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 bridges brand vision and tactical execution for B2B market entry and expansion. Leveraging agency and client-side experience, he optimizes the go-to-market value chain: market research, product development, and integrated campaigns aligning marketing spend with sales outcomes. Thorsten views marketing as a critical business development tool in complex B2B (and B2C) environments like retail and hospitality, working closely with sales teams to navigate national and regional sell-in requirements. Whether as scrappy interim lead or managing multi-million dollar budgets, Thorsten focuses on strategies optimizing point-of-sale success and driving sustainable growth. His approach is "human-in-the-loop" data-driven decision-making. Ronnefeldt Tea (Hospitality & Specialty Food): As interim GTM lead for this 200-year-old premium tea brand, Thorsten revitalized B2B product strategy by establishing a structured innovation pipeline, leveraged market insights (and PowerBI dashboards) to shift decision-making from instinct to 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 acquisition, Thorsten spearheaded a "makeover" reclaiming premium B2B positioning.
Selected work in this role
International Coordination at Procter & Gamble
As lead agency, responsible for coordinating communication campaigns on pan-European level (Always, Clarasil, Cliff Shower Gel).
Marketing Coordination with HQ at Ehrmann
As lead agency, responsible for coordinating communication campaigns on pan-European level (Always, Clarasil, Cliff Shower Gel).
Head of International Marketing at TOPRO Mobility
On the Management Board, Thorsten led marketing across Germany (60% of revenue), Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, UK, Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
Focus areas
Experience
Chameleon Collective
- CMO / VP Marketing & Go-To-Market Strategy, Product & Brand (Fractional / Interim)
- Brand Director (Fractional / Interim) - VIREO Systems (pH-D Feminine Health & CON-CRET)
- Brand Director (Fractional / Interim) @ VIREO (pH-D Feminine Health & CON-CRET Creatine)
- Product Management - Research - Innovation (Consultant) @ J. T. Ronnefeldt KG Tea House
- Product Management - Research - Innovation (Consultant) at J. T. Ronnefeldt KG Tea House
marqueteer
- CMO & VP Marketing: Interim / Fractional / Consultant (Chief Marqueteer)
- consultant │ chief marqueteer
- Fractional Marketing Director - 2Power Solar
- Go-To-Market Lead (Interim) - [Confidential. Start-up. VC-backed.]
- Marketing Consultant (Interim)
Expertise
Work With
Thorsten
Interested in bringing Thorsten onto your transformation? Let’s start the conversation.
