Who am I?

“Don’t be encumbered by history, just go out and do something wonderful.”

Robert Noyce (1927-1990), co-founder of Intel and inventor of the microchip

This quote has been with me since I first read it, and subconsciously it has actually always been with me. Do not burden yourself with the past, just go out and do something wonderful. And if it is not always something wonderful, then at least something new.

I am Jürgen Thiel and I could try to describe myself here, but I would like to much rather leave that to former colleagues and companions who describe me as someone who …

… combines entrepreneurial spirit with a high understanding of technology
… clearly communicates strategies, but also provides room for the implementation
… dares new ways and approaches
… can innovate and transform
… builds highly motivated and successful teams
… challenges and promotes talent
… moves confidently in an international and intercultural environment
… is empathetic and caring, but also very consistent

1989 - 1990

Software development
After graduating in computer science, I worked first as a software developer at Nixdorf Computer AG. As system programmer, I co-developed the operating system for a digital telecommunications system. Here I could gain valuable experience in the areas of software development and software architecture. But then my way led me into selling technology products…

1990 - 2006

International sales and executive management
At Intel Corporation I first built up our business and organization in Eastern Europe in the 1990s and then also in the Middle East and Africa. Later, I served several years as Managing Director of Intel’s German subsidiary in Munich and as a member of the EMEA Board of Directors, being responsible for our business and sales organization in Europe. This time still shapes me to this day and in 2003 I also received the award “Career of the Year“ by publishing group Handelsblatt.

2007-2016

Entrepreneur, interim manager und consultant in Brazil
In 2006, I decided to take a sabbatical and traveled to Brazil. In the end, this sabbatical turned into a ten year stay during which I founded and managed two companies over there. During this time, I started to work an interim manager and management consultant supporting German companies entering the Brazilian and Latin American markets. An exciting time in a fascinating country, which faces a lot of challenges.

2017-2020

Global expansion of a German software company
At the end of 2016, I returned to Germany to fill the vacant position of Head of Global Sales & Business Development at Paessler AG, previously a client of my consulting firm in Brazil. Here I was able to contribute significantly with my experience to develop corporate strategy, expand global business development and build a worldwide sales organization.

2020 - today

Interim Management & Consulting
Since the end of 2020, I have been working as an interim manager and management consultant mainly in the IT industry. I take on positions in executive management and sales management of start-ups, scale-ups and medium-sized companies in order to support them in particular at strategic inflection points with the necessary transformations to position them for further sustainable growth.
pyraCode Softwareentwicklung

2023 - today

Founding a service provider for software development
As I am working primarily in the IT industry, I am very often confronted with the challenge that time-to-market is delayed or innovative ideas even cannot be turned into products due to the lack of qualified software developers. For that reason I founded pyraCode GmbH in 2023 with the objective to provide an additional service to my clients by building and managing outsourced software development teams for them.
Interim Manager Award DDIM

At the congress of DDIM German Interim Management Association e.V. in November 2023 I received the “Interim Management Excellence Award” for my successful mandate with Stay Informed GmbH.

Interim Manager Award DDIM

“It is important for companies to adapt structures and processes to future requirements at an early stage. DDIM recognizes mandates from DDIM members that have created a particularly high benefit for the client.”

“Junge Karriere” November 2003 Edition

In 2003 I received the award “Career of the Year” by the Handelsblatt publishing group. This was certainly one of the highlights of my career as Regional Manager Europe and Managing Director of the German subsidiary of Intel Corporation.

With Craig Barrett, Intel CEO at that time

“The jury (…) evaluates the participants according to four criteria:

Performance: rapid advancement in a hierarchy.
Success: special professional achievements, for example a decisive contribution to the turnaround of a company
Leadership: exemplary management behavior that results in the greatest possible alignment of company and employee goals
Business ethics: responsible conduct that goes beyond personal and corporate interests in both professional and social contexts.

Jürgen Thiel, Managing Director at Intel, received the “Career of the Year” award in 2003. The sales professional built Intel’s business in Eastern Europe from scratch. In ten years, he made eight career moves and was Intel’s youngest Managing Director worldwide."

Two significant chapters of my life, each associated with very different experiences, are summarized in my two books: being a manager in a technology corporation and living and working in Brazil for ten years.

“Grenzenlos” is my autobiography as a former manager in a US technology company. I wanted to describe primarily my personal experiences with other cultures, which I made over a period of 14 years. In the early 1990s I traveled basically on my own to the countries in central and southern Eastern Europe and opened a branch office in Budapest. Later, my experiences in Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union left lasting impressions, not least because of a moving excursion into my own family history. In the early 2000s, I traveled to the Middle East and some African countries before taking over responsibility for the business in the European Union. I completed my story with impressions from China, Taiwan and Guatemala.

Grenzenlos
Multikulturelle Erfahrungen eines Ex-Managers

September 2007, 2. edition August 2019
ISBN 978-1687496058
Paperback or eBook


“Again and again I found myself picturing the situations and the author really managed to convey these images. An inspiring book that is also very entertaining because of its narrative style.”

amazon.de, December 2019

“Jenseits von Samba und Karneval” is my personal view on Brazil, shaped by experiences from ten years of living and working over there. The book is largely a critical look at the large South American state and its society. In particular, I try to outline the economic, political and social challenges of Brazil that I was confronted with on a daily basis. But hopefully the book can also convey the fascination of this country and its people.

Jenseits von Samba und Karneval
Eine persönliche Sicht auf Brasilien

November 2019, ISBN 978-697753974
Paperback or eBook


“While reading I believed to experience everything again together with the author.“

“The author’s experiences are very interestingly written. There are many stories that Jürgen Thiel has experienced, which make you think and sometimes make you smile.”

amazon.de, February 2020

I mainly work with start-ups and medium-sized companies in the IT sector. As a result, I am very often confronted with the challenge that due to the lack of qualified IT specialists, especially software developers, product market launches get delayed or innovative ideas cannot be even turned into products at all. For this reason, I founded pyraCode to offer an additional service to my clients by building and managing outsourced software development teams for them.

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