Thorsten Rhode — the operator behind marqueteer
20 years of strategic marketing leadership — for corporates, with mid-sized companies, in PE situations. Always operational, never just advisory.
Twenty years of marketing experience with international organisations — P&G, Ehrmann, Disney, Mattel, Kodak. Followed by operational mandates in mid-sized companies and PE portfolio businesses: two years on the executive board of a PE-backed mobility manufacturer (TOPRO), 15 months interim leadership at a premium tea brand (Ronnefeldt), Marketing Director at a regional retailer with ~€300M revenue (Super King Markets). marqueteer is the structure under which this work happens today — as a solo operator with a clear methodological framework, no agency layer, no junior team in between.
Why marqueteer exists
After twenty years in and with large corporations, a pattern became clear: mid-sized companies and growing businesses face the same go-to-market challenges as large organisations — but without the structures, the expertise, and the leadership to solve them systematically. What they get instead: agencies selling campaigns. Consultants leaving slide decks behind. And nobody who takes accountability for actually implementing the plan.
marqueteer closes exactly that gap: the same strategic depth that's taken for granted in corporates — applied in organisations that normally can't access this calibre of expertise. Not as a consultant. As an operational partner.
Where the methodology comes from
The Go-To-Market Value Chain approach wasn't developed at a desk. It came from twenty years of operational experience in organisations where marketing is a board-level function — with P&L responsibility, cross-functional decision authority, and direct influence on business strategy.
On the agency side, for P&G: structured consumer insight thinking and fact-based decision frameworks. At Ehrmann: US$ 30M in new product sales, 3,000 new retail listings, 5–12% COGS reduction through recipe optimisation, 50% coupon redemption rate. At TOPRO: Building a new product category from scratch - from brand to launch to digital lead gen for the sales team.
Experience and expertise — not just name-dropping. The diagnostic framework, the cross-functional thinking, the ability to communicate in board language: these were learned in organisations that treat marketing as a strategic discipline. marqueteer brings the same calibre of thinking to companies that don't normally have access to it.
The solo-operator model — and why it's an advantage
The obvious question: can one person genuinely cover all of this?
The answer depends on what "all of this" means. If it means running a 50-person marketing department — no, that's not the offer. If it means diagnosing a go-to-market problem across functions, building a phased plan, presenting it to the board, hiring the right people, installing the right processes, and enabling the team to run independently — yes. The engagement record documents exactly that.
The structural advantage: no handoff. In a typical consultancy, the partner sells and associates execute. At an agency, the creative director pitches and a junior team produces. At marqueteer, the same person is present in every conversation, every analysis, every board presentation, every team coaching session — without filter, without information loss.
When the situation warrants more than one operator, the Chameleon Collective bench is available, for example: senior CxO colleagues across Sales, CX, and Commerce. The accountability stays clear — one person responsible, one point of contact.
Certifications & credentials
- Member BVMW — National Association of Small-/Medium-Sized Businesses > Profile
- BAFA-Accredited Consultant — eligible for (German) strategy project subsidies
- Master Management with Artificial Intelligence (MM AI) — SGO Business School, 2025
- Member, Chameleon Collective — US-based global network of senior interim and fractional operators
AI is, subject to prior consultation, used as a practical tool in every engagement: market research, competitive analysis, innovation pipeline development. The credential supports the approach. It doesn't define it.
Industry and market breadth
Not an industry specialist. A methodology specialist.
The Go-To-Market Value Chain works across industries because the diagnostic logic is structural — not sector-specific. The engagement portfolio demonstrates this: FMCG/CPG (dairy, produce, tea, nutritional supplements), healthcare and mobility (medical devices, assistive technology), food and beverage retail, manufacturing, B2B (solar technology), entertainment (Disney, Mattel, Kodak).
Industry knowledge sits with the client. GTM expertise sits with marqueteer. The combination works better than either alone.
The starting point for every conversation
Thorsten Rhode doesn't take on mandates where the fit isn't clear. The first conversation has one purpose: to honestly establish whether marqueteer is the right answer to the specific situation.
If yes, the next step is defined. If not, that's stated directly.