Carl-Johan Backman

Trailblazer
DISC Type : ID

Director of Engineering at Babbel

Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany

Overview

Carl-Johan is a product-minded engineering leader with over a decade of experience leading organizations of up to 150 people at companies like Babbel and Emma. Educated at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, he combines hands-on technical depth with people leadership. Colleagues describe him as empathetic, loyal, and forward-thinking.

His background includes significant time with the United Nations Development Programme in crisis-affected settings like Sudan, reflecting a strong interest in international development and data-driven social impact. He was also involved with the Gapminder Foundation, known for promoting a fact-based worldview.

Unique fact: During his studies at KTH, he co-authored a scientific paper on the quantum mechanical conduction of electrons in Fibonacci quasicrystals.

Personality Overview

Assertive

Values Relationships

Achievement-Oriented

They are not against taking risks and can make tough decisions when required.
  They are more likely to accept new and exciting technologies. They will fight for you if they come to believe in you.

Topics They Care About

Engineering Principles
Authored the engineering principles at Emma, creating a shared definition of what great engineering looks like to drive technical excellence and impact.
Composable Commerce
Led a major re-platforming initiative from a monolith to a MACH-based composable architecture, writing about the technical strategy publicly.
AI in Education
Is currently focused on the learner experience at Babbel and is hiring for principal engineering roles with a focus on AI.

Media Appearances

Carl-Johan has no verified media appearances

Work History

11-2025
Director of Engineering at Babbel
1-2024 - 11-2025
Director of Engineering at Emma – The Sleep Company
10-2022 - 1-2024
Principal Software Engineer at Emma – The Sleep Company
1-2022 - 9-2022
Product Manager at UNDP
9-2021 - 12-2021
Information Management Officer at UNDP

Education

Bachelor of Science (BSc) from Stockholm School of Economics
Master of Science (MSc) from KTH Royal Institute of Technology

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 9 Location : Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Director of Engineering at Babbel
URL has been copied!

Insights For Selling To Carl-Johan

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Ask them for a lunch or coffee once some rapport has been established
  • Keep your pitch focused on the impact but nurture the relationship too
  • Give them control of the sales process

DONT's

  • Don’t hesitate from asking them how they truly feel about your product
  • Don’t hesitate from asking questions or pushing them, but take a friendly approach
  • Don’t force involvement of other stakeholders unless it is critical

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Carl-Johan is

  • Relationship and product conviction matter equally, followed by a sense of achievement.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Carl-Johan

  • If they are not convinced, they will say no though in a friendly way.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Carl-Johan move?

  • They can reach decisions quickly if they develop trust and confidence in the product.
  • Can Carl-Johan take some risk or not?

  • If necessary, they will be ready to take risks.

You And Carl-Johan

Personality Compatibility


More Profiles

Discover additional public profiles from our index.

Search more profiles

Looking for someone else? Search here for anyone.

Or visit Humantic AI to know more.