When I had my first discussions with Sascha Harmuth in the summer of 2021, MATESO GmbH was going through one of the most difficult phases in its history. Business development was declining due to the coronavirus pandemic. Despite all the challenges, we held our own in the market, but we realized that our goals were too ambitious, especially for these difficult times. It was clear that we needed someone to get us back on track.
Sascha took on the role of Head of Sales on September 1, 2021 – with complete conviction and energy. In just the first few weeks, he set the course for a fundamental turnaround. As a result, he was not only responsible for sales, but also took on marketing and, on an interim basis, the channel area – always with vision, structure, and a clear focus on success.
One of Sascha’s particular strengths was his ability to quickly develop a deep understanding of the team structure. He analyzed roles and personalities with great accuracy and, with his keen insight into human nature, placed the right people in the right positions. I still remember one of his guiding principles: “An employee can only be good at something they enjoy doing – I’m not going to turn a farmer into a hunter in sales.”
This attitude was crucial in our situation: we had to identify and activate specific “hunter characters” and consistently align them with our goals. Sascha introduced clear structures for this purpose, including daily stand-up meetings, weekly sales rounds, and a new, practice-oriented 5-step sales process that ensured transparency and predictability.
Sascha is also a real dealmaker. He knows how to close the right deals even in difficult situations and, within a year, was able to secure several of the largest contracts in the company’s history – a milestone that secured our growth for the long term.
His ability to make realistic and accurate forecasts was a great asset to us. From the very beginning, Sascha demonstrated an impressive sense of the situation and kept his promises – a reliability that helped us greatly during this phase.
This development enabled us to successfully sell MATESO to the Netwrix Group around 18 months later. Without Sascha’s contribution, his consistency, leadership skills, and operational implementation expertise, this successful exit would not have been possible in this form.
Sascha is a crisis manager with an eye for the essentials. His leadership style is clear, goal-oriented, and characterized by a high degree of integrity. Anyone who brings him on board can be sure that change will not only be planned but also successfully implemented.
What is also personally important to me! Anyone who can win Sascha over will gain a loyal leader who acts with heart and mind. Thank you, Sascha!