ROBERT P. KOOLEN
PROFILE
Customer-focused and solutions-oriented senior executive with 15 years of progressively responsible management experience, emphasizing worldwide B2B technology markets. Dynamic team leader who leverages exceptional strategic thinking, communication, and problem solving skills to drive the attainment of company goals. Proven track record of fostering cross-functional cooperation to deliver complex projects within time and budget constraints. Multilingual: English, German, Dutch, and Afrikaans. Expertise encompasses:
International Business; Product Marketing; Strategic Planning
P&L Responsibility; Marketing Analysis; Contract Negotiations
Operations Management; Sales; Public Relations
KEY CONTRIBUTIONS
• Pioneered a new segment in learning content management systems (LCMS) by creatively co-opting the competition and industry analysts. Established and chaired a LCMS vendor council of seven other vendors to define the new segment and jointly sponsor initial research by analyst firm IDC; the new concept was adopted by Gartner and all other key industry analysts and publications within three months.
• Led a company restructuring in 2003 and implemented a focused solutions marketing, sales, and service approach that generated a $2.35 million increase (40%+) in revenue in 2004.
• Designed and launched a globally applied support pricing structure and sales enablement model, which included creative sales compensation programs and contributed to a 53% profit margin on $160 million in global support revenue.
• Proposed and implemented a companywide rebranding program after establishing a customer advisory board that determined a company lacked a clearly defined, consistently applied, and widely recognized and understood brand.
• Increased market visibility and brand recognition substantially by facilitating high-level discussions with venture capitalists, industry analysts, customers, prospects, alliances, and press. Designed an alliance program to further extend a company’s product and market reach.
CAREER TRACK
ARCPLAN INC. – the North American subsidiary of a German business intelligence software vendor that contributed 44% to worldwide revenues in 2004
President and Chief Executive Officer 2003 until May 2006
Oversees all facets of operations, including P&L, sales, services, finance, marketing, and knowledge and product management. Manages $8.25 million in revenue. Provides leadership to 38 personnel. Serves 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 to 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 marketing budget of $850,000. Supervised four 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 – an e-learning software start-up formed upon management buy-out of Baan’s training materials division that was promised $8 million in first-round funding to develop a product based on a Sybase-originated concept
Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Alliances 2000 to 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 an annual program marketing budget of $1.5 million. Managed five direct reports.
• Established and developed a leading brand in this 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 – the largest subsidiary of a Dutch enterprise resource planning software vendor, which went public in 1995 and achieved compounded annual growth of 75% for five consecutive years through rapid uptake of its ERP software and the acquisition of 12 complementary software vendors
Director of Global Marketing and Communications – Baan Global Support (BGS) 1996 to 2000
Following the restructuring of three international service centers into global business units in 1996, was handpicked by the Vice President of Support to assume global responsibility for all marketing, external, and internal communication programs for the BGS division, which expanded to support ERP software as well as all acquired software. Managed a $1 million program budget. Supervised four direct reports.
• 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 valued-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 1995 to 1996
Was selected by the Global Vice President of Service Centers to coordinate training consistency and other key enabling programs to align global sales and service delivery with the company’s rapid growth.
• Developed globally applied training curriculum, training materials, and the Triton Certification 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 and Education – Baan Americas, International Service Center (ISC) 1993 to 1995
Was requested by founder Jan Baan to assist in the creation of an ISC in the Americas following the chaotic start-up of Baan USA, including a complete management change. Became a founding member and management team member of the ISC in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which anchored all training, technical, and product support services in the Americas. Administered customer, partner, and internal training programs and schedules. Established a training group.
• Developed ISC policies and practices and fostered an environment of teamwork and integrity that was key in maintaining staff turnover at less than 5% in a volatile market.
• Played an instrumental role in managing service center growth from 3 to 250+ employees.
PREVIOUS POSITIONS:
BAAN South Africa/QMCS, Manager of Education and Training • Phoenix Software, Principal Consultant
ICL South Africa, Project Manager, Sales Executive, Junior Sales Executive • ICL Nederland, Marketing Trainee
ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS
Master of Business Administration, DeVry University, Keller Graduate School of Management (with honors, GPA 3.96)
Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Commercial Economics, Hogere Economische School, The Netherlands
Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), The Association for Operations Management
Also completed various technical and product training, sales training, marketing, and media training programs.
PUBLICATIONS
• “LCMS - The Second Wave In eLearning.” White paper on learning content management systems, 2001. (See http://www.trainingfoundation.com/tfimages/ftp/lcms2ndwave.pdf)
• “Business intelligence has potential in the pharmaceutical industry.” Article published in DBTA magazine, 2003.
• “Improved reporting and planning with arcplan puts GAFMC on a proactive path.” Article published on datawarehouse.com, 2003. (See www.datawarehouse.com/article/?articleid=3114)
• Executive interview, DM Review magazine, April 2005 (See http://www.information-management.com/issues/20050401/1023900-1.html)
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Baan Quota Club 1996, Aruba – Merit Invitation
Baan World User Group 1999 – Award for Most Effective Baan Committee Member (Support)
Chairperson, LCMS Vendor Council, 2001
Advisory Board, Home Builder Software Inc., 2004