My Linkedin About section

02 Jan 2023

retiring

Retiring this About section from my profile:

[sabbatical] VP EMEA for US B2B SaaS | Programmer

I am passionate about Technology, its development and its potential, since I first touched a computer (I'm a geek, or nerd, in other words 🤓 ) - but have found my true calling in bridging the Technology and Business worlds.

Involved in Technology and B2B Sales since completing a Master’s in Business Administration, I have worked 10+ years to build the European arm 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 of Silicon Valley 🇺🇸 and Australian 🇦🇺 VC-backed B2B SaaS startups, in leadership positions, enabling European businesses to achieve a significant competitive edge through Technology.
Experienced startup growths $10M-$100M and $1M-$10M.
Both companies IPO'ed.

Then went on to co-found 👩🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻 a technology-based, bootstrapped startup in Business Aviation (a Groupon for companies operating private jets 🛩 ), Convolus, acquired by our US 🇺🇸 competitor in 2019 ✅.

Having learned programming and automated everything I could to build Convolus, I went on to bootstrap OfficeBots, a platform to automate office tasks, acquired by NY-based Autokatalyst LLC in 2021 ✅

Back now to B2B Sales in the webinar/virtual events space, helping US organisations expand in Europe - and building my own SalesTech stack in the process 😁 🤓

My entrepreneurial attitude to Business & digital and organisational transformation have been a key driver in my past success to create and scale teams & sales organisations from scratch.

I like coming up with new ideas, and building things.

I'm an advocate and active contributor of diversity & gender equality in the workplace.

I'm a keen follower of topics advancing Technology and Humanity forward - Automation, AI, Blockchain, the transition to sustainable electricity-powered transportation (EVs, EVTOLs, etc..), space exploration and colonisation, etc..

I'm intellectually curious, striving to explore new topics regularly, learning new things constantly, and optimising my life for new experiences - a lot of them outside my comfort zone (where personal growth happens).

I like helping, mentoring and sharing - I believe the purpose of life is to help advance the next generations of humans, and not 42 (not sure everyone will get the reference 😂 🤓 ).

🙍🏻‍♂️ Human languages:
English 🇬🇧 🇺🇸
French 🇫🇷
German 🇩🇪
(not in that order, depending on the days, though sometimes all 3 in the same sentence 😅 ).

🧑🏻‍💻 Computer languages:
Python 😍
HTML
CSS
beginner in a few others (Javascript, SQL, etc..).

European at heart 💙 🇪🇺, global citizen 🌍..
Night owl 🌙

new

New About section:

[open to work] VP EMEA for US B2B SaaS | CRO | Contracting > BtoBSales.EU

For 2023, I've decided to find & join an ambitious team at an early-ish stage in B2B SaaS, where I can have the most impact and commit for the years ahead to help bring the company to IPO/acquisition.
📌 VP EMEA for a US company
📌 or CRO for a EU company
📌 remote/hybrid from Munich (no need to setup a German structure to hire me though).

I will continue contract work (https://BtoBSales.EU) and be available for consulting projects until then - or as a trial option before FTE.

Since 2008:

✅ 2x VP/MD EMEA for IPO'ed SaaS US startups (NYSE:ONTF & AIM:MNO) - experienced growth $1M-$10M and $10M-$100M.
✅ 2x (Co-)Founder of bootstrapped platform/SaaS startups (Convolus & OfficeBots), both acquired by US companies - experienced growth $0-$1M.
✅ last 2 years of Contract work with $400k/year in commissions ($2.5M/year closed new business)

I have overachieved in every role throughout my career.
Closed the largest deals (some $1M+) at every company.
Got recommended as a Leader (see Recommendations section).
And I love programming (Python mainly) & anything to do with automation.

As a "geek", I have found my true calling in bridging the Technology and Business worlds.
Helping client organisations understand & leverage the power of Innovation & Technology (SaaS).

I like getting things done, learning, helping, problem-solving, building (solutions, teams, processes, automations), and winning (or rather I hate losing).

I like to challenge the status quo when I see opportunities for more efficient or impactful ways of doing things.

And I love the game of Sales.

I'm intellectually curious, striving to explore new topics regularly and learning new things constantly - a lot of them outside my comfort zone (where personal growth happens).

Avid reader of both business and (science) fiction books: https://notes.nicolasdeville.com/books/library

I like helping, mentoring and sharing - I believe the purpose of life is to help advance the next generations of humans, and not 42 (not sure everyone will get the reference 😂 🤓 ).

Long time proponent of diversity & gender equality in the workplace.

"If there's a will, there's a way"
"Easy is boring"
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog"

Lived in 4 countries 🇫🇷 🇦🇹 🇬🇧 🇩🇪

🙍🏻‍♂️ Human languages:
- English 🇬🇧 🇺🇸
- French 🇫🇷
- German 🇩🇪
(in that order, though sometimes all 3 in the same sentence 😅 ).

🧑🏻‍💻 Computer languages:
- Python 😍
- HTML
- CSS
- beginner in a few others (JS, SQL,..)

European at heart 💙 🇪🇺, global citizen 🌍
Night owl 🌙

11 Jan 2023

A/B testing headline:

"[open to work] VP EMEA for US B2B SaaS | CRO | Contracting > BtoBSales.EU"

"[open to work] 2x MD EMEA for IPO'ed SaaS startups | 2x exits | BtoBSales.EU"

08 Mar 2023

Following advice from recruiter, removed all "Open to work" references. Counter-intuitively it seems there is a bias from recruiters against candidates who are open to work 🤷🏻‍♂️

Testing new headline: "SaaS VP Sales | MD EMEA | Coder at night" - simple, and highlights uniqueness of Sales & Programming skills.

Retiring the Devyer Ventures block, to align with my new ATS-friendly CV CV:

Following sale of Convolus, setup a German GmbH structure for financing of own ventures (OfficeBots), providing B2B (Sales) Services for US organisations (https://BtoBSales.EU) & investments:

"𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀-𝗮𝘀-𝗮-𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲"
helping US B2B SaaS companies expand in Europe > see https://BtoBSales.EU
generated $400k+/year in commissions ($2.5M/year in closed new business).

Client engagements include:

::: 𝟲𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘅 / SaaS for virtual & hybrid events (Apr '20-Aug '22)
Contract: Part-time new business development for Europe.
🥇 #1 international rep of all time, across EMEA & APAC, both Existing and New Business
🥉 #5 global rep of all time, both Existing and New Business
✅ closed largest single license deal in company history in '20 (though beaten since)
✅ produced 120+ Sales videos & 50+ Sales graphics
✅ automated tasks for higher efficiency (proposal automation and various Python-based workflows)
> https://www.6connex.com

::: 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿.𝗻𝗲𝘁 / SaaS for webinars (Nov '21-Mar '22)
Contract: Global Lead Generation & Business Development Europe.
✅ built an email automation/sequencing solution (see https://notes.nicolasdeville.com/projects/mailingee/)
✅ built an automated global lead generation system with the Twitter API, booking 5+ new meetings/week (see https://notes.nicolasdeville.com/projects/twittee/)
> https://www.webinar.net

𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀
✅ OfficeBots.io: bootstrapped in '19 & sold in '21 to Autokatalyst LLC.

& 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
B2B SaaS Angel Investing

https://devyer-ventures.com

replaced with:

Sales, VP Sales, CRO.. as-a-Service.  
Helping US B2B SaaS companies expand in Europe > see https://BtoBSales.EU

Client engagements include:

::: 𝟲𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘅 / SaaS for virtual & hybrid events (Apr '20-Aug '22)
Contract: Part-time new business development for Europe.
🥇 #1 international rep of all time, across EMEA & APAC, both Existing and New Business
🥉 #5 global rep of all time, both Existing and New Business
✅ closed largest single license deal in company history in '20 (though beaten since)
✅ produced 120+ Sales videos & 50+ Sales graphics
✅ automated tasks for higher efficiency (proposal automation and various Python-based workflows)
> https://www.6connex.com

::: 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿.𝗻𝗲𝘁 / SaaS for webinars (Nov '21-Mar '22)
Contract: Global Lead Generation & Business Development Europe.
✅ built an email automation/sequencing solution (see https://notes.nicolasdeville.com/projects/mailingee/)
✅ built an automated global lead generation system with the Twitter API, booking 5+ new meetings/week (see https://notes.nicolasdeville.com/projects/twittee/)
> https://www.webinar.net

11 Apr 2023

Headline: SaaS VP Sales | MD EMEA | Coder at night.
changed to: Dryfta | event management platform
for prospecting purposes.