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Innovative Spirit and Cloud Expertise Bolster Leading Craft Software Group – Craftnote Duo and Cloud CTO Strengthen Management Team

13.01.22 | Share

Bernd Sengpiehl, Gleb Christoffel, and Michael Mahlberg Join Forces to Bolster Cross-Industry Craft Software Provider

Karlsruhe, January 13, 2022 – The company group, consisting of Taifun, M-Soft, and PinnCalc, unites leading German software manufacturers for the crafts sector and expands its management team to position itself for the digital future. The expansion welcomes Bernd Sengpiehl, Gleb Christoffel, and Michael Mahlberg to management roles. Sengpiehl, an experienced business informatics professional who previously held management positions at IGEL Technology, a portfolio company of TA Associates, Lexware, and the Haufe Group, joins as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Christoffel, founder and former CEO of Craftnote, takes on the role of Chief Product Officer (CPO). Mahlberg, who served as CMO of Craftnote, assumes the position of Head of Growth. Together, they will enhance the group’s innovation capabilities. The project is supported by LEA Partners, an investor aiming to build the leading crafting platform in German-speaking countries. The group plans to invest in existing products while developing a new cloud platform.

Digital Craftsmanship’s Future

The personnel expansion aims to consolidate expertise, reinforce competencies, and create a team capable of guiding proven solutions into the future. This will help companies in all trades address urgent tasks. In a market with a skilled labor shortage and increasing order volumes, businesses must constantly boost efficiency. Automating routine administrative tasks is an ideal starting point for further digitization and integration of various, previously separate software solutions. The group’s vision is to provide all necessary solutions from a single source. The companies involved possess long-standing market experience and industry expertise, enabling them to adapt to the needs of a new, digitally savvy generation of craftsmen.

The holding company represents sustainable investment and solutions that combine craftsmanship tradition and technological innovation, focusing on customer needs. To remain future-proof, mobile capabilities play a significant role, allowing tradesmen to interact with all systems via their devices while on-site or with customers. The shared vision is context-related software that adapts to the user and specific applications.

Industry Expertise at its Finest

CEO Dominik Hartmann’s leadership team gains an edge with the three high-caliber additions, bringing a wealth of experience to the table. Bernd Sengpiehl, Gleb Christoffel, and Michael Mahlberg are excited to join the group and contribute their expertise in technology, product development, and growth. The trio’s diverse backgrounds and proven track records align perfectly with the group’s innovative spirit and customer focus.

Bernd Sengpiehl

Bernd Sengpiehl, a business informatics expert with over two decades of management experience in medium-sized companies, joins the craft software group in the key role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Sengpiehl’s most recent position was COO at IGEL Technology, where he played an instrumental role in the company’s transformation into a cloud player. Before that, he served as CIO of Haufe Group, overseeing group-wide development organizations, including the Lexware portfolio.

Sengpiehl’s extensive experience in renewing ERP and legacy systems on both national and international levels, as well as his expertise in implementing agile organizational structures and cloud technologies, aligns perfectly with the group’s vision.

Sengpiehl and the group’s CEO, Dominik Hartmann, have a history of collaboration at Lexware, ensuring their goals and vision are well-aligned. “I am excited about our future collaboration,” says Sengpiehl. “Software for craftsmen is an exciting field with significant development potential, and I am confident that we will succeed in further expanding our leading position.”

Bernd Sengpiehl, Chief Technology Officer

Gleb Christoffel

Gleb Christoffel, founder of Craftnote and experienced business economist, joins the craft software group as Chief Product Officer (CPO). With over six years in the real estate industry as a site manager and project developer, Christoffel identified the need for better communication within the crafts sector, leading to the development of the Craftnote app. In his new role, Christoffel will focus on digital solutions and customer-centric thinking.

Christoffel notes, “In our market segment, few software providers have successfully managed a cloud transformation or offered reasonable mobile solutions. This highlights the direction we need to take. I am proud to actively support this ambitious project, and in the future, we aim to provide complete software solutions for businesses in all trades.”

Michael Mahlberg

Joining the team as Head of Growth is IT specialist Michael Mahlberg. With a diverse background in web development, marketing, data analysis, and entrepreneurship, Mahlberg is well-equipped to drive the group’s growth further. “I’m eager to take on the challenge of accelerating our growth as a market leader and pioneer in cloud ERP industry software. Together, we will realize the group’s vision of an integrated craftsman platform,” says Mahlberg.

Group CEO Dominik Hartmann is excited to welcome the new executives, stating, “I am confident that Bernd, Gleb, and Michael will perfectly fit into the team and provide further momentum for our growth. They all have experience in scaling teams and are up to the great challenges of the future. We all share the same innovative spirit and customer focus, which forms an ideal basis for fruitful collaboration.”

Michael Mahlberg, VP Digital Marketing

About the Group

Five German software houses form a group collectively supplying over 15,000 businesses and 100,000 craftsmen with tailor-made software, aiming to accelerate industry digitization. The accumulated customer sales amount to more than 10 billion euros. TAIFUN, M-Soft, PinnCalc, bauOffice, and Engel Dataconcept offer sophisticated industry solutions, providing support in order processing, merchandise management, and accounting, in the office, on mobile devices, and on construction sites. The group is backed by LEA Partners, a Karlsruhe-based technology investor. Dominik Hartmann, the CEO, has driven the digital transformation of small and medium-sized German companies through his extensive experience with Microsoft and Lexware.

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