The Client
Arverio is a regional passenger rail operator active in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, headquartered in Stuttgart. In 2025, the company employs approximately 1,200 people, operates 144 trainsets, and delivers around 20 million train kilometres annually.
Founded in 2014 as a subsidiary of the British Go-Ahead Group, the company gradually commenced operations between 2019 and 2022 across 14 rail lines, including the Remsbahn, Residenzbahn, Filstalbahn, Frankenbahn, Murrbahn, E-Netz Allgäu, and the Augsburg networks.
In 2024, the company was acquired by ÖBB and subsequently rebranded as Arverio.
The Project
Deployment of an Executive Interim Manager from VALTUS Management Factory as Managing Director and CTO (Chief Transformation Officer) from January to December 2025, with the following responsibilities:
- Supporting Arverio’s management team in further professionalising the organisation and preparing the company for the integration of additional rail operations;
- Advancing the leadership culture towards clear accountability for budgets, results, and quality, while ensuring a competent and highly qualified management structure;
- Enhancing the quality of reporting and forecasting processes in order to improve transparency and controllability across the business;
- Establishing an efficient reporting framework and precise tracking of measures underlying the budget and mid-term planning;
- Improving the company’s financial and operational performance to achieve the targeted turnaround;
- Further developing the organisation to sustainably strengthen the company’s effectiveness and operational capability.
In the role of CTO, the Managing Director from VALTUS Management Factory also acted as PMO lead for the “Fit for Future” transformation programme comprising 13 individual projects. The primary focus areas included:
- Expanding internal capabilities, particularly the number of train drivers and services provided to other railway operators;
- Further developing the organisation, including KPIs, annual planning, optimisation of core processes, maintenance, and organisational structure;
- Improving both the cost and revenue side through traffic contract management, rail replacement bus services, claims management, and service management.
Highlights:
- Significant improvement in collaboration between Finance and Operations, including project work, KPI management, deep dives, and cost centre reviews
- Delivery of measurable and quantified improvements within the “Fit for Future” programme
- Achievement of the budgeted 2025 financial result
- Introduction of a new top-level KPI framework for company steering and implementation of a scalable organisational structure designed to support future growth
- Award of an additional rail transport contract in the Stuttgart region in summer 2025 (Netz 35, operational start in December 2026)
- Transition out of the Managing Director role at the end of 2025 / beginning of 2026, followed by the appointment of a long-standing ÖBB executive