Olivier Rivière

Principal

Olivier Rivière is a seasoned communications, marketing and sales practitioner with over 25 years’ management experience working for technology-driven global companies that operate in a complex environment.

After starting his career as a research engineer in the steel industry and earning his Ph.D., he joined Dassault Systems (currently 3DS) where he led the development of an entry-level product. He then drove the development of a worldwide network of service partners who contributed to the further development of the leading position in the automotive and aeromotive sectors. In this role he engineered the whole program (legal and commercial conditions, selection process, training and technical support, sales collaboration, reporting), recruited the network members and managed the operations.

After a few years as a services sales manager for WANG Services, offering business continuity and desktop services to large companies, he joined the European headquarters of Intel in Munich. His first assignment was to revamp and improve the EMEA Retail Marketing program, driving collaboration with the most powerful retailers such as Dixon’s, FNAC, Carrefour, El Corte Ingles or Mediamarkt. He then joined the Intel Architecture Workstation and Server Group and led the introduction and ramp-up of the famous Xeon processor in Europe. He also drove influence programs focused on accelerating the adoption of the Intel architecture in the datacenter through an engagement with analysts, journalists, hardware (IBM, HP, Dell, Fujitsu) and software partners (SAP, Dassault Systems, PTC, AlliasWavefront). In this role he was also a lead spokesperson for Europe on various topics.

His next career move took him to IXOS Software, a 1,200 people Munich-based global software company offering content management and compliance solutions to major corporations (Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Allianz, BHP Billiton, Interpol). As Vice-President Corporate Marketing he drove an evolution of the positioning and messaging of the company and dramatically increased its visibility in its target markets outside Germany. He also revamped the global account Management methodology and contributed to the successful integration of two small software companies. Eventually he was chartered to drive the turnover of the ailing French subsidiary, which he completed successfully in less than one year before the acquisition of IXOS by Open Text.

He then joined Text 100, an Anglo-American global public relations and digital marketing agency working with technology leaders of all size from giants like IBM and Xerox to medium-size software and hardware specialists such as ARM or The MathWorks. As Global Client Service Director, he drove the enhancement of the agency’s capacity to acquire and successfully engage with major global customers. Not only did he introduce a very advanced global account methodology but he drove initiatives to develop the sales and consulting capabilities and to improve the profitability. Simultaneously, he was consulting on communications and integrated campaigns for many clients such as IBM (all divisions), Cadence Microsystems, Avaya and Linde Gas.

Established as a consultant since 2009, working with Mereo since 2017, Olivier helps companies of all size implement key account management, sales effectiveness and revenue enablement initiatives. His work is often focused on helping an organisation drive a shift from products towards solutions.

Olivier earned a MBA from the Institut Français de Gestion, a Ph.D. in Metallurgy from the Ecole des Mines de Paris, as well as an engineering degree in material science from the Institut National des Sciences Appliqués de Lyon. He serves as Deputy-Chairman of AKAM, the Association for Key Account Management. Trilingual (French, English, German), he writes articles and lectures in business schools in France and Germany on topics such as key account management, commercial strategy, sales effectiveness and the integration of communications, marketing and sales.