Speakers
Quadmark
Michael White, General Manager, Quadmark
Michael White is General Manager EMEA of Quadmark, a specialist channel strategy and sales enablement consultancy. Michael White is a marketing and sales professional with over 25 years cross-industry sales and marketing experience, consulting on distribution channels for both commercial and consumer markets, in industries including technology hardware and software, telecommunications, capital equipment, building materials and consumer durables. He has consulted at worldwide and regional level on optimizing all types of channels, with a focus on Marketing and Channel Strategy, Key Account Management, Channel Management and Return On Marketing Investment. His clients include Apple, Cisco, Electrolux, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Logitech, Microsoft, Nokia, Orange, Procter & Gamble, SanDisk and Tefal/Groupe SEB.
GfK
Gernot Teufel, Global Director IT & Distribution, GfK
Gernot Teufel, Global Director IT & Distribution at GfK Retail and Technology, the global leader in market tracking service for Sell-through & Sell-out data for all kind of HighTech Markets. Gernot is leading the IT Division at GfK considering GfK's Point-of Sales and Distribution tracking services on global level. Before joining GfK, he worked in different senior managing positions at Philips, Samsung, Panasonic as well as Sony Mobile. Overall Gernot has over 25 years’ experience in local and global functions in the Tech Industry.
Game Advisor Ltd
Stefan Lampinen, Managing Director, Game Advisor Ltd
Managing Director at Game Advisor Ltd, previously general management in European and worldwide roles, at Electronic Arts, Nokia, Microsoft and Warner Bros. After rising to the role of Vice President at EA, Stefan was headhunted by Nokia in 2003 to be part of the Global Games Leadership. In 2005 he was hired by Microsoft to launch Xbox 360 in Europe and later spearheaded their Consumer Entertainment entry into the Emerging Markets. Advisory Board at Minecraft 2011. Joined Warner Bros 2012 with the key task to develop the Film/TV Digital Strategy for the Nordic Region. Now at Game Advisor Ltd, key focus is customised advisory with a speciality on new platforms and Virtual Reality.
Regent
Pradip Somaia, Partner, Regent
Pradip is an experienced investment banker within the technology sector. Since joining Regent in 2000 he has completed numerous assignments including the recent divestment of Altimate, from DCC Plc to Arrow Electronics Inc. Other transactions include the sale of PSCAL (financial management software) to Civica; the sale of Codework (Security distribution) to Altimate Group; the divestment of IQ-Sys (a virtualisation and network management provider) from QA to SCD; the sale of Talisman Software S.A (IT resourcing) to Vedior. Prior to joining Regent, Pradip served as chief financial officer within a number of large European and US multinational IT corporations. He has worked for EDS, International Data Corporation, Science Applications International Corporation and Equant Integration Services. Pradip is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and a Chartered Global Management Accountant.
Parks Associates
Erik Overbeeke, European Partner Alliance, Parks Associates
Erik Overbeeke, principal of OIMC, partners with Parks Associates on several of its European projects. He researches the connected consumer market in the EU, providing insight on IoT evolution for the security, home controls, energy management, connected health, and entertainment industries.Erik has served as a marketing, strategy, and M&A consultant in the residential security industry, focused most recently on IoT, helping a number of leading companies develop market entry and partnership strategies. Prior to that, Erik worked for eight years at KPN, the incumbent telecommunication company in the Netherlands, and 15 years at Philips Electronics in the Netherlands. He fulfilled several senior management, business development, and business consulting positions.
Futuresource Consulting
Simon Bryant, Director of Research, Futuresource Consulting
As Director of Research, Simon has overall responsibility for the company’s private client assignments and continuous work across CE, Entertainment, Imaging, Professional Displays and Education, as well as emerging categories. Since joining the company in 2000, Simon has
held management positions across imaging, data storage, entertainment, and most recently he headed up the company’s activities in Consumer Electronics.
GTDC
Peter van den Berg, General Manager EMEA & APAC, GTDC
Peter is a seasoned executive who started and represents the Global Technology Distribution Council in EMEA and Asia Pacific as its General Manager EMEA & APAC. In addition he is the CEO and co-owner of an IT services and talent management software company. Prior to this he served as Vice President Vendor Management, Purchasing & Operations at Ingram Micro Europe. In this position, he was the prime contact for Ingram Micro’s vendor partners on European level. His responsibilities included vendor and inventory management, product procurement and operations management of Ingram Micro's logistics network including carriers and freight forwarders.
Red Dolphin
Laurent Eymard, Co-Founder & CEO, Red Dolphin
Laurent has been involved in wearables for two years and technology, channel and distribution for 25 years. He founded RED-DOLPHIN in 2013 (based in Switzerland). RED-DOLPHIN is first, a community (news, forum, discussions) dedicated to wearable technology; and second, a shopping platform for end-users opened to start-ups offering innovative wearable solutions. Prior to RED-DOLPHIN Laurent held various senior European positions in multinational companies like HP, Iomega and Tech Data.
CONTEXT
Adam Simon, Global Managing Director, CONTEXT
Adam joined CONTEXT in February 2013 to develop the company's research coverage of ICT and technology, working with the industry to achieve new & measurable business outcomes. Recently he has pioneered research into the opportunities for retailers selling technology to small businesses ('R2B') and has formed a pan-European Smart Home Research Group including Smart Home Associations, retailers and manufacturers. He is leading research into Omnichannel best practices in EMEA and regularly brings together industry roundtables on this and other technology issues. Prior to joining CONTEXT, Adam spent his career in professional services, introducing operational best practices in large retailers. He has worked with many of the largest retailers in Europe at senior executive level.
GfK
Ashkhen Arutiunian, Senior Marketing Consultant IT Global, GfK
Within GfK's Point-of Sales tracking services Ashkhen is responsible for Computing and Software categories. She had several years of experience in retail world prior to joining GfK. In GfK Ashkhen has gained a profound knowledge of EMEA Computing and Software Markets while working as a market analyst for international clients. Ashkhen graduated in International Business Management with focus in building marketing strategies worldwide.
Hax
Alan Clayton, Roaming Mentor, Hax
After 7 years at Walmart UK, Alan spent 20 years coaching execs & teams in MNCs and SMBs on 4 continents, founded 5 startup ventures of his own, before joining the investor team @ SOSV, the VC fund behind the HAX tech hardware accelerator program. Responsible for bringing 150 startups to market since 2012, through the HAX Shenzhen program, and "Go To Market" bootcamp based in San Francisco. Alan advises on all aspects of sales, distribution, and scaling globally. HAX Alumni currently generate revenues of $100m+ per annum.
GfK
Carl West, Supply Chain Director, GfK
Carl has wide ranging knowledge across the digital markets. With 18 years+ background in software & hardware sales as a vendor and in distribution, Carl brings with him a great understanding of Channel; Distribution, Public Sector/Corporate Channel and the internal dynamics of the Retail and Vertical Reseller channels. GfK career history includes managing the research panels for IT, Office, Stationery, Photo and Distribution. Previous to GfK, Carl has worked for Datrontech Retail, SimpleTech, Solarsoft, and Mediagrids. Carl is the GfK representative for CompTIA, a member of the PSA and Esomar and is a regular speaker at market conferences.
Ryan Mackey, Consultant
Ryan Mackey is a regular speaker and facilitator at DISTREE events. His involvement with DISTREE stems from over 10 years working with leading vendors, distributors and retailers across EMEA's technology channels. Ryan has studied at universities in both the US and Europe, and he holds an MBA in business strategy.
Adam Williams, Retail & Strategy Director
Adam is a product marketing and sales specialist in consumer technology products and channels, with wide ranging experience in all aspects of go-to-market strategy and execution. Starting out in electrical retailing over two decades ago, Adam has recently led strategic partnerships with Europe’s largest retailers for global brands including Samsung and Sony, and most recently helped establish the partnership between Enjoy Technology and the UK’s largest telecoms group. Enjoy provide same day home delivery and set up for the world’s leading consumer technology products. Adam is also very proud to be a Trustee of the Electrical Safety Board and the Smart Homes & Buildings Association.
Patrice Arzillier, Managing Director, Exertis Continental Europe
Patrice Arzillier is the Managing Director of Exertis Continental Europe. Patrice has held a number of senior roles across the technology distribution and services industry, most recently as VP, South and East EMEA, Arrow ECS and prior to that Patrice was the co-founder and CEO of Altimate, a pan-European Enterprise distribution business.
