Martin Gnass


With my many years of professional experience as a CIO and in leading IT positions, I bring extensive expertise to the realignment and transformation of IT organizations.


As CIO, I was responsible for the world-wide IT organisation of a global transport and logistics company with more than 500 IT employees and a budget of > 200m€.


Working in closest cooperation with business, I was able to successfully advance various digitization initiatives. In global company mergers, I successfully completed the post-merger IT integration in a very short period of time, thereby laying the foundation for successful business integration.


   Professional 'highlights' of the last 15 years:


  • Transformation of IT into a product-centric organization in close coordination with business. This was accompanied by increasing agility and impact.
     
  • Reorganization of the business / IT governance model - along with it, successful alignment of IT  to the strategic growth goals of the company.

  • Short-term enablement of digital 'work from home' for worldwide over 10,000 employees in the context of the CV19 pandemic.

  • Successful post-merger IT integrations in four M&A transactions with international or global scope. Accompanying with it, closest integration of business- and IT integration across all national companies.


  • Implementation of strategic digitization program with internally developed and purchased digital products including logistics digital platforms.


  • Initiation of digital standardization initiatives in the logistics and shipping industry together with global industry partners.
     
  • Establishment of a 'captive' innovation center in CEE with up to 200 employees.


  • Development of strategic technology partnerships for IT operations, IT service management and SW development near- and offshore.


  • Strategy development and implementation of roadmaps for IT platform modernization under 'Cloud-First' strategy.

  • Expansion of IT cyber security & resilience management system, taking into account KRITIS.

  • IT cost optimization as part of a group-wide cost savings program.


Management Background 14 years of responsibility as CIO / Head of IT.


A total of 30 years of experience as IT manager on 1st and 2nd management level, thereof 20 years on the IT-applied side.


Deep experience in digitizing the transport and logistics industry and building digital ecosystems.



The industry

  • Logistics & Transport
  • Retail
  • IT Consulting & Systems Integration


CIO / Head of Group Information Technology

Hapag-Lloyd AG

2007 - 2021


Senior Director Application Development

Hapag-Lloyd AG

2003 - 2007


Head of ERP Solutions, Logistics/Retail

IBM Global Services

1996 - 2002


Project Manager, IT Consultant

Andersen Consulting

1990 - 1995