joachim P. Walser serves as CEO of planfocus software, which he co-founded in 2004 in Germany. In this role, he is responsible for driving the organization’s successful growth strategy and international business development. Walser has over 20 years of experience in driving complex supply chains to maximum value. Prior to founding planfocus, he was responsible for numerous successful optimization architectures at i2 Technologies in Dallas, Texas, resulting in millions of dollars in savings and customer profits. He holds a doctorate in Computer Science from the University des Saarlandes (Summa cum Laude) and a Master of Science from the Computational Intelligence Research Lab of the University of Oregon. Dr Walser’s work on optimization and artificial intelligence methods is documented in numerous international patents, research papers and a book in Springer's Lecture Notes on Artificial Intelligence.

Andreas Ulrich

CTO and Co-Founder, Managing Director

Andreas Ulrich is Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder of planfocus software GmbH with responsibilities for Software Innovation and Strategic Development. Prior to founding planfocus, he led the development of various successful software products for the self-service banking automation sector which are in operation in many banking institutions. Mr Ulrich has a total of over 30 years‘ experience in the field of self-service banking systems, including consultancy work in various capacities which saw him oversee leading projects at the banking institutions Bayerische Vereinsbank, Deutsche Bank and Stadtsparkasse München as well as a number of other savings banks, data centers (FIDUCIA) and companies such as Reis GmbH & Co. KG, Siemens and IBM Germany. In addition to his specialization in the area of banking automation, he has also made a name for himself in the field of software architecture and project management. In 1990, Andreas Ulrich was awarded a degree in Computer Science from the Technical University of Munich.

Clemens Sickinger

SVP, Operations, Authorized Officer

Clemens Sickinger is Chief Delivery Officer of planfocus software GmbH, with responsibility for the integrated global delivery of software products and services to customers across the globe, through establishing world class processes and practices. He has over 10 years of experience in the field of complex mathematical optimization processes and business analytics in national and international projects. As a result of his long-term contribution to the optimization technologies of the CCO® suite, he is also currently responsible for solution architecture. Mr Sickinger holds a degree in Industrial Engineering specializing in Computer Science and Operations Research from the University of Karlsruhe and a Master of Law (LLM) from the University of Saarbrücken. Before joining planfocus, he was responsible for the development and application of mathematical optimization processes in the service sector at the Technical University of Munich.

Peter Woydich

SVP, Sales and Strategy, Authorized Officer

Peter Woydich is responsible for the global Goto-Market strategy at planfocus software GmbH, and in this function is driving international sales operations and partner management worldwide. Peter brings to planfocus a wealth of experience in international sales and partner management for cash cycle management and the associated services industries from over 20 years. Prior to joining planfocus, he was General Manager/Managing Director at Diebold Nixdorf for the Line of Business, Systems for the entire Middle-East-Africa region. Before, he was in various management roles with Diebold Nixdorf, Secure Services Ltd, Bahrain and Giesecke & Devrient in Germany and UAE, where he was driving cash management services and cash center consulting, and helped to shape and implement Cash Center processes and software. Peter holds a Diploma in International Management from the University of Applied Sciences, Augsburg.

TEAM

Joep van den Brink

Director International Sales

Joep van den Brink is responsible for driving the international sales operations and partner management worldwide. With over 10+ years of international sales and marketing experience in B2B software and consultancy solutions, Joep brings a wealth of knowledge to planfocus. Prior to joining planfocus, he was responsible for software sales for the entire Middle-East-Africa and later the Asia Pacific region at Transtrack International and, after the acquisition in 2019, Giesecke & Devrient Currency Technology. He is experienced in setting up strategic sales & marketing strategies, using proven Strategic Sales methodologies, and execute these strategies in a consistent and feasible way. Together with his interpersonal skills he is capable of resolving complex issues, work with different client and internal stakeholders and motivate teams to peak performance. Joep holds a Master degree in Business Adminstration from Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.

Axel Gabe

Director, Business Analytics and Support

Axel Gabe leads the Business Analytics Team and additionally works in the Development Team at planfocus software GmbH with main focus on optimization technologies and central bank cash ordering. He has over 10 years of experience in Business Analytics and more than 25 years in software development, in both national and international projects. Mr Gabe holds a degree in Mathematics from the University of Gießen. Before he joined planfocus, he held key roles in the development of complex software systems at Siemens AG in the area of data transmission for mobile networks.

Holger Thiergen

Senior Project Director & Team Lead, Project Management

Holger Thiergen leads the Project Management Practice at planfocus software GmbH. Holger Thiergen has been in the field of self-service and retail banking in various capacities for over 30 years for IBM and SSG Lange&Partner AG, where he led the data center integration and certification of self-service systems from IBM, Diebold and Keba. Since 2009, Mr. Thiergen lead numerous national and international CCO integration and implementation projects, initially with the implementation partner SSG and since 2012 with planfocus software. He holds a degree in automation technology from Leipzig University of Technology.

Wolfgang Imenkamp

Client Executive

Wolfgang Imenkamp is responsible for Client and Partner Management at planfocus software GmbH. He has been active in consulting positions in the field of Customer Self Service in the banking and retail industries for over 20 years. From 1990 to 2003 in international Management Consultancies, and following this from 2004 with NCR, Augsburg, responsible for software solutions for Cash Management. At this point, Mr. Imenkamp also became responsible for the partner management of planfocus software, Munich. In 2014 Wolfgang Imenkamp joined planfocus where he took up responsibilities as key account manager in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as partner management. Wolfgang Imenkamp successfully graduated with a business degree at the University for Applied Sciences in Essen/Germany.

Walter Dettinger

Account Manager, German Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe

Walter Dettinger is responsible key account manager at planfocus software GmbH for all savings banks of the German „Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe,“ the largest retail banking group in Germany with over 400 member banks. Mr. Dettinger has been in the field of self-service banking and retail banking as a product manager and account manager for over 25 years. In the years 1992 to 2011, Mr. Dettinger worked for several companies such as EBS, Ascom/EBS, 3x Banktechnik, bit-consult and SSG Lange&Partner AG, where he managed clients in Germany with regards to the solutions of the respective companies. In 2011, Mr. Dettinger joined planfocus software and in 2015 he took the responsibility as the account manager of the Sparkassen in Germany.

Erik Pfeil

Product Manager

Erik Pfeil is Product Manager at planfocus software and additionally works in the areas of business analytics, project management and quality assurance. Mr. Pfeil has been active in the field of customer self-service for banks and Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe as a system engineer, project manager and product manager for over 20 years. At SSG Lange & Partner AG he worked on the integration of self-service devices from Diebold and KEBA in various data centers and since 2001 as product manager for KEBA customer self-service systems.Since 2007, he led numerous national CCO® integration and implementation projects, initially with the implementation partner SSG. In 2012, Mr. Pfeil joined planfocus software GmbH and since 2015 he is responsible for the product management area.Mr. Pfeil holds a diploma in device technology from the University of Applied Sciences Mittweida.

Dr. Karsten Bohlen

Senior Business Analyst, AI Analytics Lead

Karsten Bohlen is responsible for innovations in Artificial Intelligence at planfocus and is a Senior Analyst in the Business Analytics Team. Before joining planfocus, he was a research associate at the University of Regensburg. He has worked in third party funded research projects in the fields of theoretical Mathematics, Mathematical Physics and Artificial Intelligence. He holds a doctorate in Mathematics from Leibniz University of Hannover (Summa cum Laude) and a Diploma in Mathematics / Computer Science from the University of Trier. Dr. Bohlen's work is documented in numerous scholarly articles that have appeared in prestigious international journals.