Marketing Leader · Founder · ESSEC & Mannheim MBA

I build brands that move markets — and companies that change them.

As a Marketing Leader, I scale products from niche to mass market. As founder of Solarquartier, I bring the energy transition to German multi-family buildings.

+50 %
Sign-ups YoY
8-figure
Media budget
 –20 %
CAC YoY
Exec. MBA
ESSEC & MBS
Experience at WISO Steuer Taxfix Finanztip
Florian Machnow
Selected Work
AI Safe Space — WISO Steuer KI-TVC Scene 01 AI Innovation · TVC

Safe Space
Germany's first AI-produced TVC

Challenge: The "Yellow Room" campaign performed well in the lower funnel but failed to address the emotional barrier: tax filing is perceived as dry and anxiety-inducing — especially among first-time filers and Gen Z. Meanwhile, production costs of traditional TVCs kept rising.

My approach: Conception and project leadership of the first fully AI-produced TVC by a major German software company. No shoot, no set, no travel. The AI-generated world transformed a dry obligation into a "safe" feeling. Result: 98.8% less CO₂ emissions while achieving over 50 % Search Lift according to Google — far exceeding our expectations.

+50 %
Search Lift (Google)
–98,8 %
CO₂ vs. traditional production
100 % KI
No shoot · No set
End-to-End
Agency selection to go-live
Generative AITVC ProductionAgency SelectionProjektleitung
Florian elevated the WISO Steuer brand to the next level, setting the strategic course to reach our new core target audience and building a highly motivated in-house content and creative production team. He is data-driven, thinks AI-first, and tackles every project from TVC to social media with outstanding success.
Peter Schmitz Peter Schmitz CEO, Buhl Tax Service GmbH
Der Gelbe Raum — WISO Steuer Scene 02 Full Funnel · 360°

Der Gelbe Raum
360° Full-Funnel Campaign

Challenge: Despite 2M users, WISO Steuer lacked a consistent visual campaign identity across the entire marketing funnel.

My approach: Development of the "Yellow Room" as the sole creative framework for the entire 360° campaign. Ownership of all performance assets: SEA creatives (PMax, UAC, Search, DemandGen), Social Paid (Meta, TikTok), influencer partnerships, and podcast integrations. Adapted across 100+ audience clusters.

+50 %
Sign-ups YoY
–90 %
Production costs
100+
Audience clusters
360°
TVC · SEA · Social · OOH
Creative DirectionSEA & PerformanceSocial PaidInfluencerPodcastIn-housing
Social Media — WISO Steuer Scene 03 Social · Organic & Paid ↗

Social Media
Built organic, in-housed paid

Challenge: WISO Steuer's social media channels consisted of static infographics with minimal reach. The core target audience (18–29) was not being reached. Paid social was fully managed externally — expensive and without creative control.

My approach in three phases: In 2024, I built organic from scratch — TikTok-first, authentic short-form content instead of high-gloss. Result: 10M organic views per month. In 2025, I in-housed organic production. In 2026, the big move: full in-housing of paid social campaign management incl. production of 100+ different creatives per month. Result: 20% lower CAC while nearly doubling the media budget.

10 Mio.
Organic views / month
–20 %
CAC reduction
100+
Creatives pro Monat
~2x
Media budget scaled
Organic & PaidTikTok-FirstIn-housingCreative ProductionCampaign ManagementBudget Scaling
Solarquartier — Solar energy for multi-family buildings
SOLARQUARTIER solarquartier.com
SOLARQUARTIER.COM Solar energy for multi-family buildings · Berlin
Visit ↗
Scene 04 Founding · CleanTech

The idea: In Germany, the energy transition in the building sector fails due to complexity — especially for multi-family buildings. Homeowner associations, property managers, and landlords want solar, but the market is fragmented and opaque.

My approach: Co-Founder and responsible for the entire go-to-market strategy: brand building, SEO content architecture, website development, CRM integration (Zoho), and lead generation. From idea to working sales funnel — without external support.

Co-Founder
Solarquartier GbR
0 → 1
Full GTM built
SEO
Content cluster strategy
B2B
HOAs · Property mgmt · Landlords
FoundingGo-to-MarketSEO & ContentCRM & AutomationWeb DevelopmentB2B Sales
Director's Note
Florian Machnow
About me

From journalist to
Marketing Leader to Founder

My journey began with a traineeship at Finanztip, where I learned to communicate complex financial topics in a way that drives action.

At Taxfix, I owned marketing end-to-end for the first time: YouTube channel, B2B communications, the "Tax Talk Kids" brand campaign — reaching tens of millions.

As Marketing Leader at WISO Steuer, I scale a product with 2M subscribers: Creative Direction, multichannel campaigns with an 8-figure budget, in-housing, and AI integration.

In parallel, I co-founded Solarquartier — because I don't just want to build brands for other companies, but my own products that make a difference.

My Executive MBA at ESSEC & Mannheim equips me for the next step: Head of Marketing or CMO at a high-growth company.

Since 2025

Co-Founder — Solarquartier GbR, Berlin

Solar for multi-family buildings. GTM, Brand, SEO, Sales

Since 2023

Marketing Leader — WISO Steuer / Buhl Data

Creative Direction, 8-figure budget, in-housing, AI integration

2021 – 2023

Content & Brand Marketing — Taxfix

YouTube, B2B communications, Tax Talk Kids

2020 – 2021

Editor — Finanztip

Financial journalism, SEO content

Ongoing

Executive MBA — ESSEC & Mannheim

Strategy, Finance, Leadership — preparing for C-level

Competencies

Growth Strategy

Von 0→1 und von 1→N. Go-to-Market für Startups und Skalierung etablierter Produkte. +50 % Sign-ups bei WISO Steuer.

Brand Building

Brand identities for crowded markets. 360° campaigns across TVC, digital, OOH, and social.

Performance & Data

Data-driven optimization across Google Ads, Meta, and TikTok. Granular audience segmentation.

Team Building & Leadership

Building and leading marketing teams and agency ecosystems. 8-figure budget responsibility.

AI-Native Marketing

Erste vollständig KI-produzierte TVC Deutschlands. 80-90 % Kostensenkung durch KI-Workflows.

Founder DNA

Solarquartier: From idea to sales funnel — without an external team. I don't wait for resources, I create them.

Thought Leadership

Financial Expertise & Author

Over ten years of experience at the intersection of finance, tax, and consumer tech. Published author, webinar speaker, and sought-after expert in personal finance and FinTech.

Creative & Brand Leadership

Strategic direction and full ownership of all creatives for WISO Steuer. Building and leading in-house creative teams. Leadership across the entire funnel — from brand to performance.

Executive MBA

ESSEC Business School (Paris) & Mannheim Business School. FT-ranked #18 worldwide. Focus: Strategy, Finance, Leadership, and AI disruption.

AI-First Pioneer

First fully AI-produced TVC by a German software company. LinkedIn thought leadership on Generative AI in marketing.

Next Chapter

Head of Marketing. CMO. Founder.

I'm looking for the next challenge — at a startup or scale-up that wants to grow through bold strategy and technology.

Get in touch LinkedIn