Christian Gericke is a General Manager & CEO for regulated digital businesses with 25+ years of leadership experience at the intersection of corporate management, digital identity and public affairs — where business, politics and public administration meet. Driven by the conviction that organisations in transition can be shaped for the better — with foresight, accountability and a healthy dose of optimism.
25 years of leadership responsibility, five industries, one recurring pattern: leading organisations through change while growing them profitably — increasingly in business models that are regulated, digital and politically relevant at the same time. From restructuring a print and imaging business at Xerox (€150M revenue, +44% growth) to building a SaaS business at Acrolinx, to repositioning bitkasten as a qualified EU Trust Service Provider — he takes on responsibility wherever market development, digital identity and regulatory requirements converge.
As Chief of Public Affairs and Vice President of BITMi, he also negotiates these topics at the political level — bringing insight from both sides of the table: the operational leadership of a company and the regulatory framework that shapes its success. Moving into a new industry is not a risk for him, but the method he has worked with for more than two decades.
"I'm an optimist. I believe organisations — whether companies, associations or municipalities — can be shaped for the better, if you take responsibility instead of just administering."
Married, father of two daughters, deeply rooted in Rheinberg — this optimism shapes not only his work as a leader, but also his private life. When he's not leading organisations through change, you'll find him playing golf or hockey, skiing, or running.
Christian Gericke is a German executive with over 25 years of leadership experience in digitalization, regulatory affairs and digital trust infrastructure. He is Managing Director of d.velop mobile services GmbH, Chief of Public Affairs at d.velop AG, and Vice President of the German Association of IT SMEs (BITMi).
He led business units at Hewlett Packard ($250M revenue, 255 employees across 20 countries), Xerox GmbH (€150M revenue in DACH, 96 employees) and Acrolinx (€20M SaaS revenue across EMEA/APAC). As CEO of bitkasten GmbH, he built the company into a qualified EU Trust Service Provider.
Since November 2024 he has served as Vice President of BITMi and, as spokesperson for the "Digital State" working group, represents the interests of more than 2,500 mid-sized IT companies to policymakers and business leaders, with a focus on digital sovereignty.
Yes, since October 2025 he has been the CDU group leader on the Rheinberg city council. This local political engagement complements his primary role in business.
Three role types fit particularly well: general management positions with full P&L responsibility (CEO, General Manager DACH, Managing Director); regulatory-anchored C-level roles reporting to CEO/board level (Chief Strategy & Regulatory Officer, VP Government Affairs, Chief Public Affairs Officer); and Managing Director roles at PE/VC portfolio companies, particularly carve-outs or software/GovTech businesses.
Across industries: print & imaging (Xerox, HP), enterprise software and SaaS (Acrolinx, smartwork solutions), digital trust services (bitkasten, d.velop), and advocacy work for the IT SME sector (BITMi).