Globally-focused executive with years of expertise in identifying and capturing new business opportunities to build high-profit, high-growth corporations. Strong interpersonal and communication skills, coupled with vision, business acumen, and astute negotiation abilities. Extensive experience in all facets of project lifecycle, from initial feasibility analysis and conceptual design to documentation and implementation. Expertly poised to deliver powerful strategies, laying cornerstones for future projects and returning stagnant projects to renewed profitability. Proficient at measuring financial performance and proactively managing performance against relevant benchmarks. Possess deft influencing skills. Fluent in English, German, Dutch, and Afrikaans; lived and worked in 3 continents.
Core competencies include:
Strategic Planning • Executive Management • Sales & Marketing • Client Relations • Operations • Financials & Budgeting • Forecasting • P&L • Turnarounds / M&A • Performance Coaching • Public Relations • Alliance Building • Contract Negotiations
Career Track & Performance | Driving Forces
Scala, Inc. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
President 2007 - 2010
Member of 2-person executive team leading the company. Direct responsibility for American operations (40% of total revenue), global marketing and the company’s growth strategy.
Lead the evaluation and acquisition of a Canadian software vendor with complementary advertising management software in April 2008 and its subsequent integration as Scala Canada.
Articulated a 5-year vision, led development of a 5-year plan and obtained Board approval for its implementation.
Expanded product portfolio from single high-end offering to range of properly scaled and priced offerings, including SaaS (software-as-a-service), and reorganized American operations and Marketing.
Arcplan, Inc. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
President & Chief Executive Officer 2003 - 2006
Oversaw all facets of operations, including P&L, sales, services, finance, marketing, and knowledge and product management. Managed $8.25 Million in revenue. Provided leadership to 38 personnel. Served on the global executive team. Was the first non-German to be elected to the Board of Directors (March 2004) and assumed additional responsibilities as President (January 2005).
Spearheaded a global marketing initiative that altered overall global strategy and served as the catalyst for a successful turnaround in 2004.
Facilitated a $1.3 Million enterprise sale to IBM, the largest in company history.
Guided US operations through a successful company acquisition in 2005 by a venture capitalist fund for $33 Million.
Vice President of Marketing 2002 - 2003
Recruited by the Chief Executive Officer and Founder to manage all aspects of marketing for the Americas, to include branding, advertising, event management, public relations, marketing communications / collateral, competitive analysis, product marketing, sales enablement, and web marketing. Administered an annual program budget of $850 Thousand. Supervised 4 personnel.
Restructured marketing strategy, communications programs, and service offerings, which increased media coverage 20% and the number of quality leads generated 30% without requiring additional spending.
Grew the active customer referral base from 8 to 35 (300%+) by instituting a targeted customer relationship program.
Expanded market visibility by implementing a more formalized and targeted relationship strategy with key industry analysts, which resulted in improved positions on Gartner’s Magic Quadrant, the first published comprehensive product analysis, and the first Arcplan vendor rating (of “promising”) in support of future sales.
Knowledge Mechanics Grand Rapids, Michigan
Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Alliances 2000 - 2001
Was challenged by company founders to manage the go-to-market approach and establish a leading brand. Oversaw the marketing of software and services at a global level. Contributed as a member of the executive team to define the organization, company processes, and culture. Controlled annual program marketing budget of $1.5 Million. Managed 5 direct reports.
Established and developed a leading brand in a new segment, which led to the company’s acknowledgement by leading e-learning analyst firm brandon-hall.com as having “one of the best overall Learning Content Management Systems.”
Packaged and launched the product, wrote and edited white papers, and developed completely new marketing and sales enablement collateral that converted 30+ customers in an adverse market, including Ford, Baxter, British Gas, and Vignette.
Baan Company, USA Grand Rapids, Michigan
Director of Global Marketing & Communications, Baan Global Support 1996 - 2000
Drove the development and global standardization of all products, services, and contracts across all continents and product lines while also expanding the service portfolio to include value-added services.
Devised the Subscription to Innovation strategy and attained a 98% attachment rate of standard support contracts to license contracts and 99% renewal rates for these services.
Developed and rolled out successful programs for high-priority partner and customer issues, including an Authorized Baan Customization (ABC) partner program and a Baan Expired Program Support program, with the latter encouraging customers to gradually transition to current releases, producing over $1 Million in additional revenue.
Manager of Service Programs, International Service Centers, ISC 1995 - 1996
Developed globally applied training curriculum, training materials, and the Triton Certificate Program.
Directed the initial design of the Customer Competence Center program as a service delivery vehicle for large accounts, such as Boeing, which ranked as the largest ERP sale in the industry at $20 Million and as Baan’s largest account.
Designed a quality and testing approach for product acceptance testing to prevent the reoccurrence of a software recall, such as that in 1994, which had cost over $1 Million.
Manager of Training & Education, Baan Americas, ISC 1993 - 1995
Developed ISC policies and practices and fostered an environment of teamwork and integrity that was key in maintaining staff turnover of less than 5% in a volatile market, while growing staff from 3 to 250.
LEARNING CREDENTIALS • CERTIFICATIONS
MBA, 2008 • 3.96 GPA
DeVry University, Keller Graduate School of Management, Philadelphia, USA
Bachelor’s Degree, Marketing & Commercial Economics, 1985
Hogere Economische School, Groningen, The Netherlands
Certified in Production & Inventory Management (CPIM), 1988
The Association for Operations Management, Johannesburg, South Africa