Rick Larsen
EMEA Executive Seeking New Challenge
A high-energy results-driven individual with training and experience in large international companies, and a successful entrepreneurial background. Prior experience in the Financial Sector with multimillion-euro leasing contracts and financial services. Ability to create a strategic vision, translate it into an operational reality and articulate it companywide while fostering energy and enthusiasm at all organizational levels. MBA in Finance from a prestigious #1 ranked graduate business school.
• More than 15 years of experience successfully managing companies in both large international groups and small entrepreneurial environments with a verifiable history of generating generating profitable revenue streams and reducing costs.
• Two decades of managing client relationships and at ease with all organizational levels including the CxO and BoD levels.
• A hunter-profile sales professional who enjoys making a difference face-to-face with clients and demonstrated success acquiring and developing new business, across several sectors including Financial Services, in Luxembourg and in 64 other countries on six continents.
• Prior P&L responsibility to €30 million
• A true multicultural and multilingual executive, accustomed to managing culturally-diverse and geographically-dispersed teams.
• A long history of working with technically and financially complex products and services.
Native English. Fluent French, German and Luxembourgish. Basic conversational Portuguese (Brazilian).
113 contacts2001 - 2010Built and led two Sales Outsourcing companies. Executed missions throughout the EMEA region on behalf of clients and managed the human and financial resources required for successful execution. The niche focus was short- and fixed-term contracts with companies needing help in EMEA, usually to get to a desired plateau or through a difficult phase, managing multiple contracts and resources in parallel.
BRIEF SAMPLING OF MISSIONS:
• As Vice President Europe, Middle East & Africa for an ICT products manufacturer, increased sales by 48% year-on-year in the 130-country region, while simultaneously increasing profit margins by 20%, during a period of severe economic crisis.
• Acting as Group Director, Sales & Strategy for Absaar, a Saarland automotive equipment manufacturer purchased out of bankruptcy, redesigned the go-to-market strategy, winning two multi-million euro contracts with leading European retail chains who refused to see the company after bankruptcy, each with more gross margin than previously obtained.
• As a Consultant, launched Centurion Electronics, a UK Plc consumer electronics manufacturer, into continental Europe after their IPO, managing the internationalizion of products and business processes; created first year European sales of exceeding €9 million, accounting for 38% of the company’s total sales.
• As Country Manager & Sales Director, Luxembourg for RR Donnelly, a large American Business Process Outsourcing company, managed sales in the Financial Services sector in Luxembourg’s Financial Center during initial market entry.
• As Manager Finance & Administration for Luxaviation, dealt with complex legal and financial issues related to court cases involving aircraft, as well as managed the financial, accounting, HR and IT functions for the company.
2000 - 2001A private US company recognized as the leading publisher of psychological and aptitude employment tests in North America for more than 60 years. The company employed more than 100 people, including two direct reports and a staff of 27 and had sales of $35 million. The company’s tests are widely used by Fortune 500 companies in North America and by the US government and military.
1997 - 1999A private-turned-public manufacturer of electrical smoke, heat and CO2 detectors under the famous FireX brand. The company consisted of 200 people, including three direct reports and a staff of nine, and had annual sales of $98 million. Customers included reputed DIY and hypermarket chains, wholseale electrical importers and OEMs.
1996 - 2001A private internet e-commerce startup selling luxury French women’s intimate apparel worldwide.Founded as a family business to provide my wife with a professional challenge in line with her experience as a fashion model. Customers were principally consumers in rural areas of North America, Australia and Asia. The company employed a staff of 10 people.
1995 - 1997A specialized wirelesss data telecommunications carrier subsidiary in the Motorola Group in the then nascent wireless data industry. The company employed 150 people in a group of more than 10,000 people.
1991 - 1994The Germany subsidiary of ECS, Europe’s largest reseller of IBM computer systems, a divison of the public French Société Générale group. Subsidiary consisted of 75 people, including eight direct reports and 40 people in nine remote sales offices with sales of $30 million. Customers were principally Fortune 500 companies in Germany.
1982 - 1989Marketing Support Specialist at the SW Regional US HQ in Arizona (1982-1983), solving problems in a new industry with new products that no one yet understood...before the 1st IBM PC arrived in stores.
Sales Executive (1983-1984)
Category Manager IT Hardware at the International Division in Oakland, California (1984)
International Purchasing Manager (1984-1985) at the International Division in Oakland, California. Personally negotiated distribution agreements with people such as Bill Gates, Steven Jobs, Rod Canion and others who would later become industry giants.
Product Acquisition & Marketing Manager at ComputerLand Europe (1985-1989)