Great Oak

What Great Oak does

Great Oak Datenschutz GmbH & Co. KG is a German data protection professional services firm headquartered in Winterberg (Sauerland) with additional offices in Rostock and Dortmund. Founded in 2007 by Florian Schirm — before GDPR was on the legislative horizon — the company provides external data protection officer (DPO) services, project-based consulting, seminars and training, whistleblower hotline operation under the HinSchG, and information security officer (CISO) services to German organizations across nine verticals with healthcare as the primary segment. The team includes former clinic IT directors, DPOs with decades of experience, IT-law attorneys, and DATEV-experienced technicians, supporting a dedicated assigned-consultant model in which each client receives a named DPO registered with the supervisory authority.

The company operates two proprietary software products alongside its services portfolio. GO DSM is a Data Protection Management System built on the Audatis platform, used for managing GDPR compliance, data processing activities, and audit documentation. DPMS is a digital whistleblower reporting channel (Meldestelle) that enables clients to operate HinSchG-compliant internal reporting systems with usage-based pricing. These tools are anchored to recurring advisory relationships rather than sold as standalone SaaS.

The business model is predominantly professional services revenue — recurring DPO retainers, project-based consulting fees, and seminar/training income — supplemented by managed services for the HinSchG ombudsperson offering (base fee plus software rental, with costs only when reports are filed). Distribution is direct: assigned DPOs conduct regular on-site appointments, seminars are delivered at the three office locations or in-house, and inbound consultation requests are captured via the company website and contact form. A wholly-owned sister company, Great Oak IT-Services GmbH & Co. KG, was founded in 2012 to provide IT services and systems-house capabilities focused on clinic IT. Leadership transitioned to Leonhard Hankeln following the founder's death in 2025.

Name

Great Oak

Legal name

Great Oak Datenschutz GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://great-oak-datenschutz.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Great Oak Datenschutz is a German data protection services firm offering external DPO mandates, consulting, training, and HinSchG whistleblower hotline services from three German offices, serving healthcare, hospitality, tax consultancy, and SMB clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Data Protection Consulting & Compliance Services

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Data Platforms & Modern Data Stack Services (Lakehouse, DW, MDM) (BPAEAHAC)

Keywords

• Data protection services
• External data protection officer
• GDPR compliance consulting
• Whistleblower hotline services
• Data protection management software

Headquarters

HQ city

Rostock

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. External Data Protection Officer Services: Recurring professional services for serving as external data protection officer (betrieblicher Datenschutzbeauftragter), including regular on-site appointments, monitoring compliance, advising management, employee training, conducting audits, and communicating with supervisory authorities.
2. Data Protection Consulting: Project-based consulting for specific data protection topics or projects, including introduction of new software, telematics infrastructure advice, or general data protection audits.
3. Seminars, Training and Lectures: Data protection seminars, continuing education, and presentations offered at all three locations and in-house for customer employees, including annual mandatory training and sensitization.
4. Whistleblower Hotline Services (HinSchG): Operating internal reporting channels per the Whistleblower Protection Act, including ombudsperson services, case management, documentation, and annual reporting to management. Pricing includes a base fee plus software rental, with costs only incurred when reports are filed.
5. Information Security Officer Services: Acting as Information Security Officer (ISB/CISO) for planning and coordinating information security across the organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Great Oak is a German data protection service provider that supplies external data protection officers, project-based consulting, training seminars, and whistleblower protection services to organizations across regulated industries. The company also operates two proprietary software platforms — GO DSM (built on Audatis) and DPMS — used internally and offered to clients for managing GDPR compliance, documentation, and whistleblower reporting workflows.

Product overview

Great Oak is a data protection service provider offering a portfolio of consulting and managed services centered around GDPR compliance. The core offerings include two proprietary software products: GO DSM (a data protection management system built on Audatis) and DPMS, both serving as platforms for managing data protection workflows and documentation. These are complemented by service offerings including external data protection officer provision, project-based consulting, whistleblower protection services under HinSchG, seminars/training, church data protection, and information security officer services. The company operates from three locations in Germany (Winterberg, Rostock, and Dortmund) serving clients nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GO DSM: Datenschutz-Management-System auf Basis von Audatis
• DPMS

Products and services

• GO DSM (Data Protection Management System) A data protection management system built on the Audatis platform that provides organizations with tools for managing GDPR compliance, data processing activities, audit documentation, and ongoing data protection governance.
• DPMS (Data Protection Management System) A comprehensive data protection management system for managing data protection processes, documentation, and compliance workflows, with whistleblower reporting capability under HinSchG.
• External Data Protection Officer Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Whistleblower fines reduced to 50,000 EUR maximum
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BSK Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbHminorOthersTax consultancy firm located at An der Ebenau 4, 59955 Winterberg. Customer financial accounting data is shared with BSK for accounting purposes.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves15 records

Emerging players

• DP-Dock / Datenschutz-Compliance: Smaller German data protection software and services provider focused on SME clients. Represents the software-first emerging competitor to traditional service-heavy DPO providers like Great Oak.

Regional players

• Securys: UK-based privacy and data protection consultancy offering DPO-as-a-service and GDPR advisory. Comparable service model and target customer profile (mid-market enterprises), though operating in the UK rather than German market.

Broad incumbents

• NAVEX Global: Global ethics and compliance platform with strong whistleblower hotline offering (EthicsPoint) — directly comparable to Great Oak's HinSchG whistleblower services, though at vastly larger scale.
• TrustArc: Privacy compliance software and services firm offering GDPR program management, assessments, and DPO advisory. Comparable in the privacy management software + services category.
• OneTrust: Global privacy management software platform that increasingly offers privacy program management and DPO tooling. Represents the technology-augmented path that could pressure traditional DPO service providers like Great Oak.
• EQS Group (now part of Compliance Office): European compliance and whistleblower hotline provider with the Integrity Line product — directly comparable to Great Oak's DPMS offering under HinSchG. Operates as a broader incumbent in the same regulatory niche.

Direct peers

• Datenschutz Nord GmbH: German external data protection officer and consulting firm offering DPO-as-a-service, GDPR audits, and training across multiple industries. Directly comparable in service portfolio, customer segments, and regulatory positioning to Great Oak.
• activeMind AG: Germany-based data protection and information security consultancy providing external DPO services, legal advice, and training. Comparable business model and target customer base to Great Oak's professional services arm.
• Datenschutz Süd GmbH: Regional German DPO services provider with a comparable service portfolio (external DPO, audits, training) and similar SME/mid-market customer focus. Directly competitive in the German DPO services market.
• 2B Advice (part of Proliance-360): German privacy and data protection consulting firm providing external DPO services, software tools, and training. Directly comparable portfolio including a software-augmented delivery model similar to Great Oak's GO DSM.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/linkedin
• Facebookfacebook.com/GreatOakDatenschutz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Great Oak