About
Thorsten Rhode is a global marketer in the truest sense: raised in Europe, he later spent the better part of his career in the US, working across borders more often than not. He 'grew up' in global ad agency networks, initially guiding international accounts for the likes of Procter & Gamble or Disney - before moving client-side (and to the US). Here, he worked on various assignments in the tourism, toy, CPG and entertainment sector, either leading global campaigns or implementing them locally. Hence his philosophy: Think global. Act local. His formative years were already spent on both sides of the Atlantic. He got his graduate business degree in Germany - and was the youngest Visiting Scholar in the MBA Program at the University of Southern California. Internships at at an advertising agency in Frankfurt (Germany) and the German American Chamber of Commerce (New YOrk) round out the picture. As a US-American & German dual citizen, he feels at home in most parts of the world, having done project work for Asia-based tourism boards as well. He considers himself an avid traveler, but admits to have never been to Africa (bucket list?).
How Thorsten helps
The roles Thorsten steps into. Select one to see how they work in it.
LEAD: B2B MARKETING & GO-TO-MARKET STRATEGY
Thorsten Rhode is a strategic marketing leader who specializes in bridging the gap between high-level brand vision and the tactical execution required for successful B2B market entry and expansion. By leveraging his background in both agency and client-side leadership, he optimizes the entire go-to-market value chain—from market research and product development to integrated B2B campaigns that align marketing spend with measurable sales outcomes. Thorsten views marketing as a critical business development tool, particularly in complex B2B (and B2C) environments like retail and hospitality, where he works closely with sales teams to navigate national and regional sell-in requirements. Whether it is operating as a scrappy interim lead or managing multi-million dollar budgets, Thorsten focuses on strategies that optimize success at the point-of-sale and drive sustainable growth. His approach is best described as "human-in-the-loop" data-driven decision-making. Successes in hospitality, retail and food: * Ronnefeldt Tea (Hospitality & Specialty Food): As interim GTM lead for this 200-year-old premium tea brand, Thorsten revitalized the B2B product strategy by establishing a structured innovation pipeline, leveraged market insights - and PowerBI dashboards - to shift decision-making from instinct to rooted in strategy. He empowered the business development team to pitch and sell a revamped portfolio at premium hospitality and specialty retail partners. * Dulcinea (Retail & Produce): Following the brand's acquisition, Thorsten spearheaded a "makeover" to reclaim its premium B2B positioning. He expanded the product line and developed an integrated B2B campaign involving direct mail and trade press engagement (LinkedIn, PR, DM). Within the first month, his analysis uncovered a $20 million sales opportunity among retail trade partners, leading to immediate incremental orders and $2 million in realized sales in Year 1.
Selected work in this role
Interim Lead Product, Innovation & Go-To-Market at J.T. Ronnefeldt KG
Revised product portfolio & specialty channel strategy. Mentored product management team and aligned with sales team. (Import / Export of premium specialty teas)
“Fruit of Legendary Perfection" at Dulcinea
Updated strategy to revive and leverage premium positioning. Identified business development / revenue potential across two primary product line-ups. (Retail & Produce)
New Product Development at Ehrmann
Developed adult and kid's premium Greek Yogurt-line for within 12 months: from concept to prototype and successful retail launch, including marketing campaign.
Focus areas
Experience
CMO / VP Marketing & Go-To-Market Strategy, Product & Brand (Fractional / Interim) at Chameleon Collective
CMO & VP Marketing: Interim / Fractional / Consultant (Chief Marqueteer) at marqueteer
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consultant │ chief marqueteer at marqueteer
Brand Director (Fractional / Interim) @ VIREO (pH-D Feminine Health & CON-CRET Creatine) at Chameleon Collective
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Brand Director (Fractional / Interim) - VIREO Systems (pH-D Feminine Health & CON-CRET) at Chameleon Collective
Expertise
Work With
Thorsten
Interested in bringing Thorsten onto your transformation? Let’s start the conversation.
