Employee Profile: Sebastian Berger
Hi Sebastian—why don't you introduce yourself?
Hi, I’m Sebastian!
Born in 1982 in the beautiful state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, I’m a photography enthusiast in my free time. I prefer books to TV, the sound of vinyl records to MP3s, and cats to… no, I like dogs just as much! Today, I live with my wife in Hanover, and yes, I try to keep my High German accent despite working in Cologne!
For me, compliance has long been less about lawyers and more about the people who have to live with it.
Since February, I’ve been guiding companies through data protection projects as a management consultant at Complion. But before I explain what I do today, it’s worth taking a quick look at the path that led me here, because it’s anything but straightforward. And that’s exactly what makes it useful, I believe.
Eleven years in sales, eight of them in the insurance business, taught me a lesson that no theory can provide: People don’t make decisions based on legal clauses. They make them because they trust someone. Because they feel understood. Because the person on the other side of the table isn’t throwing technical jargon around, but is listening.
I later developed this understanding further as a PR manager at an insurance company. There, I learned to translate complex issues in a way that resonates even outside of expert circles. On the side, I worked as a photographer. What does that have to do with compliance? More than you might think: Photography sharpens your eye for what’s truly important and how to make it visible. A skill that’s in demand every day in consulting.
I spent the last three years as CDO of an online marketing agency. I built up a team of experts, oversaw technical development, and experienced firsthand how data protection requirements impact real product decisions. How legal mandates and technical reality collide. And how to bring the two together without paralyzing operations and without leaving compliance on paper.
I am (unfortunately) not a traditional lawyer who thinks strictly in terms of legal text. I am someone who has experienced compliance from the other side for years—as the one who had to implement requirements, as the one who had to explain why something wasn’t possible, and as the one who had to find ways to make it work anyway.
I now bring these skills to Complion. To a team that has welcomed me with warmth and where I’m always happy to visit the Cologne office. I approach compliance from the perspective of someone who knows how companies work from the inside. Someone who is convinced that good advice always starts with understanding how the other side thinks.
Curious? Let’s connect on LinkedIn and exchange experiences and knowledge! I look forward to new perspectives and ideas!