Who I am
Friederike Helmchen — Listen. Understand. Think ahead.
Diplom-Ökonomin (German business degree). Master Business with AI. Business psychologist (in training). Experience from complex projects and transformation processes in public and private-sector organisations.
My story
What I bring
I'm Friederike — a Diplom-Ökonomin and strategic transformation manager, with experience from complex projects and transformation processes. In the events industry I learned what it means to deliver under pressure, build workflows, and coordinate people. In the public sector I supported administrative reforms, and my thesis back in 2004 already covered communication processes in administrative-reform projects — transformation management, just without the name.
Alongside that, I've spent years in change and transformation management, CRM setup, agile methods, and process digitisation. My Master Business with AI was the logical next step: I wanted to understand what AI can really do — not just as a user, but strategically. My current training in business psychology closes a gap I'd felt for a long time: the "how" of change is never technology — it's always people.
Helmchen-Studio is where all of that comes together. For organisations that want to not just introduce AI, but genuinely embed it. That want to build a learning culture that outlasts any single rollout. And for people who want to find their own way through change.
Where this technology comes from and what it stands for matters to me too: I favour a European approach to AI — human-centred, transparent, and aligned with the EU AI Act and GDPR. To me that's not just a compliance box to tick, it's a stance: digital sovereignty instead of blind dependence on non-European providers.
In a nutshell
Four things that define me
AI & Learning
Someone who tries AI herself before judging it — as interested in the technology as in what it does to us.
Transformation & People
Someone who thinks about change starting from the human side.
Society & Democracy
Someone who cares deeply about democracy and a strong Europe.
Who I am
Someone who never feels finished — and sees that as drive, not a shortcoming.
I volunteer as a board member at Women in Exhibitions and am a member of the GPM network. My professional network across business, academia and public administration has grown over years of real project work.
Qualifications & experience
A profile that's rarely seen
Strategic project and transformation manager with experience from complex projects and transformation processes in public-sector-adjacent and private-sector contexts. Focus on cross-functional process and governance design, implementation of digital, audit-proof workflows, and data-/AI-driven management tools.
Education & certifications
M.Sc. Business Psychology
In training · Focus: neuroscience, organisational psychology, learning culture
Master Business with AI (MBAI®)
Hochschule Fresenius with Leaders of AI · 90+ hours
Certified Agile Leader Advanced Expert
Steinbeis Augsburg Business School · 100 hours across 5 modules, with distinction
IPMA® Level D · Certified Project Management Associate
PM-ZERT / GPM Deutsche Gesellschaft für Projektmanagement · valid until 2029
Six Sigma – Yellow Belt
IFM Institut für Managementberatung
IREB® Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering
Foundation Level · iSQI
Scrum Master
Brainbirds Academy
Diplom-Ökonomin
Thesis: "Designing communication processes in administrative-reform projects"
Focus areas
From administrative reforms to digital transformation in the private sector.
My approach
What I believe in
Evidence over trends
I only work with methods that are scientifically grounded. No feel-good buzzwords without substance.
Honesty
I say what I think — even when it's uncomfortable. Growth rarely happens inside the comfort zone.
Sustainability
Short-term motivation is easy. My goal is deep, lasting change.
Let's get to know each other
Curious?
The first conversation is free. I'd love to learn more about you and your goals.