About
๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐จ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ We make screen-free products that let kids play, learn, and grow independently. Almost 12 million Tonieboxes activated, more than 150 million Tonies sold, present in 100+ countries. Listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (SDAX).I took over as CEO in January 2024 from our founders Patric Fassbender and Marcus Stahl, who built this company and category from scratch. My job is to turn what they started into a true global icon. That means scaling internationally, innovating the platform, and staying true to what makes tonies special: a product that parents trust and children love.Before tonies, I spent 20+ years building and scaling high growth businesses globally - including as a founder myself. What drew me to tonies was the rare combination of a beloved brand, a powerful platform model, and a mission that actually matters a lot to me. At tonies, everything starts with listening. By putting listening first, we create stories that don't just enโฆ
Experience
Ceo
toniesยฎ ยท Dรผsseldorf
Present
At tonies, weโre on a mission to redefine how children play and learn through the magic of screen-free, interactive audio. With over 10 million Tonieboxes and 135 million Tonies sold worldwide, weโve created the worldโs largest interactive audio platform for kids. Founded in 2013 in Germany - where every second child now owns a Toniebox - weโre proud to bring joy, imagination, and learning to families in over 100 countries. Our award-winning, child-safe audio system invites young minds to explore stories, music, and educational content independently. From beloved Disney classics to Marvel adventures, and over 4,400 digital titles available through our app and library, tonies offers something magical for every child. With offices spanning nine cities, including Dรผsseldorf, Berlin, London, Paris, and Melbourne, our global team of 550 is passionate about expanding our vision internationally. On average, Tonieboxes keep kids engaged for 270 minutes a week, making them the perfect everydayโฆ
Angel Investor
Quando GmbH ยท Wiesbaden
Present
Investing in digital platforms and marketplaces. Speak to us if youโd like to discuss your idea.
Member Digital Finance Forum
Bundesministerium der Finanzen ยท Berlin, Deutschland
Advising the German Federal Ministry of Finance on digital finance matters
Ceo
Xempus AG ยท Mรผnchen, Bayern, Deutschland
Xempus is one of the fastest growing insurtechs in Europe backed by some of the most renowned global growth investors.
Global Ceo, Oyo Vacation Homes
OYO ยท Amsterdam Area, Netherlands
OYO Vacation Homes (formerly @Leisure Group) is now a 100% subsidiary of OYO and one of the leading vacation home rental companies in the world. OYO is one of the fastest growing hospitality chains in the world delivering full stack technology and revenue management solutions to hotel operators and vacation home owners across the globe. Backed by Softbank, Lightspeed, Sequoia and Airbnb; raised $3.2 B in venture capital.
Ceo
@Leisure Group ยท Amsterdam
Before being acquired by OYO, the @Leisure Group was the 3rd largest managed vacation rental company in the world. @Leisure Groupโs model centered around a great customer experience for both homeowners and guests, built on cutting edge technology and data.
Vice President & General Manager
HomeAway ยท Frankfurt Am Main Area, Germany
Based in Austin, Texas, HomeAway, Inc. (now rebranded to Vrbo) is an online marketplace of vacation rentals. Vrbo is now part of Expedia Group and offers homeowners and property managers exposure to over 750 million visits to Expedia Group sites each month. My role at HomeAway primarily focused on managing the unparalleled growth of the marketplaces in Europe. At the time, the company had been going through rapid expansion and was parent to multiple companies. I joined with the IPO and was on board until shortly before HomeAway was successfully sold to Expedia in 2015, a deal valued at $3.9 billion.
Director, Emea
VeriSign ยท Fribourg, Switzerland
Verisign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) is an American company based in Reston, Virginia that operates a diverse array of network infrastructure, including two of the Internet's thirteen root nameservers, the authoritative registry for the .com, .net, and .name generic top-level domains and the .cc and .tv country-code top-level domains, and the back-end systems for the .jobs, and .edu top-level domains. Verisign also offers a range of security services, including managed DNS, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) mitigation and cyber-threat reporting. During my time at VeriSign, my priorities focused on building up their business presence in Europe, starting as Managing Director in Germany to eventually directing their European businesses on a wider scope. I focused on running various sales teams, growth strategy, M&A, and organizational realignment.
Director, Strategic Development Group
Global strategy, M&A, divestitures, organizational realignment
Managing Director
Responsible for all commercial activities in the DACH region.
Co-Founder and Ceo
1GlobalPlace AG
1GlobalPlace AG was a domain name registration company specialized in complex corporate brand protection. I started this company together with two friends from my studying time at UCLA. The company was successfully sold to VeriSign in December 2001.
Education
Universitรคt Witten/Herdecke
MBA, Economics
UCLA Anderson School of Management
Research Term, Economics
Find leads like Tobias
Origami finds your ideal customers across 15+ data sources with a single prompt.
Try Origami Free