The valantic Advisory Board

We want to keep scrutinizing ourselves as a company and having others scrutinize us. Only in this way can we constantly reinvent ourselves. That’s why we established the valantic Advisory Board.
It challenges our corporate development like an external market observer. It examines us from our customers’ perspective, but also assumes the perspective of future colleagues and compares us to our direct and indirect competitors. The Advisory Board was consciously populated so that it can represent these three points of view.

Business man looking outside the window in an office. Senior business man thinking about work while sitting at his desk in a suit.

The Advisory Board

challenges our corporate development like an external market observer. It examines us from our customers’ perspective, but also assumes the perspective of future colleagues and compares us to our direct and indirect competitors. The Advisory Board was consciously populated so that it can represent these three points of view.

Here, is some information about the members of the valantic Advisory Board:

Michael Nilles – Non-Executive Director, Senior Adviser and Investor

Michael Nilles is a Senior Adviser to Permira and an experienced Non-Executive Director and investor. He works with boards, leadership teams and investors on technology, software and AI-driven value creation, drawing on extensive experience in scaling platform and data businesses and overseeing technology governance with a focus on translating technology and AI capabilities into sustainable growth, recurring revenue and margin expansion.

Michael Nilles, CDTO at VFS Global and member of the valantic Advisory Board

Michael Nilles – Non-Executive Director, Senior Adviser and Investor

Michael has significant board experience across public, private and PE/VC-backed companies in industrial technology, software and digital platforms, including Lufthansa Group, Lufthansa Technik, Adevinta, Schindler, Techem, valantic and VFS Global, as well as high-growth technology ventures such as FogHorn Systems and Predikto.

He held global C-level Digital and Technology Executive roles, including Chief Digital Officer, Chief Digital & Technology Officer and Chief Digital & Information Officer, as well as CEO of a digital business unit and Chair of a Corporate Venture Capital unit. In these roles, he built and scaled digital and software businesses and led large-scale transformations at Schindler, Henkel, Bosch Rexroth and SAP.

Michael holds a master’s degree in business administration and computer science from the University of Cologne, Germany and is an alumnus of the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. He is a recipient of the MIT Sloan Leadership Award and the European Digital Business Innovation Award.

Thomas Becker – Managing Partner at Russell Reynolds Associates

Thomas Becker has been Managing Partner at Russell Reynolds Associates since 1996. With 47 offices around the world, the company advises customers about leadership advisory and executive search. His focal points are technology and digitalization.

As Country Manager, Thomas Becker was responsible for the German business of Russell Reynolds Associates, and is today, in addition to his consulting activities, a founding director of the German national organization of the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC). He is also on the advisory board of another company.

Thomas Becker, Managing Partner at Russell Reynolds Associates and member of the valantic Advisory Board

Thomas Becker – Managing Partner at Russell Reynolds Associates and member of the valantic Advisory Board

After completing his studies in business administration with an emphasis on business informatics, Thomas Becker was first employed by IBM in a variety of national and international leadership positions.

Guido Prehn – Managing Partner of Deutsche Private Equity (DPE)

Guido Prehn is a Managing Partner of Deutsche Private Equity (DPE). He has been an investor for over 15 years and since 2010 co-led the evolution of DPE to one of the largest growth investors in the German speaking market.

Previously, he worked in finance/M&A positions at Allianz, TPG Capital and Merrill Lynch.

He studied in Germany, Argentina and the US and has an MBA from the European Business School.

Portrait of Guido Prehn, Managing Partner of Deutsche Private Equity (DPE) and member of the valantic Advisory Board

Guido Prehn – Managing Partner of Deutsche Private Equity (DPE) and member of the valantic Advisory Board