I’m Michael Bollhoefer — strategist, design leader and trusted advisor to founders and Fortune 500 teams. For 20 years I’ve helped organizations cut through noise, align people, and build brands and products that matter.
I operate at the intersection of business strategy, human psychology and craft. My work is not decoration — it’s decision-making made visible.
Trained as an industrial engineer, shaped as a brand designer, trusted as a board-level advisor. I started in Munich building interfaces, led design orgs in Berlin and Amsterdam, and today I coach CEOs through rebrands, mergers, product pivots and cultural resets.
Four focused practices. No bloated agency process. Senior attention, sharp frameworks, tangible outcomes.
Positioning, portfolio audits, OKRs and roadmaps. Intensive workshops with leadership to kill fuzzy goals and align on what truly moves revenue and reputation. Includes stakeholder interviews, synthesis and a 30-60-90 action plan.
Naming, visual identity, tone of voice and guidelines that survive real-world stress. From stealth startups to 100-year-old Mittelstand icons — brands that look confident and behave consistently everywhere.
Awwwards-level websites, design systems and SaaS UX. I combine storytelling with behavioral science to lift activation by 20-60%. Prototyped fast, tested with users, built to scale.
Executive coaching, design org audits and hiring playbooks. I help CTOs, CPOs and founders build creative cultures where feedback is honest, decisions are fast and talent stays.
A snapshot of transformations — from stealth AI startups to heritage manufacturers. Each project: less noise, more signal.
+43% activation, Series C secured
Design system + 4.9★ app rating
Global rollout in 18 markets
Narrative, site, deck in 6 weeks
2.4x conversion, Awwwards Honor
eNPS from 12 to 67
Deep interviews, data review, customer calls. I find the real blockers nobody puts in slides.
One-page strategy: who we serve, why we win, what we ignore. Signed by leadership.
Rapid prototypes, identity routes, story drafts. Tested weekly with real users.
Playbooks, training and handover. Your team owns it — I stay on call.
“Michael did in three days what three consultancies couldn’t in three months — gave us a story everyone believes.”
— Lena Hartmann, CEO NordpayFintech, Berlin“Rare mix of rigor and taste. Our product finally feels as good as our technology is.”
— David Okafor, CPO VitalisHealthtech, Amsterdam“He challenged our 120-year-old assumptions with respect — and united three generations of owners.”
— Jonas Bollwerk, Owner Bollwerk GroupManufacturing, ZurichEssays, frameworks and field notes on strategy, creativity and leading through change. New piece every two weeks.
Typically within 2–3 weeks. Sprints are booked quarterly. For urgent launches, I keep one flex slot per month — ask about availability.
Both. I lead personally and bring in trusted specialists — motion, copy, engineering — only when needed. You never pay for bench time.
Clarity sprints start at €9k, full identities from €25k, product programs scoped after a diagnostic call. No hourly billing — fixed outcomes.
Yes — 14 countries so far. Workshops in English or German, remote or on-site in Berlin, Zurich, Amsterdam, New York.
Tell me where it hurts: fuzzy positioning, tired brand, stalled product, divided team. I reply within 24h with honest first thoughts — free.