TACHOfresh Appoints Falko Schmalenberg as CEO

TACHOfresh, a provider of intelligent solutions for digital tachographs, appoints its CTO, Falko Schmalenberg, as CTO.

Falko Schmalenberg (* 1983), today CTO at TACHOfresh, was appointed as additional CEO as of April 1st, 2024. With this decision, the company acknowledges Falko Schmalenberg’s increased responsibility over the past years. With this decision, the company acknowledges Falko Schmalenberg’s increased responsibility over the past years. Koray Yaman (KY), student of Business Administration and Business Informatics at the Technical University of Wildau, who joined the company March 1st as an intern in the product marketing department, conducted an interview with Falko Schmalenberg about his new role. We found the result so compelling that we wish to share it herewith.

KY: Falko, since 2020, you have been the CTO of TACHOfresh GmbH. What personal and company goals do you pursue with your entry into the management board?

FS: I have thought about this thoroughly. I have known the company since I started there as a working student in 2006. I felt very well supported there and worked there until I completed my master’s degree in 2010. After that, I got to know many different companies and professional fields, but I always stayed in contact with Mr. Bernard (managing partner) until I returned in 2018. I am fully convinced of our product and the company Furthermore, I very much appreciate the team spirit at TACHOfresh. Each one contributes in a unique way to the overall targets.

Therefore, I am very grateful that the shareholders offered me the position as additional CEO, thus strengthening the management board, in persona Walther Bernard and Dr. Susanne Kirsch. I see this as a clear confirmation of the very good work I have done in the company so far as CTO, a work I will continue in my new dual role. I see it as a great vote of confidence to be considered the right person to lead the company into the future. And this not only technologically, but also strategically. TACHOfresh has developed tremendously over the past years, and it is a strong motivation for me to preserve and further expand what has been achieved.

KY: Can you explain what, in your opinion, has led to your fast ascent?

FS: When I returned to TACHOfresh, I was offered the opportunity to take on the position of CTO if it was a good fit for both parties. In 2020 I followed as CTO in Arthur Nederlof. There were many different projects and tasks where I contributed to the growth of TACHOfresh since.

What particularly fascinated me was the development and establishment of a new architecture, as well as the multitude of technical elements to conceptualize and then implement in coordination with the team. As CTO I have got insights into many areas of the company that affect not only technology but also the product and ultimately the entire company, business and market.

My entry into the management board of TACHOfresh is thus another step in a carefully executed, gradual succession plan that focuses on continuity and pursues the same values that have characterized the company so far.

KY: How do you plan to handle the additional responsibility as CEO, and what are you most looking forward to?

FS: Every position comes with new challenges. There are several aspects that have not been my responsibility. TACHOfresh as a company must be efficiently managed with all its demands in a constantly evolving world. Ultimately, my role is to make the right decisions. I am very grateful to have Dr. Susanne Kirsch (CTO) and Walther Bernard (CTO) as sparring partners in our management board. And I’m certain, we and the company will benefit from new impulses, I can and will bring into the business. Besides the wishes and demands originating from customers and partners.

It’s also about making fundamental strategic decisions early on, derived from the market situation and, for example, new European directives.

I am curious to see how I will manage to keep the new areas in focus alongside the technical aspects.

KY: How do you assess the overall development of the company? And what long-term goals are you pursuing?

FS: At a technical level, we are at a point where we have increasingly more opportunities to enhance computing and storage capabilities. We are perfectly positioned for further growth and can also respond optimally to new content-related requirements. I am very much looking forward to advancing aspects of our portal regarding automation, business continuity, and AI.

Delivering suitable, innovative functions and features for our partners and customers is a permanent inner drive.

TACHOfresh has become a well-known brand for many insiders in the tachograph business not only in Germany but also in many countries across Europe. With Mobility Package I, the legislation has set the framework for the next steps, which a software company like TACHOfresh must concretely implement. This involves not only expanded new datasets that need to be processed with the Intelligent Tachograph of the 2nd generation but also further adaptations of national working time regulations. Additional vehicle classes will soon become tachograph-mandatory. The European legislation aims to improve and align the living and working conditions of drivers and to give even more attention to regulations regarding driving and rest times. Over the next 3-5 years, I am confident that my focus will be on the European market. Nevertheless, it is also appealing to start considering a more global perspective today, with other markets and their tachograph strategies.