The bridge between business & IT

Strategy that ships.
Products that defend themselves.

AI-Native Builder · Corporate Strategist · Product, Sales & GTM Leader

AI with professional empathy.

Martin Cernak — portrait

For 24+ years I've worked the seam most companies often times can't close: strategy, finance, marketing, sales and product on one side — and the IT that has to make it real on the other. From driving sales, corporate strategy, product marketing and go-to-market across Telecoms (Orange), IT (Microsoft) and Cybersecurity (cyan Digital Security), to securing multi-million-euro investments and launching B2B & B2C SaaS from zero — I've stayed fluent enough in the technology to keep the boardroom and the build talking to each other.

In 2026 I turned that operating experience into nine AI-native ventures — concept to working prototype in days. Now I don't only translate between the two sides; I build both myself — and I do it as a committed advocate for the ethical, responsible use of AI in business. Most companies would hire three people to cover what I do as one.

24+
years in strategy, product & GTM
9
AI-native ventures & apps built
3
industries: Telco · IT · Cybersecurity
€32M
FTTH investment secured at Orange
About

A strategist who can also build the thing

Fluent across C-suite conversations and technical product teams alike — comfortable operating as strategist, individual contributor, or team leader.

I've spent my career at the seam between strategy and execution. At Orange Slovakia I ran corporate strategy as CSO Deputy — securing €32M for a 170k-household fibre rollout, planning a €130–150M 5G spectrum auction, and leading a €25M bid for UEFA Champions League rights. At Microsoft I led the Office division, pioneered Slovakia's first Office 365 launch and hit the first €1M cloud milestone, delivering green scorecards four years running.

At cyan Digital Security I managed a global cybersecurity-as-a-service portfolio across the EU, the Americas and the Middle East — average new deal size €1.5–2M — owning sales, go-to-market and partner onboarding while mentoring a team of key account managers serving Tier-1 telcos and InsureTech.

Today I pair that operating background with AI-native building: using Claude, SwiftUI, React and modern tooling to take ventures from idea to demo-ready in days, not quarters. The projects below are the proof.

01

Corporate Strategy

NPV & CAPEX business cases, M&A clean-team support, 5G/fibre investment, digital transformation roadmaps.

02

Product & GTM

B2B & B2C SaaS launched from zero, monetization design, partner programs, and key-account growth across EMEA/Americas.

03

AI-Native Building

Concept → working prototype in days. SwiftUI, React, Claude API, Cloudflare — with an advocate's view of controllable, ethical AI.

Core competencies

Corporate Strategy Product Management GTM & Monetization Key Accounts SaaS / Cloud Ethical AI M&A Support Team Leadership B2B & B2C Product Owner · SCRUM Innovation Consulting

Languages

English — C2 German — B2 Slovak — Native Czech — Fluent
Experience

Two decades of building and scaling

Selected roles across telecommunications, software, and cybersecurity.

Independent AI-Native Consultant & Product Builder05/2025 – Present · Gattendorf, AT
Independent advisory practice, pre-incorporation — AI sabbatical 2025 → first client 08/2026

Deployed an AI sales-automation system for an SK/CZ automotive B2B exporter (Claude Cowork + Twenty CRM, multilingual EN/DE/FR offers) — live within a week of the pitch. Built 10 AI-native prototypes concept-to-demo in days (SwiftUI, React, Claude API), including DrumBeat, a rebuild of a 2014 Microsoft product. 10 Anthropic Academy courses; German B2. President of the Slovak Baseball Federation, designing the cross-border Open Baseball League 2027 (14 clubs, AT/CH/SK).

cyan Digital Security GmbH07/2020 – 04/2025 · Vienna, AT
GTM Consultant & Senior Key Account Manager (Team Lead)

Global cybersecurity-as-a-service portfolio across EU, Americas & Middle East (avg. deal €1.5–2M, CLV €3–4M). Led 4 international KAMs (Orange SVK, OTE Cosmote, MTEL (AT, DE, SUI), BFF Mobile); SPOC for Gen Digital, Apelby, Allianz Partner AT & AWS partner programs.

Orange Slovakia05/2015 – 03/2020 · Bratislava, SK
Head of Corporate Strategy · Deputy Chief Strategy Officer

Secured €32M FTTH investment & 170k-household rollout; led €130–150M 5G auction planning and a €25M UEFA Champions League rights bid (€15M secured). Member of 3 M&A clean teams with binding offers up to EV €155M.

MyTV.com10/2014 – 05/2015 · Prague, CZ
Co-Founder, Chief Marketing & Product Officer

Self-funded (€40k) OTT TV start-up — authored product concept, GTM plans for SK/CZ/PL, investor collateral and sales forecasts.

Microsoft Slovakia03/2010 – 10/2014 · Bratislava, SK
Business Group Lead, Microsoft Office Division

Hit or exceeded revenue targets 4 years running (~$40M, ~50% of subsidiary goal). Pioneered Slovakia's first Office 365 launch and the first $1M O365 milestone. Shipped "Drumbeat," a mobile partner app across Windows Phone / iOS / Android.

Orange Slovakia01/2004 – 03/2010 · Bratislava, SK
Head of Data, Products & Messaging

Owned the full VAS roadmap (B2C & B2B). As France Telecom's first subsidiary to do so, launched IP TV/OTT, network PVR, location-based services, MMS, 3G internet, iPhone 3G/3GS GTM, BlackBerry and fleet management.

Portfolio

Nine AI-native ventures & apps

Each built with Claude and modern tooling — from concept to working prototype. Skim the overview, then open any project for the full story — highlights, audience, moat and screens.

Explore in detail

Claude OS v4.1 folder wiki lint Fresh
Contact

Let's build something defensible.

Whether you're hiring a strategist who ships and can sell, weighing an investment, scoping a strategy, or looking for an AI consulting engagement — I'd love to talk.

[email protected] linkedin.com/in/martincernak Phone available on request · Vienna / Bratislava region · EU citizen
© Martin Cernak. All rights reserved. Designed & built with Claude — Cowork & Claude Code for content & code, Claude Design for the visual design and Cloudflare Pages for website deployment. I use AI tools openly across my work.
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