Germany’s IT services and consulting sector sits at the center of digital transformation across industries, supporting critical infrastructure, enterprise cloud platforms, and regulated environments. With clients spanning finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and the public sector, these organizations face constant pressure to secure complex, interconnected systems while enabling speed and innovation. The cybersecurity leaders featured below operate at enterprise and group level, balancing governance, compliance, and operational security with the realities of large-scale delivery organizations. Their roles highlight how cybersecurity has become a strategic function within Germany’s IT services ecosystem, shaping trust, resilience, and long-term competitiveness.
Roland Costea — Chief Information Security Officer and Executive Vice President, SAP
Roland Costea serves as Chief Information Security Officer and Executive Vice President for SAP’s Enterprise Cloud Services business unit worldwide. He is responsible for defining and driving the global information security strategy, including implementation, audit, and reporting across SAP’s cloud environments. With experience securing large-scale business units and building security capabilities inside organizations such as IBM, Microsoft, and SAP, Roland has worked in cloud security since its earliest enterprise adoption. Known for a fast, execution-focused leadership style, he emphasizes security maturity alongside compliance and risk management. In addition to his corporate role, he is the founder of Defradar, a data privacy academy focused on developing advanced privacy professionals.
Sascha Winekenstädde — Group Chief Information Security Officer and Deputy Business Continuity Officer, adesso SE
Sascha Winekenstädde is Group Chief Information Security Officer and Deputy Business Continuity Officer at adesso SE, where he leads group-wide information security and continuity initiatives. He oversees information security management systems, ISO 27001 programs, and business continuity frameworks across the organization. Prior to adesso, he spent several years in information security leadership roles at Rhenus, following early career experience in quality management and system integration. His background spans audits, ISMS implementation, and operational security governance, giving him a strong foundation in structured security programs. Sascha’s career reflects long-term dedication to building sustainable, standards-based security organizations within complex service-driven enterprises.
Franziska Manko — Vice President Corporate Assurance and Chief Information Security Officer, Software AG
Franziska Manko is Vice President of Corporate Assurance and Chief Information Security Officer at Software AG, responsible for corporate assurance, information security, data protection, compliance, and customer trust. She has led these functions through significant organizational restructuring, including the separation of integrated management systems into independent audit and certification landscapes. Her leadership style focuses on clarity, trust, and human-centered change, particularly during periods of uncertainty. With experience spanning assurance, risk, transformation, and governance, she acts as a bridge between technical, business, and cultural perspectives. Franziska emphasizes resilience, transparency, and disciplined execution as foundations for effective security leadership.
Calin Rus — Vice President and Group Chief Information Security Officer, Materna
Calin Rus serves as Vice President and Group Chief Information Security Officer at Materna, leading cybersecurity for an organization of approximately 5,000 employees. His role focuses on aligning security strategy with business objectives while managing risk across regulated and complex environments. Calin works extensively with frameworks such as BSI IT-Grundschutz, ISO 27001, DORA, and NIS2, and combines strategic oversight with hands-on execution in areas like vulnerability management and identity and access management. He places strong emphasis on security awareness, using clear and engaging communication to embed security into everyday operations. His approach balances technical rigor with cultural adoption.
Marcel Reifenberger — Group Chief Information Security Officer and Vice President Corporate Governance, CANCOM
Marcel Reifenberger is Group Chief Information Security Officer and Vice President of Corporate Governance at CANCOM, responsible for group-wide information security and governance across international operations. His work spans information security transformation, risk management, business continuity, internal controls, and regulatory alignment, including ISO standards, BSI Grundschutz, DORA, and NIS2. Marcel focuses on translating strategy into execution, emphasizing a “walk the talk” leadership approach and strong employee engagement. His remit includes integrating security into innovation and digitalization initiatives while maintaining robust governance structures. He brings a comprehensive, standards-driven perspective to securing large IT services organizations.
Securing Germany’s IT Services Backbone
As Germany’s IT services and consulting firms underpin digital transformation across the economy, the role of cybersecurity leadership has become both expansive and indispensable. The executives featured here demonstrate how modern CISOs in this sector operate at the intersection of technology, governance, culture, and business delivery. Their work ensures that trust, resilience, and compliance scale alongside innovation—reinforcing Germany’s position as a critical hub for secure digital services in Europe.