Johannes Hendel
Specialist (Digital) Brand Communication
Driven by an irrepressible passion for outdoor sports, especially trail running, I have made it my mission to combine the knowledge I have built up over 13 years in brand communication with my expert level experience and skills in mountain sports and trail running. It’s about doing what I love the most. Just that simple.
I can look back on a varied and exciting professional career as an employee, self-employed person, project- and teamleader, head of department, founder and director, which now enables me to take the next step: my goal is to one day put myself unlimited at the service of a brand and use the years of expertise to strengthen that brand. I am ready to take responsibility for people and resources and use my expertise to empower a brand that can make the difference.
What sets me apart is my in-depth interdisciplinary and holistic knowledge and my ability to create identity-forming brand experiences to strengthen fan cultures. Good brands have customers. Excellent brands have fans. It´s all about making fans.
2023 - Today
Independent Trailrunning Media GmbH
Schwaigen, Germany
Freelance Partner digital communication
Realization of an independent medium for trail running
Since October 2023 I have been working with Benjamin Bublak and Christian Bruneß to build a brand for independent trail running journalism with some specific and pretty cool webtools for trailrunner.
2023 - Today
Wiesent-Challenge.de
Waischenfeld, Germany
Freelance Partner event communication
Partnership with Wiesent-Challenge.de
A close partnership grew out of an organizer alliance between the LOWA Ultratrail Fränkische Schweiz and the Wiesent-Challenge. Initially, I supported the Wiesent-Challenge team by activating my (sponsor) network, later I became more involved in helping to shape the Wiesent-Challenge and have been responsible for event communication, digital and print, since the end of 2023.
2022 - Today
TRAIL Magazin
Unterwössen, Germany
Freelance Partner digital communication
Partnership with TRAIL magazine
Through projects combining my expertise in trail running and mountain sports with my know-how and skills as a specialist in digital brand communication, TRAIL Magazine became aware of me and hired me for the relaunch of the online platform with digitalization of the subscriber management. Since then, I have been an active project partner for the operation of the platform.
2021 - Today
LOWA Ultratrail Fränkische Schweiz
Erlangen, Germany
Founder & Director
Foundation of an Ultra Trail event
At the end of 2021, I founded the LOWA Ultratrail Fränkische Schweiz. Since then, as the director of the non-profit organization, I have been leading the event to become one of the most important trail running events in Germany.
2021 - Today
Run and Hike GmbH
Erlangen, Germany
Freelance Senior Consultant
Networking and active partnership
Since the foundation of the Run and Hike Store in the Erlangen Arcaden, I have been working as a freelance consultant for the company with regard to my expertise in (trail) running products and support in the implementation of campaigns.
2021 - 2023
Trailrunning24
Weisendorf, Germany
Freelance Technical Projekt Partner & Designer
Profile sharpening for mountain sports and trail running
Years of experience in editorial work and my skills in platform development flowed into the relaunch of the trailrunning24.de platform in 2021.
2021 - 2022
MOUNTAINMAN
Roßtal, Germany
Freelance Senior Consultant
Entering the event industry
In order to combine my sporting expertise with my professional skills, I decided to specialize in brand communication in the mountain sports and trail running sectors in 2021. As a freelance consultant, I supported the event agency in the areas of customer journey, brand communication and marketing.
2019 - 2021
Birke und Partner
Erlangen, Germany
Head of Digital
Head of Digital Communication and Integration
As an expert in digital brand communication, my path led me back to my former employer and agency partner Birke und Partner. With the aim of digitally transforming brand cultures, I built up a team and headed up the department.
2018 - 2020
LUQEL
Pforzheim, Germany
Technical Project Partner & Designer
Lead of an international project team for platform development
In 2018, I was appointed to the committee for the development of an international journalism platform on the topic of tap water. As a technical project partner, I managed a global team and acted as a bridge between editorial and development.
2017 - Today
Team Schamel
Baiersdorf, Germany
Foundation of the Team Schamel
Establishment of a national ultra trail running team
From a simple athlete sponsorship with the Baiersdorf-based company Schamel Meerrettich, I developed today’s Team Schamel, which is already one of the most important German ultra trail teams on its way to becoming a national top team and is a special case apart from the sports brand-driven teams.
2016 - 2018
OpenKitchen GmbH
Nürnberg, Germany
CTO & Creative Director
Foundation of a sharing economy app
In 2016, I became a partner in the sharing economy start-up OpenKitchen. As CTO and Creative Director, I contributed my holistic expertise and led a global team of developers, designers, strategists and marketers in Germany, Thailand and India.
2016 - 2019
Birke und Partner
Erlangen, Germany
Freelance Senior Consultant
Switch to self-employment
In order to be flexible for further projects and the co-founding of a start-up (OpenKitchen), I became self-employed in 2016, but remained loyal to the Birke und Partner agency as a freelance senior consultant.
2014 - 2016
Birke und Partner
Erlangen, Germany
Junior Consultant
Specialization for brand communication
When I moved to the Erlangen-based communications agency Birke und Partner, I had arrived in the landscape of top agencies. From then on, my goal was to become a specialist in digital brand communication, starting as a junior consultant.
2013 - 2014
Besonders sein GmbH
Nürnberg, Germany
Designer & Developer
Gain experience and expand skills
To gain more experience and acquire new skills, I moved to Nuremberg to work in a traditional advertising agency. But I quickly realized that this was only a short stop on my journey to become an professional.
2011 - 2013
digiskill GmbH
Herzogenaurach, Germany
Web Developer
From male nurse to career changer
As a career changer, I started my career at an agency in 2011, initially as a trainee. Thanks to the knowledge I had accumulated through my own studies since my youth and my talent in design and web development, I was quickly able to contribute my qualities and took over the management of the small agency team after just two years.
Address
Fließbachstraße 6,
91052 Erlangen
post@johannes-hendel.de
Phone
+49 172 835 27 47