Nils Maier - Marketing Consultant with 20+ Years of Experience

As a freelancer, I bring structure to marketing and communications and ensure consistent execution.

As an independent marketing consultant, I support companies with over 20 years of experience in digital projects - on both agency and corporate side. Based in Freiburg, I work with companies across the German-speaking region and take on different roles in projects: as a consultant, sparring partner, or in project and team leadership.

I structure marketing and communication, implement initiatives, and move projects forward - working closely with existing teams or taking full ownership where needed.

My work does not start with isolated activities, but with clarity: goals, target groups, structures, and responsibilities. I work in a structured and pragmatic way and ensure consistent execution - even when projects are complex or resources are limited.

Als freiberuflicher Marketingberater unterstütze ich Unternehmen mit über 20 Jahren Erfahrung in digitalen Projekten – auf Agentur- und Unternehmensseite. Mit Sitz in Freiburg arbeite ich für Unternehmen im deutschsprachigen Raum und übernehme in Projekten unterschiedliche Rollen: als Berater, Sparringspartner oder in der Projekt- und Teamleitung.

Marketing und Kommunikation strukturiere ich klar, setze Maßnahmen um und bringe Projekte zuverlässig voran - gemeinsam mit bestehenden Teams oder in eigenständiger Verantwortung.

Meine Arbeit beginnt nicht mit einzelnen Maßnahmen, sondern mit Klarheit: Ziele, Zielgruppen, Strukturen und Verantwortlichkeiten. Ich arbeite strukturiert und pragmatisch und bringe Themen konsequent in die Umsetzung - auch dann, wenn Abstimmungen komplex sind oder Ressourcen begrenzt sind.

Profile

20+ years in digital marketing: Extensive strategic and operational experience in developing and executing marketing strategies
Digital marketing expertise: Broad knowledge across all key marketing disciplines, including campaign management, social media, conversion rate optimization (CRO), and SEO
Corporate communications: Planning and execution of internal and external communications, including communication in restructuring projects
Project management: Experience in classical, agile, and hybrid project management for digital initiatives
Content expertise: Editorial planning and content creation for websites and social media
Insights & analytics: Market and competitor analysis, digital channel performance, and user research
Workshops: Preparation, facilitation, and follow-up of marketing and strategy workshops
Leadership: Building, leading, and developing marketing teams
Intercultural experience: Multilingual (German, English, French, Spanish) with strong intercultural competence
Industries: Industrial, telecommunications, electronics, mechanical engineering, healthcare, media, entertainment, legal, tourism, education, B2B and B2C.

Professional Experience

10/2024 until today: Freudenberg e-Power Systems
12/2022 until today: SIA Axxio
07/2021 until today: Freelancer
08/2016 bis 03/2021: SICK
09/2014 bis 07/2016: 1&1
12/2011 bis 08/2014: ARTE
07/2009 bis 11/2011: Virtual Identity
09/2006 bis 06/2009: ethority

More on LinkedIn >

Selected Clients

I have worked with companies across a wide range of industries - from mid-sized businesses to international organizations.

Meine Background

My interest in business and economics started early during my time at a business high school in Esslingen, near Stuttgart. Studying business administration gave me a strong understanding of how companies operate and what they need to succeed and grow. Economics, in turn, provided a broader perspective on global interdependencies between countries and organizations.

This combination - together with extensive marketing experience, a wide range of projects, and international exposure - shapes how I approach my work today.

After completing my degree in International Business Administration (2006) in London and Hamburg, I started my career at an online marketing agency (ethority, Hamburg), focusing on Web 2.0 - what we now call Social Media. It quickly became clear that this shift would fundamentally change how communication works, both privately and professionally.

Over the following years, I worked across the entire customer lifecycle: from acquisition and strategy development to project management and marketing analytics.

In 2009, I joined another digital agency (Virtual Identity, Freiburg) as a consultant for online communication. I worked with multinational companies to help them adapt to a more open and interactive communication landscape driven by Social Media.

After six years on the agency side, I moved into corporate roles to work more sustainably on long-term initiatives. My first role in the media industry was at ARTE (Strasbourg), where I developed and rolled out a bilingual social media strategy and later became product manager for ARTE’s apps across multiple platforms.

In 2014, I shifted my focus to conversion optimization (CRO) for an e-commerce business in the telecommunications sector (1&1, Karlsruhe). This is where I saw firsthand the impact of data-driven optimization and A/B testing on business performance.

From 2016 to 2021, I led international marketing communications at a B2B company (SICK, Freiburg), building and developing a strong team and delivering global B2B campaigns while improving content quality.

Since 2019, I have been working as an independent consultant, collaborating with companies at different levels - from selective advisory to full responsibility in leadership roles.

Most recently, I was responsible for global marketing and corporate communications in a senior leadership role within an international B2B company. This included strategy development, brand transformation, team building, and the management of global campaigns, channels, and budgets. In this role, I also supported complex transformation and restructuring processes - from internal communication and intranet development to global crisis and stakeholder communication.

From April 2026 onwards, I will be fully available again as a freelance consultant.

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