Kathleen Bartho

Management consulting & coaching · Organizational development · Digital & regulatory change · Financial PMO

Structure for the work. Clarity for the people.

I support leaders and teams through complex digital and regulatory programs: sound governance, financial control, and delivery discipline, combined with coaching that strengthens how people collaborate, decide, and follow through when pressure is high.

Consulting & coaching Collaboration & leadership Financial PMO & IT controlling PMO & program leadership

About

I work in a dual role: as a management consultant I bring structure to portfolios, finances, and operating models; as a coach I help teams build the habits of collaboration that make those models stick. The strongest framework fails when roles are unclear, trust is low, or decisions stall, so I treat process design and how people work together as one conversation, not two.

My foundation is the Diplom-Kauffrau für Europäische Wirtschaft (FH), a German business degree comparable to an MBA, together with fifteen years as project lead, PMO lead, and IT project lead in large programs. I design governance and steering for digital and AI-related change (including EU AI Act readiness, risk and control frameworks, and executive-ready reporting).

Training as an art & creative therapist and movement coach informs how I facilitate difficult topics, reduce friction in groups, and keep leadership grounded under complexity. I combine corporate-scale experience with pragmatic, startup-style execution, always anchored in what teams can sustain in day-to-day work.

How I can help

Financial control sponsors can stand behind

When portfolios are complex, leadership needs one coherent story on cost, risk, and commitments, not competing versions of the truth.

  • CAPEX/OPEX views, forecasts, and variances that hold up in scrutiny
  • IT program controlling aligned to closing cycles and audit expectations
  • Portfolio KPIs and reporting that answer “so what?” before the committee meets
  • Governance and control design that reduces surprises without killing pace
  • Steering prep with clear trade-offs, asks, and financial risk narratives

Operating models that survive real delivery

Blueprints only pay off when processes, decision rights, and day-to-day program rhythm match how your organization actually works.

  • End-to-end process and target operating models grounded in real handoffs
  • Steering models, PMO setups, and risk forums that scale without bureaucracy theater
  • Regulatory- and AI-related change framed with practical controls and narratives
  • Hands-on leadership for IT- and business-led initiatives across stakeholders
  • Artifacts and reporting your teams can own after the assignment ends

Collaboration and coaching under pressure

Even strong governance stalls when trust, roles, or candor break down; I bring consulting and coaching together when you need both.

  • Leadership and team coaching alongside or next to delivery work
  • Facilitation for alignment sessions, steering moments, and difficult trade-offs
  • Sharper roles, interfaces, and shared norms for how teams work together
  • Steady support when overload, conflict, or ambiguity spike
  • Psychological safety paired with explicit accountability and outcomes

Experience Highlights

Since 2019

CEO & Founder, 99active Ltd. & Co. KG

Community tech platform · Organizational architecture · Vision & execution

07/2023 – today

Senior Management Consultant, Stadtwerke Flensburg

Process architecture, SAP EEG Billing, governance & process coaching

04/2019 – 07/2022

Senior Consultant GRC & Organizational Integration, DVB Bank SE

Governance frameworks, KPI/KRI monitoring, post-merger integration

09/2016 – 12/2018

Senior Project Lead Transformation, Adidas Global IT

International transformation program

2011 – 2016

Senior roles in PM, Controlling & Compliance

E.ON, EnBW, DFB IT subsidiary

What clients usually ask first

Below is the practical stuff procurement and sponsors care about: how the work runs, what you get, and how it lands with teams. Product names matter less than fit with how you already govern and report.

How engagements are shaped

Clear scope, cadence, and sponsor touchpoints from the start, whether the need is financial PMO, process and governance design, program leadership, coaching, or a deliberate mix.

Steering and transparency

Rolling views on cost, risk, and delivery that match your committees: what changed, why it matters, and what decision you need, without drowning leadership in detail.

Artifacts you can reuse

Decision logs, interface maps, process and target operating models, control and audit narratives, and reporting packs your organization can own after the assignment.

Your systems, not mine

I work inside your landscape, commonly SAP-centric process and data environments plus the collaboration and reporting tools you already use, so knowledge stays with you.

Delivery style

Rhythm and rigor are matched to regulation, dependency risk, and team maturity, not a one-size label. The goal is predictability and clean handovers, not methodology theatre.

Where coaching shows up

When stakes are high, I help leaders and teams align on how they decide, escalate, and speak honestly under pressure, so structure in slides becomes behavior in the room.

Frameworks and software are only useful when people share the same story about purpose, roles, and trade-offs. That is the thread between consulting and coaching.

Let’s talk

If you want stronger delivery discipline and healthier collaboration in the same engagement, I would be glad to explore fit, whether the priority is financial PMO, governance, program leadership, or team coaching.

Impressum

Kathleen Bartho
Management Consulting und Coaching
Werkstraße 2
76477 Elchesheim-Illingen

Kathleen@Kathleen-Bartho.de
+49 07245 9471861
+49 176 42 57 34 93
VAT ID DE280103988