SHORT PROFILE
Who is Bernd M. Schell?
Four times, owners and shareholders have entrusted him with what wasn’t there before: a platform scale-up its digital foundation, a family-owned corporation its 50-year-old idea management, a shareholder his private airline, a multi-brand automotive group its central marketing. Three industries, one pattern: building without a blueprint, without an external consulting budget, directly accountable to the people who own the company.
Currently Lead Digital & AI Manager at Deutsche Dienstrad. Previously 12 years at Brose Group – including as global head of Idea Management across 23 countries and 57 locations. In parallel, built the private airline BHS Aviation on a direct mandate from the shareholder. Before that, built the central marketing staff function at Auto-Scholz (Mercedes-Benz) from scratch. Today that field is: AI and digitalization in the Mittelstand.
WORK APPROACH
What drives me
Builder mentality in existing structures. I build systems rather than decks. I work best where speed meets complexity – where someone is needed to bring them together.
None of the results on this site happened in isolation. Behind every number are motivated colleagues, a strong core team, and people across the organisation who pulled in the same direction. My role: building the framework that makes this possible.
AI is not a buzzword for me, but a tool. Operationally since February 2023: Claude, Gemini, Mistral, local models. Not as a demo, but in daily value creation.
Don’t talk. Decide and do.
Response within 24 hours
“An entrepreneurially acting leader” – employment reference
I get called in when growth outpaces the structure built to support it. Or when someone is needed who builds.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What does builder mentality mean for Bernd M. Schell?
Bernd M. Schell has been building systems that didn’t exist before for 25 years – self-initiated, end-to-end, with direct access to shareholders and C-suite. His employment reference describes him as “an entrepreneurially acting leader”. At Brose, he led three areas of responsibility simultaneously, one of them a separate company. Not by playbook, but by reading the situation. Not managing – building.
What does Bernd M. Schell do currently?
Bernd M. Schell has been with Deutsche Dienstrad since 2024, today as Lead Digital & AI Manager, responsible for the strategic intersection of platform, marketing, AI and growth – including website relaunch, toolchain build-up, enterprise sales story, and brand launch.
What measurable results has Bernd M. Schell achieved?
EUR 25.9M first-year net benefit and 1st Place at the German Idea Management Award 2024 at Brose (23 countries, 57 sites). 248% Google Maps visibility increase. 3x Gold (2022–2024). 9 out of 9 employment references rated outstanding over 24 years. Currently Lead Digital & AI Manager at Deutsche Dienstrad.
What sets Bernd M. Schell apart from traditional consultants?
Bernd M. Schell doesn’t just advise – he builds. 25 years of operational responsibility with own team, own budget, and measurable results. Direct reporting to shareholders and C-suite. Lead negotiator across ten works councils. Not a consultant profile, but entrepreneurial practice.
Which industries has Bernd M. Schell worked in?
Automotive (Brose Group, Auto-Scholz / Mercedes-Benz), aviation (BHS Aviation), mobility and bike leasing (Deutsche Dienstrad). Common thread across industries: building structures that didn’t exist before.
Since when has Bernd M. Schell been working with AI?
AI has been Bernd M. Schell’s operational reality since February 2023, not an experiment – including GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), so brands stay findable where people ask AI systems instead of search engines. In daily use: Claude (Anthropic), ChatGPT (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), Mistral, and specialised AI tools for marketing, analysis, and content.
What is executive sparring and who is it for?
Executive sparring from Bernd M. Schell is for CEOs, owners, and C-level executives who need a sparring partner with operational depth – someone who understands business and IT and has built it himself. Not classical consulting, but direct decision preparation at eye level.
How does Bernd M. Schell work with CEOs and business owners?
Direct collaboration at eye level: At Brose, direct reporting to the Board Member for Organisation and HR. At Auto-Scholz, staff position reporting to the owner. At BHS Aviation, direct mandate from the shareholder. At Deutsche Dienstrad, close sparring with management and owners.
What awards has Bernd M. Schell received?
3x Gold and 1st Place at the German Idea Management Award (2022–2024), awarded by the Center for Idea Management. Econ Award Nominee 2015 for the brose.com relaunch. Horizont.net overall winner. 248% visibility increase as Uberall Success Story. Named as expert in Handelsblatt.
How can you work with Bernd M. Schell?
Bernd M. Schell is currently Lead Digital & AI Manager at Deutsche Dienstrad. Beyond that, he is open for professional exchange, executive sparring, and interesting conversations. Contact via the contact form or LinkedIn.
What does “Automotive. Aviation. Platform. 25 years of building what didn’t exist before” mean?
Across three fundamentally different industries, Bernd M. Schell built structures that didn’t exist: Automotive (central marketing at Auto-Scholz/Mercedes, global idea management at Brose), Aviation (BHS Aviation on a direct mandate from the shareholder), Platform (marketing toolchain at Deutsche Dienstrad). Three different operating systems, all built from zero.
What does Bernd M. Schell do for the Mittelstand?
His field is AI and digital transformation in the Mittelstand – delivery, not decks. He works at management-board level: end-to-end digital ownership, make-or-buy decisions, steering internal teams and external partners, measurable impact. Four times, owners and shareholders have entrusted him with build mandates – across three industries.
Where is Bernd M. Schell based?
Bernd M. Schell lives and works in Bamberg, Germany. Available for executive sparring and professional exchange across Germany and DACH – on-site, hybrid, or remote.