Dipl.-Ing. Lars Behrendt

Granny&Smith

We're not just participating in the innovation landscape—we're reshaping it. When market leaders need to ensure their next breakthrough succeeds, they know where to turn.

Our INNOWEEK® methodology has become the benchmark that global industry leaders trust when failure isn't an option.

Where traditional innovation remains unpredictable, we've engineered certainty. Our integrated teams of strategists, designers, and technologists consistently deliver what others consider impossible: guaranteed innovation outcomes in weeks. This is why DAX and Fortune 500 companies choose us as their innovation partner.

Mission Innovation: Inspiring people to be innovative in order to shape the world of tomorrow – that’s my mission.

Keynote Speaker

"Get Real Innovation" is about how to build a truly innovative company and why it's so incredibly hard.

Innovation is the main driver of business success today. What do the most innovative companies like Google, Amazon, Tesla and many startups have in common? What methods do they use? How can you be successful, too? And what, in practice, has proven to be a mistake?

Using real, short, concise & practical examples based on more than 15 years of practical experience in innovation development, Lars helps his readers discuss these questions and find answers.

Bestselling Author

Greenrock

Venture Partner

Family Office

OAB AG

Member of The Supervisory Board

INSTARIDE

INSTARIDE - Synchronizing mobility demands with the help of AI.
The revolutionary social driving startup - still in stealth mode.

Investor

HOW IT STARTED

https://open.spotify.com/show/3A3eHbXPN8A8t8Ga9dK3pE?si=kMT5StTGTrqAQOUO3qQH6g

Podcaster

Stiftungshaus Oldenburg

Board Member

Innovation Authority

Advisory Board Member

//CEO@GRANNY&SMITH, DE-RISKING INNOLAB FOR THE MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES

//THE DAY EVERYTHING CHANGED

It happened during a corporate innovation workshop years ago. As I watched yet another brilliant idea suffocate under the weight of process, I saw the spark fade from the team's eyes. In that moment, I made a promise to myself that would reshape my entire career.

THE PATTERN I COULDN'T UNSEE

Across boardrooms and brainstorming sessions, I witnessed the same story unfold. Brilliant minds with transformative visions hitting the same invisible wall. Their ideas deserved better.

THE UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY

What began as frustration evolved into curiosity. Could innovation success actually be engineered rather than hoped for? I devoted myself to finding out.

Years of experimentation led to an approach so counterintuitive yet effective that it changed everything. By building innovations like a portfolio of startups, we turned the notorious 90% failure rate completely upside down.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

A prominent German corporation took a chance on this method when traditional approaches had failed them repeatedly. Within weeks, we accomplished what they hadn't achieved in years. Word spread quickly.

Today, seven of Germany's nine most innovative companies have become our partners. From global enterprises to nimble startups, leaders come when they need certainty, not just possibility.

BEYOND THE METHOD

After over 15 years and countless successful market launches, I still feel that same rush when I see an innovation finally connect with its audience. There's simply nothing like watching something powerful emerge from what was once just an idea on a whiteboard.

My engineering background gave me the tools, but it was immersing myself in the human elements of innovation that revealed the true path forward. When leaders invite me to guide their most important initiatives, they're not just getting a process – they're gaining a partner who's navigated this terrain countless times before.

I only commit to journeys I truly believe in, because I've learned that extraordinary innovation requires both methodology and genuine connection to purpose.

MORE INFORMATION:
◾ For enterprises, entrepreneurs and investors -> https://www.grannyandsmith.com/ 
◾ For event organizers & bookings -> https://www.grannyandsmith.com/larsbehrendt

We are here to help you develop, test, and grow new business ideas in a few weeks instead of months. We specialize in innovation development, constantly keeping up with the latest trends, methods, and ways of working.

We have been developing innovation for our customers for more than 15 years now. Our teams, consisting of designers, engineers, software developers, and business model experts, have tried a lot and gained much experience. Today we know what works and what does not - so you don't have to make all those experiences again.

Our INNOWEEK® method is the result of more than 15 years of continuous development and project experience with well-known DAX groups and Fortune 500 companies and helps you to develop, test, and grow new business ideas in a few weeks instead of months.

Amazon

Director, Software Development

Senior Software Development Manager

Software Development Manager - SCOT

Sr. Technical Program Manager - GIPA

Amazon Payment Services

As the leader of the global technology function at Amazon Payment Services, I am both passionate about and dedicated to re-imagining digital payments for customers and merchants throughout the Middle East and Africa region. 

My responsibilities encompass tech pre-sales and solutioning, merchant integration, software development (for new and existing products), infrastructure management, technical operations, information security, and data engineering. Additionally, I oversee the technology function responsible for delivering seamless payment products and experiences for Amazon shoppers throughout MEA stores (UAE, KSA, EGY, TR and ZA). 

Together, our aim is to provide simple, affordable, and trusted payment experiences for merchants and customers across the MEA region.

Head of Technology

Direct Energy

Promoted to build and lead 5-member team in designing, developing, and managing decision-support application and tools for front-office trading group, integrating with trading/supply, operations, risk management, pricing/structuring, settlements organizations.

IT Manager - Decision Support Tools, Supply

Extended inward-focused IT capabilities to external customers. Developed capabilities that underpin key business processes within the industry lifecycle including trading, scheduling, asset management and optimization, demand-side response, and settlements. 

* Challenged with building team, processes, and systems to support organic business growth into new market space with demand response management product (multi-million dollar project). 

* Leveraged technology to empower several key, new revenue streams for the business unit.

* Handpicked by senior leadership to course-correct and manage delinquent security appliances workstream of major datacenter migration that had put entire project at significant risk of missing deadlines. 

* Invited to join M&A (and other structured deal) due diligence teams after demonstrating thought leadership in both technology and operations to commercial stakeholders. 

* Updated business continuity program to eliminate operational risk from disruption to business-critical systems.

IT Manager - Digital Marketing, Upstream and Trading

Managed IS development and support function for variety of business-enabling systems across US power markets. Built and directed team of 6 IT professionals.

* Functions Supported include:

   a) ISO Settlements (NEPOOL, NYISO, PJM, CAISO, MISO and ERCOT) / nMarket Allocation  Manager and custom SSRS reports
   b) Scheduling and ISO Trading / nMarket Power
   c) Upstream Power / OSIsoft PI System and various other systems
   d) ERCOT Asset Optimization and 24 Hour Real-Time Trading Desk / nMarket Power
   e) ERCOT Asset Dispatching / OSI Monarch GMS

* Major Initiatives Lead:

- Texas Nodal Market Transition (Go-Live and Post Go-Live Support)
- Generation Management System (GMS) Implementation (Inception to Operations)

* Managed Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery plans for Direct Energy Upstream & Trading

IS Manager - Power Asset Optimization, 24-Hour Real-Time Trading Desk, and Upstream Power

* Developed a 3 year architectural - enterprise message bus centered - vision  for our Upstream and Trading business unit

* Developed a Data Integrity business case for our Upstream and Trading business unit

* Developed an interface for gas pipeline data with Bentek Energy

* Managed a Market Data Service initiative to consolidate Market Data into a single repository

* Managed environments to support our Proprietary Trading applications

* Managed testing environments for the Texas Nodal Initiative and various other initiatives

* Supported Proprietary Trading applications

Senior Analyst - Architecture and Proprietary Trading IS

* Lead the design, implementation and testing of the Trade Capture migration from a Java based API to a FIX based system with the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)

* Developed various solution components in Java and TIBCO

* Supported DealCapture and E-Confirm applications

* Developed Retail Credit Risk BI solution to support B2B business better evaluate/assess credit exposure

Senior Analyst - Wholesale/Retail Interface IS

* Provided technical leadership over design, implementation and testing of the SAP HR implementation project, to replace existing PeopleSoft implementation

* Actively participated in the business blueprinting of to-be HR processes, and translating the processes into system functional requirements

* Provided technical leadership over design, implementation and testing of the Canadian Benefits outsourcing project as well as coordinating the Payroll Outsourcing Project 

* Initiated SAP ECC 6.0 upgrade recommendation and laying project foundation

* Lead the testing and training for the Scanning Solution of the Procure-to-Pay project

Senior Analyst - Corporate IS

British Gas

* Led a project to develop an absence management system and managed its deliverables

* Collected the requirements, designed and implemented system using an agile customer centric development methodology

* Successfully sold the system to different areas of the business which is now being rolled out across British Gas Residential IS as well as British Gas Business IS

* Supported and administered the system in production for 100 users, with about 1,000 users being targeted for the short term

*Delivered project benefits estimated to save 0.5 FTE in each of the areas that it is rolled out to

Senior Analyst

* Collected the requirements, designed and implemented a deal capture system to automate energy trade entry from ICE and NGX into the company’s risk management system

* Supported the system in production, providing second level support

* Developed a front end application to the system to make it self-administrative

* Delivered project benefits estimated at: saving 2 FTE, reducing the error entry rate to 0.5% and the Value at risk by $2.5 Million

* Researched Natural Gas storage fundamentals in North America and investigated potential of its use within the Wholesale’s group portfolio

Senior Analyst - IS EMG

Integrated Voice Communications

* Managed the installation of new equipment and periodic updates (both software and hardware)

* Marketed and sold new VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) routes to various international destinations around the globe

* Programmed Cisco Routers and CPM (Computer Protocol Malaysia) voice gateways

* Maintained a set of Windows NT servers and Cisco gateways

* Managed 24/7 customer support (both technical and sales) by email/phone/fax

* Maintained excellent written and verbal communication skills as well as rigorous documentation

* Coordinated with team members in different countries to ensure quality voice service

Founder and Managing Partner

Tech Director at Amazon Payment Services | Follow for posts about Leadership Development and Career Growth | Leadership & Career Mentor | Author Of Leadership in 60 Seconds

I ​am a global technology executive with over 20 years of experience. I am currently Director of Software Engineering at Amazon, leading the Technology function for Payments across the Middle East and Africa. In this role, my aim is to make the payment experience of our merchants (Amazon Payment Services) and customers (Stores) the most simple, affordable, and trusted.

Over my career, I'm honored to have delivered award-winning transformational initiatives that have created competitive advantage, enabled business growth, and exceeded customer expectations.

Known as a forward-thinking problem-solver ― skilled in both business and technology strategy ― I adapt and plan for evolving market needs, delivering initiatives with speed and agility. I am also deeply passionate about building, developing, managing, and leading high-performance teams. A strong communicator and relationship builder, I partner effectively with cross-functional stakeholders and am a trusted advisor within the company.

Ever since I stepped into my first managerial role, more than a decade ago, I quickly realized the profound impact strong leadership has on individuals, teams, and organizations. From that moment, I made it my mission to empower others in their leadership journeys, guiding them to reach new heights in their careers.

In support of this mission, I have developed a community on LinkedIn of over 70K+ like-minded professionals with whom I actively support, engage, and share daily content on leadership, management, and career. I have been recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice (Blue Badge) and ranked #1 LinkedIn Arab World Creator in Management and Leadership. 

Outside of work, I am passionate about everything automotive, especially F1 racing (Forza Ferrari!). I enjoy sports in general, both playing and watching. I also have a keen interest in collecting fragrances, working out with a focus on strength training, and all things food—from learning about it and exploring new cuisines to preparing dishes and hosting gatherings. However, my favorite pastime is spending quality time with my family. 

Languages: English 🇺🇸 Arabic 🇱🇧 French 🇫🇷

Omar Halabieh

Most career advice is about standing out.
This is about showing up.

Consistently. 
Predictably. 
Without drama.

Reliability is the most underrated career skill.

It's not glamorous. 
It won't trend on social media. 
And there's no 'Reliability 101' course.

But your career grows at the speed of people's confidence in you.

Not your talent. 
Not your ambition. 
Not your potential.

Your reliability.

It’s the quiet skill that opens doors long before titles, certifications, or even experience do.

5 practical ways to build reliability — starting today:

1/ Always Close the Loop

When someone asks for something, acknowledge it and follow through. 
Most careers get derailed not by mistakes, but by silence.

2/ Do What You Say — When You Say It

Consistency beats capability. 
If you commit to less but deliver every time, people will trust you with more.

3/ Communicate Early (Especially When Behind)

Falling behind isn’t the problem. 
Surprising people is.
Let others know early — it builds trust.

4/ Create a Personal Operating Rhythm

Reliability isn’t innate — it’s engineered. 
Weekly planning, structured 1:1s, documented decisions. 
You rise to the level of your systems.

5/ Make Your Work Visible

Share progress before you're asked. 
Visibility doesn’t just build trust — it reinforces your momentum.

Reliability won’t get you applause. 
But it will get you opportunities.
It’s not a soft skill — it’s a career advantage.

What’s helped 𝘺𝘰𝘶 stay reliable?

---
Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for Leadership and Career posts

Tech Director @ Amazon | I help professionals lead with impact and fast-track their careers through the power of mentorship

You're mid-sentence in a meeting. 
Someone cuts you off. Again. 
You smile, stay quiet, and lose your voice.

If you accept interruptions, you train others to ignore you.  

I've been in thousands of meetings over my career. 
Led teams. 
Presented to executives. 
Eventually became Director of Software Engineering.  

One pattern I’ve seen? 
People who get heard set boundaries.

7 (proven) ways to stop people from interrupting you:  

1/ Ask to continue  

When someone jumps in: pause, make eye contact. “If it’s alright, I’d like to finish my thought first.” 

Clear. Polite. Assertive.  

2/ Acknowledge, then steer back  

Let them finish. 

Then: “Thanks—let me quickly finish what I was saying.” 

Respectful but firm.  

3/ Set expectations upfront  

Start strong: “Feel free to note questions—we’ll tackle them during Q&A.” 

You set the rules.  

4/ Keep it short  

The longer you talk, the more chances to be cut off. 

Be direct. Be organized. Be done.  

5/ Use the right tools  

In Zoom? Use the ‘raise hand’ feature to stay organized. 
 
Chat for sidebar questions.

6/ Let your body do the talking  

Eye contact. Small hand raise. Keep talking. 

They’ll get the message. 

Confident body language stops interruptions before they start.  

7/ Provide feedback privately  

Most interrupters don’t even realize. 

After the meeting: "During the meeting, I felt I was being cut off a few times. I'd appreciate the chance to finish my points next time." 

Direct. Respectful. Problem solved.  


These work. I’ve used every one.  
Your voice matters. So do your ideas. 
Don’t let interruptions steal that.  

👉 Which tactic will you try today?  

PS: Someone getting interrupted? Step in. “Let’s hear the rest of what Sarah was saying.” That’s leadership.

Assumptions feel fast.    
But they’re also where trust breaks — and where judgment slips
  
Most professionals don’t stagnate because they lack skill.  
They stagnate because they believed they already knew.
 
You’ve seen the pattern.  
You’ve done this before.  
You trust your gut...  
So you stop asking questions.
 
That’s when mistakes happen.  
And that’s when trust quietly erodes.
 
If you want to be right a lot — and earn trust — lead with a question.

A single question can prevent:  
• Delivering the wrong thing  
• Misunderstanding what someone actually meant  
• Missing a risk that was obvious to others  
• Overlooking a dependency that derails everything
 
Early in your career, you’re rewarded for answers.
Later in your career, you’re rewarded for clarity —  
and clarity comes from questions.
 
→ “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘐 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨?”  
→ “𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.”  
→ “𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳.”
 
Better questions → better inputs → better decisions → more trust.
 
A statement closes the conversation. 
 A question opens it.
 
If you want to be trusted, ask better questions.
If you want to be right a lot, ask more questions — 
especially when you think you already know.
 
𝗣𝗦: Curiosity isn’t slowness.  It’s strategy.

What's your go-to question to avoid making assumptions?

---
Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for Leadership and Career posts

Your calendar’s full.  
That’s the problem.

The thing you’re missing isn’t another meeting, another project, or another ‘alignment call.’
 
It’s slack — not the tool, the white space.

I used to treat it as waste.  
Empty time made me anxious, so I filled it.  
I felt productive — but I stayed stuck.  

In a world obsessed with productivity, slack is a leadership and career superpower:
  
𝟭/ 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲
 
If every hour is packed, you have no mental space to zoom out, connect dots, or think long-term.  You rise when you create the space to 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬, not just to 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵.
 
𝟮/ 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 — 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺
 
Most “urgent problems” aren’t surprises.  They’re early signals we were too busy to notice.  Slack gives you the margin to catch issues before they blow up.
 
𝟯/ 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁
 
If your team can never find you, they stop coming to you.  Slack lets you be present in the right moments:  The quick checkpoint.  The 5-minute unblock.  The conversation that prevents a misunderstanding.
 
𝟰/ 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 → 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿
 
When you're maxed out, you execute.  When you have slack, you coach, delegate, and develop people.  That’s how you scale yourself — and your career.
 
𝟱/ 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
 
Rushed leaders make reactive decisions.  Calm leaders make clear decisions.  Slack is a buffer between stimulus and response — and clarity lives in that buffer.
 
𝟲/ 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲)
 
Back-to-back intensity burns out even the strongest performers.  Slack helps you sustain output — consistently and predictably.
 
But slack is hard.  
It forces you to say no. 
Set boundaries.  
Let go of the illusion of busyness.  
And sit with space.
 
It's a skill - and like any skill, it takes practice.
 
So start small.
Try 30 minutes of unbooked time. 
No agenda. Just space.  
Then notice what changes — in your focus, your energy, your decisions.

Your future self — and your team — will thank you.

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Omar Halabieh

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