Available now · Term ends in July 2026
If your IT becomes a risk, I'll take responsibility.
Interim CIO for Mid-Sized Businesses — with defense-grade cyber resilience. I don’t provide concepts to ponder; I deliver structures that work.
Direct: +49 174 603 13 77 · Email: office@fzco.eu
Top 100 Interim Managers 2024 · 25 · 26
Digital Sovereignty
NIS2 Compliance
VS-A Security Classifications
45+
Years of experience
200+
Projects Completed Internationally
15 years
longest term in office
48hours
Ransomware Recovery
Does this sound familiar?
Seven situations. One solution.
Most people call when things are already in crisis. That’s perfectly fine. That’s exactly what I’m here for as an interim CIO and consultant.
01
Your IT manager is out of the office—and no one is managing your IT.
02
The NIS2 deadline is approaching, and you’re not sure where you really stand.
03
Your production and IT departments aren’t communicating with each other.
04
Your digital transformation project hasn’t made any progress in months.
05
Customers are demanding proof of cybersecurity and cyber resilience that you cannot provide.
06
You make decisions based on numbers you don’t trust.
07
You need a sparring partner who’s on your level, not just someone who flips through presentation slides.
Two Ways
How can I help you?
Traditional CIO responsibilities in medium-sized businesses or a foothold in the growing defense market. Both from a single source.
Small and Medium-Sized Businesses & Industry
Temporary Interim CIO
IT, OT, and digital leadership with clear results. From stable operations to strategic realignment.
- Stabilizing IT Operations When Leadership Is Absent
- Bringing IT and Production Together (IT/OT Convergence)
- Developing Data Architecture and Reliable Metrics
- Establishing NIS2 and ISO 27001 Readiness
Defense Market
Your Path into the Defense Market
The market is growing. Getting started rarely comes down to technical issues—but rather to evidence, processes, and documentation.
- Develop VS-NfD Capabilities and Security Protection
- Implement NIS2 in the supply chain in a traceable manner
- NATO-AQAP via the Task Force Defense Team
- Hardening IT and OT Systems Against State-Sponsored Threats
Five Competencies
The Red Line: IT and OT as a Single System
Most CIO profiles end at the factory gate. Mine is just getting started there.
01
Cyber Defense Is Leadership
Cyber Defense, Cyber Security, Cyber Resilience. NIS2, VS-NfD, KRITIS, ISO 27001, CRA, EU AI Act
04
Data Analytics
Data Warehouse, Data Lake, Data Virtualization, Data Mesh, Enterprise Data Fabric, Smart Data Fabric. AI based on a robust data foundation.
05
Data-Driven Business Management
KPI logic, governance, dashboards. Decisions instead of gut feelings.
Evidence, Not Assertions
What counts in the end are results
Selected Clients. Clients are generally subject to confidentiality agreements and are named only when authorized to do so.
−70%
Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Facility · 550 employees
Fewer unexpected equipment failures thanks to predictive maintenance. No unplanned production stoppages in the first year.
8 days → Min.
Hospital Group · 1,600 employees · since 2011
Admission and Discharge Reports: Processing time reduced from 4 to 8 days to 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the volume.
VS-A
Critical Infrastructure & High Security · 2026
NIS2 resilience against state-sponsored threat scenarios. Leading a task force in the field of authorized classified information systems.
Votes
What Clients Say
Anyone who stays for 15 years doesn’t need to make any claims about their impact.
"
We greatly value our collaboration with Mr. Sattler, his analytical mindset, and his clear approach to implementation.
Michael Schiffgen
Head of Digital Transformation, Dr. Becker Clinic Group
"
Back in 2018, we worked together to develop a highly secure data collection and real-time data analysis architecture.
Wolfram Schulze
CIO, Rentschler Biopharma SE
"
I have come to know and appreciate Claus Michael Sattler as the CIO of Greifswald University Hospital.
Gerald Tengler
CIO, Greifswald University Hospital
Who I Am
Master Craftsman and Ph.D. in Business Administration
This combination is unusual—and it’s the reason why I’m understood both on the shop floor and on the supervisory board. Over the course of more than 45 years and more than 200 international projects, I have built, secured, and integrated IT and OT infrastructures.
Board Company Certificate
Certified Advisory Board / Board of Directors
Advisory and supervisory boards need individuals who not only understand technological developments but can also use them to identify strategic opportunities and make sound decisions. With expertise in IT, Industry 4.0, digitalization, data-driven corporate management, digital sovereignty, and cyber defense, I effectively steer transformations, identify risks early on, and establish independent structures.
With the Board Certificate from The Board Company, I have expanded this expertise to include corporate governance as well as legal, financial, and strategic aspects of board work. In this way, I combine forward-looking expertise, entrepreneurial thinking, and certified board qualifications into a set of skills that immediately benefit the board.
Nonfiction
My books are not an end in themselves
They are proof that I have thoroughly explored the topics that interest you.
Successfully Implement NIS2 in Small and Medium-Sized Businesses!
Practical Guide for Decision-Makers
Successfully Implementing VS-NfD in Small and Medium-Sized Businesses!
Classified Information Protection & Entry into the Defense Market
Without data, there is no artificial intelligence (AI)
A Different Way of Thinking About Data
