Head of Data & AI

Advise. Invest. Build. Meet ALAIKA — the new kind of Financial Services firm — globally scaling, headquartered in Munich. This is a partner seat: you don't just join ALAIKA, you co-build it. Meaningful equity, real ownership, a practice you shape from day one. 

About ALAIKA 

At ALAIKA, our vision is to build the future of Financial Services with three brands under one roof — Advisory (Strategy Consulting), Capital (Private Equity), Building (Company Builder). Right now, we are in the midst of building our trojan horse ALAIKA Advisory. 

The ambition: building the leading Financial-Services-specific entrepreneurial holding — Fortune 500 access, PE discipline, Silicon Valley technology-depth and thinking. Three networks that compound and multiply. 

• One industry. Financial Services. Nothing else. 

• One focus. The intersection of business and technology — across Strategic Transformations, AI & Data Intelligence, and Cybersecurity. 

• One goal. Being the go-to partner for the world's leading Fortune 500 financial services companies — and the ones we might help build into that. 

Founded in October 2022 by Johanna von Geyr (build-up and led Financial Services Practice for a NASDAQ-listed strategy consultancy) and Harald Braunstein (serial entrepreneur with exits incl. IPO), we bring together deep functional domain expertise and networks in global Financial Services, with a proven track record in building, scaling, and investing in leading software product companies.  

Curious what ALAIKA is all about? Explore our website and introduction deck. 

Join the movement — apply now. 

 The role and what you will work on 

• Lead. Run the Data & AI practice as a whole — strategy, structure, hiring, IP, and P&L. Build the leadership team and develop the next generation of partners. Set the bar for what Data & AI advisory looks like in Financial Services. 

• Build. You are not joining a practice; you are building one. Shape what ALAIKA’s Data & AI franchise becomes — and co-build the firm around it. That is not a slogan — it is your Tuesday. 

• Sell. Originate at the highest level. Personally close ALAIKA’s biggest Data & AI mandates. Set the sales strategy — the book you build is the book the practice grows on. 

• Connect. Industry-shaping relationships. C-suite at the leading Financial Services firms. Your network walks in with you, extends with the role, and becomes the platform for everything the practice does next. 

• Represent. Be the public face of ALAIKA’s Data & AI practice — industry speaking, publishing, public IP. The market should know your name, and through you, ours. 

When you are a fit 

“Show me an athlete who did well academically. An athlete because they know what it takes to win and they have had to experience loss.” 

— Kenneth C. Griffin, Founder of Citadel 

You'll set the bar — and lead a team that meets it. Intrinsically driven people, who do "what it takes." Your job is to shape them, sharpen them, and prove that ALAIKA is where the best go next. 

• Book-smart. Strong academic foundation. Think in structures, not gut feel. 

• Street-smart. Read the room fast. Prioritise ruthlessly. Grasp commercial reality. 

• People-smart. Communicate with precision — clear, direct, persuasive. Build trust across functions and seniority. 

• Athlete performance mindset. High aspirations. Grit. Learn faster than the environment changes. 

• Entrepreneurial guts. You have built something, owned something, or bet on yourself at some point — and it shows in how you operate. P&L is not an abstraction. Ambiguity is not a problem. You move. 

What you bring 

• Track Record. A track record of building — a Data & AI practice, a Data & AI-native company, or a senior data and AI function at a majorstrategic consultancy or Financial Services firm.  

• Senior Network. Established relationships across data, AI, and Financial Services — C-suite, technical leadership, regulators, and the broader ecosystem. Your network walks in with you. 

• Sales Track Record. Proven ability to originate and close mandates at €3m+ scale. You have built a book before. 

• Market Authority. Deep domain credibility — named deployments, published thinking, conference and keynote presence. The market should know who you are before we introduce you. 

• People Leader. You have hired, developed, and graduated, as well as made the hard calls on people. You understand that it is your task to build the best sports team — not a family.  

• Languages. Fluent in English and German. Additional languages are a plus. 

Why join ALAIKA 

• Equity & ownership. A partner seat with meaningful equity. You own a piece of what you build — and you gain access to the full ALAIKA ecosystem: Advisory, Capital, Building, and the network behind it. Not just a seat at the table. A platform to build from. 

• Compensation. Above market with very entrepreneurial-driven bonus structures.  

“My biggest economic misunderstanding was that people got rich from high salary, but almost no one on Forbes got there through salary but only with equity.”  

— Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI  

• Stellar Network. Shoulder-to-shoulder with financial services executives running today’s giants and the founders building tomorrow’s. 

• Offices. Munich and Barcelona. More coming. 

Plus: the essentials done right — EGYM Wellpass, bike leasing, a kitchen stocked with healthy food and team events worth showing up for: Oktoberfest, team dinners, and more. 

Advise the leaders. Build what comes next.
Invest in the future of Financial Services. 

Apply with CV, transcripts, and references. Let’s see if you are the one. 

Equal Opportunities for all (f/m/d)

ALAIKA is an equal-opportunity employer. We hire on merit and welcome applications from people of all genders, backgrounds, ages, and identities. Our team spirit celebrates diversity. We want you to be your true “you” and offer everyone an open culture and safe space