Pavel Niederle
CV
Experienced CIO bridging IT and business, 20+ years leading enterprise systems (ERP, EDI, BI) across CEE. Proven record in building IT departments, automation, and AI integration.
Personal data ▽
| Name: | Pavel Niederle |
|---|---|
| Phone: | +420 777 347 474 |
| Email: | pavel@niederle.eu |
| Web: | niederle.eu/pavel |
| LinkedIn: | linkedin.com/in/niederle |
| Address: | Prague, Czechia, Europe |
Executive summary CIO / IT Director▽
Bridges the gap between IT and business — from CEOs and managers to end users. Combines deep technical expertise with strong business understanding and people leadership.
Specialized in IT management for non-IT organizations with a strong internal-customer focus. Experienced in building entire IT departments from the ground up and leading them through growth, transformation, and innovation.
Develops and executes IT strategies that strengthen mission-critical operations, enhance efficiency, and drive measurable business impact. Promotes a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and technological excellence.
Champion of change and digital transformation, aligning technology initiatives with company values and long-term goals while integrating the latest technologies — including artificial intelligence — to maximize efficiency, automation, and competitiveness.
Believes that the best IT systems are built by motivated people — not technology alone. Builds teams that last, not just systems that work.
During the intermittent period (2011–2023), I fully managed and scaled my own global digital platform (500K+ members), demonstrating deep business acumen and technical vision.
Timeline ▽
Key achievements ▽
- Built complete IT departments from zero in multiple organizations; hired and mentored long-term, high-performance teams with exceptionally low turnover.
- Led digital transformation across 5 countries for Zeitgeist & Zeitraum, implementing Microsoft cloud services, Power BI, unified reporting and data-driven decision making for executives.
- Created and scaled a global automotive platform (AutoClub.eu) with 500,000+ registered users and 1M+ monthly visitors, covering 200+ car brands and 40,000+ vehicle models.
- Designed and implemented ERP, EDI and traceability systems for an automotive production plant, ensuring full production continuity, workforce tracking, logistics flow and compliance.
- Integrated AI-driven automation (ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepL) to streamline workflows, reduce manual effort and increase speed and consistency of operations.
Core competencies ▽
- IT Strategy & Leadership
- Digital Transformation / AI
- ERP / EDI / BI Systems
- Process Automation
- Business Continuity & Security
- Team Building & Mentorship
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- Budget & Vendor Management
- Multi-country IT Governance
- Executive / Board Communication
- Change Management
- High-availability Environments
Career ▽
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Business owner Owner
January 2002 – Present (23 years, 10 months) | Prague, Czechia
Founded and built a large-scale automotive web portal and social network connecting car owners and enthusiasts across nearly 200 automotive brands and 40 000 vehicle models. The platform serves over 500 000 registered members worldwide and attracts more than one million monthly visitors.
Responsible for the overall business strategy, operations, product vision, and continuous technological innovation. Designed and developed the entire system architecture, ensuring scalability, reliability, and global reach in a bilingual (Czech/English) environment.
Demonstrated a unique combination of business leadership and deep technical expertise — transforming a personal concept into a sustainable, revenue-generating digital platform that has operated successfully for more than a decade.
IS / IT Manager Employee
July 2024 – November 2024 (4 months) | Prague, Czechia
Short-term engagement; mandate did not fully align with the scope of responsibility. Role ended by mutual agreement during the probation period after delivering two critical initiatives.
Oversaw IT operations and systems management across the ALO Jewelry group, with primary focus on two key initiatives — launching the new HALADA e-shop and stabilizing performance and reliability of the company’s ERP system (K2).
- E-commerce launch: Successfully delivered the HALADA online store — coordinating vendors and internal teams, managing data migration and integrations (payments, logistics), and handing over stable operations.
- ERP (K2) stabilization: Drove triage and resolution of critical issues impacting daily operations (sales, warehouse, finance) and improved system stability and data consistency.
- Operations & governance: Introduced a clear backlog and ownership model for incidents/changes and established a regular cadence with stakeholders for prioritization and follow-through.
Chief Information Officer (CIO) Employee
Zeitgeist Asset Management & Zeitraum
February 2023 – June 2024 (1 years, 5 months) | Prague, Czechia
Led IT operations and digital transformation across the entire ZEITGEIST Asset Management and ZEITRAUM group — a multinational real estate and hospitality holding operating in five Central European countries (Czechia, Germany, Poland, Italy, Hungary).
Managed IT strategy, infrastructure, and local IT teams in seven cities, ensuring business continuity and secure, scalable technology foundations for 13 buildings and over 80 internal employees. Provided IT services for more than 1,200 tenants across residential and student housing facilities, covering WiFi, TV, and access control systems.
Oversaw a diverse technological environment including ~100 servers and workstations, 330 WiFi access points, 250+ cameras, 50+ network switches, 13 firewalls, and multiple operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS). Implemented cloud-based Microsoft infrastructure (Active Directory, Office 365) and led the rollout of Microsoft Power BI across the group — creating the first unified business plan covering all companies, countries, and cities.
Reported directly to the board and collaborated with seven local CEOs. Drove IT modernization, security, and data-driven decision-making to support group growth and operational efficiency.
IS / IT Manager Employee
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC AUTOMOTIVE CZECH s.r.o.
January 2005 – October 2011 (6 years, 10 months) | Slaný, Czechia
Joined the company at its founding stage and built the entire IT environment from the ground up. As the first IT professional on site, I designed and implemented all infrastructure, enterprise systems, and internal processes that enabled full-scale automotive production. Over time, I established a complete IT department and recruited a high-performing, loyal team that became one of the most stable units in the factory — with several team members still employed there more than 20 years later.
Led the development of all mission-critical software systems fully in-house, including ERP, traceability, logistics (lean manufacturing), attendance, and workforce management systems. Collaborated closely with the IT headquarters in Himeji, Japan, and with company executives (President, Vice President, and department managers).
Responsible for IT strategy, budgeting, infrastructure, cybersecurity, vendor management, and coordination with customers (automotive OEMs). Oversaw software developers and system engineers, ensuring innovation, reliability, and alignment with corporate objectives.
Key achievements:
- Built the entire IT department from zero, hiring and mentoring a highly skilled and long-lasting team with the lowest turnover in the company.
- Designed and implemented a complete IT infrastructure and internal systems ecosystem supporting all company operations.
- Led in-house development of a customized ERP system (based on the global Mitsubishi Electric framework) and improved it far beyond the original HQ version, making it truly usable and efficient for local operations.
- Introduced EDI communication with suppliers and customers (orders, forecasts, deliveries, invoicing).
- Implemented Oracle BI for production analytics and management reporting.
- Designed and deployed an advanced traceability and workforce management system, including proprietary hardware terminals with Wi-Fi, RFID, and display modules developed specifically for production lines.
- Established virtualization, Cisco-based networking, and proactive monitoring long before such standards were common practice.
- Managed hybrid IT environments (Microsoft & Linux) covering ERP databases, telephony, mobile systems, and secure connectivity.
Reported to the Vice President; key IT liaison between the Czech factory, global HQ in Japan, and European customers and suppliers.
Chief System Engineer Employee
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC AUTOMOTIVE CZECH s.r.o.
January 2004 – December 2004 (1 year) | Slaný, Czechia
System Engineer Employee
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC AUTOMOTIVE CZECH s.r.o.
April 2002 – December 2003 (1 year, 9 months) | Slaný, Czechia
Strategic IT Leadership & Governance ▽
Leadership & Team Building – Built and led multidisciplinary IT teams (software development, infrastructure, and security). Hired, trained, and mentored specialists to ensure long-term stability and high performance. Established one of the most stable IT teams within the organization, with minimal turnover.
Strategic IT Planning – Defined long-term IT strategy and roadmap aligned with corporate goals. Responsible for IT budgeting, forecasting, and optimization of resources across departments and countries.
Operations Management – Directed daily IT operations including infrastructure, security, and software development. Ensured business continuity, reliability, and compliance with corporate and legal standards.
Project & Process Management – Oversaw full project lifecycles, from concept to deployment. Delivered mission-critical projects on time and within budget. Established internal standards, documentation, and quality control processes.
Policy & Compliance – Created and implemented company-wide IT policies, data security protocols, disaster recovery plans, and license management systems. Cooperated with legal specialists to ensure compliance with GDPR and internal regulations.
Communication & Stakeholder Management – Acted as key liaison between IT and executive leadership, department heads, and external partners. Effectively translated business needs into IT solutions and vice versa.
Risk & Resource Management – Identified and mitigated IT and operational risks. Balanced current and future priorities through proactive planning and contingency measures. –
Vendor & Contract Negotiation – Negotiated with IT suppliers and outsourcing partners, managing procurement, SLAs, and vendor relationships to achieve optimal value and quality.
Continuous Improvement & Innovation – Promoted digital transformation, process automation, and use of emerging technologies (e.g. AI, BI, virtualization, and monitoring systems).
Performance & Development – Defined team objectives, evaluation criteria, and training plans. Supported individual growth and aligned personal development with organizational goals.
Enterprise Solutions Management & Integration ▽
AI ChatGPT & Gemini – Successfully delivered tailor-made AI solutions via API integration, significantly boosting business productivity and process automation.
AI based services – Implemented automated and semi-automated translations between languages using DeepL AI, resulting in significant time and cost savings. This automation eliminates manual errors (such as copy & paste mistakes), increases translation accuracy, and frees up human resources for higher-value tasks.
Business Intelligence (BI) – Implementation of Oracle BI in automotive industry (mainly factory production data). Implementation of Microsoft Power BI in international investment company (mainly business analytics, costs / investment / revenues).
EDI systems (Electronic data interchange) – Automotive industry UN/EDIFACT (EDI messages DELFOR, DELJIT, DESADV, APERAK, ORDERS, RECADV), AS/2, EDI VAN operator (value added network) EDI-box, EDIINT/AS2, OFTP, XML, web-EDI, Aimtec DCI+, Galia/Odette, barcode labeling, ERP interfaces
ERP system (Enterprise resource planning) – SW development, deployment, implementation of ERP system in the automotive factory. Covers production, logistics, warehouse, sales, finance & accounting, forecats & planning (MRP), Just-in-time deliveries, barcode labeling, EDI interfaces.
Traceability systems – SW development, deployment, implementation of finish goods, parts and people traceability in automotive factory production environment. Includes design and custom production of some hardware modules. Includes customer barcodes printing, product barcodes reading, RFID & WiFi technology.
Virtualization & High availability – Migration of physical HW servers to virtual environment (VMWARE). Implementation of high availability for key systems and optimization of other for fast disaster recovery.
Monitoring systems – Implementation of monitoring systems - HW servers, network infrastructure, WiFi VoIP phone system, software server-side services. Implementation of self-error-reporting principle to all software systems.
Network security – Implementation of antivirus software, firewalls, anti-spam system (Symantec, Cisco). Implementation of online encryption for mobile devices. Implementation of VPN networks.
Architecture & Development Team Leadership ▽
Development of banking, accounting, online trading, ERP, EDI, traceability systems. Development of client / server software, desktop applications, server-side services. Development of eshops, community portals, high load website applications, intranets, frameworks, content management systems.
Application Software development, programming – Sybase PowerBuilder, Borland Delphi, Assembler, c++, Pascal, MS Visual Studio, Microsoft VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), Win32 API, OOP (Object-Oriented Programming)
Web development – PHP, ASP (VBScript), Perl, JavaScript, XML, HTML, DHTML, CSS, Bootstrap, jQuery, Ajax, Adobe Photoshop, Google Analytics, Google Search Console / Google Webmaster Tools, Google AdSense, memcache, xcache, bash scripting, nginx, Apache, IIS, ActiveX, SysUsage, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), LAMP
Database development – Oracle + PL/SQL, MS-SQL (Microsoft SQL Server) + Transact-SQL, MySQL, MariaDB, Percona, PostgreSQL, Sybase SQL Server, Microsoft Access, XML
Languages ▽
- Czech & Slovak: Native speaker
- English : Professional working proficiency
- German : Basic (actively improving)
Courses ▽
- ERP systems development training (Himeji, Japan)
- EDI systems implementation training (Paris, France)
Education ▽
SPŠE V Úžlabině
Information Systems, Electronic Computer Systems.
Electrical Engineering school focused on computer technology, electronics, information technology and automation, secondary school, graduate.
Other skills & interests ▽
Known for building strong, loyal teams and delivering complex IT solutions with long-term sustainability.
Soft skills
- Strategic thinker with strong execution discipline — delivers complex goals through structure and persistence.
- Natural leader who builds trust, supports growth, and motivates high-performing teams.
- Analytical mindset with deep business understanding; drives fact-based decisions.
- Fast learner and self-driven innovator, able to quickly master new technologies and adapt to change.
- Proven ability to communicate across all organizational levels and multicultural environments.
Hard skills
- Broad expertise across automotive manufacturing, real estate asset management, and financial environments.
- Deep understanding of ERP, EDI, BI, automation and AI integration in large organizations.
- Proven ability to align technology with business goals and lead transformation across countries.
- Driving licence (over 400 000 km); motorboat licence – no power limit.
Hobbies & interests
Cars & motorsport, technology innovation, team leadership & mentoring, strength training & fitness, swimming, outdoor endurance challenges.
Personal values ▽
Actively supports Ukraine and stands against Russian aggression. Provided humanitarian and financial aid (over CZK 160,000) and hosted a Ukrainian family fleeing the war.
Believes in fairness, integrity and accountability as the foundation of leadership. Treats people with respect and leads by example.