BasWare Appoints New VP of Global Channel Sales
Ex-Microsoft sales manager aims to double channel partners by 2010
BasWare Corporation, the global leader in Enterprise Purchase to Pay and Financial Management, continues to strengthen its indirect sales operations and has appointed Jaakko Elovaara as Vice President, Global Channel Sales.
Jaakko joins BasWare from Microsoft and will be responsible for driving BasWare’s global expansion through the recruitment of new channel partners. BasWare currently has a network of 43 value added resellers, including six in the UK, covering over 20 countries. Jaakko aims to double this number by 2010.
Jaakko will also take responsibility for the development of the BasWare Partner Program, ensuring the correct tools are in place to ensure existing and new resellers are equipped to support the company’s expansion and significantly drive revenues. Over the coming years, BasWare will extend its operations in Southern and Eastern Europe as well as in the Asia Pacific.
Commenting on his appointment Jaakko said, “I am joining BasWare at an exciting time. Private and public sector organizations are coming under increasing pressure to cut costs, increase efficiency, and introduce compliance to their finance functions. I am confident BasWare has the best tools to enable them to do this. My role is to ensure we have the right partners in place to integrate these tools for them.”
Ilkka Sihvo, CEO, BasWare comments, “BasWare’s objective is to increase net sales by 20–40% annually, and we believe Jaakko can support us in this aim. His previous experience will enable him to develop and refine the BasWare Partner Programme, and to provide a solid foundation for new and existing strategic partnerships. In distribution, our focus is on transitioning more from direct to indirect channel in our strategic markets.”
Elovaara previously worked at Microsoft as sales manager for the enterprise and partner group, and has worked in the IT industry for over 10 years.
For further information please contact:
Jaakko Elovaara, VP, Channel Sales BasWare Corp. Tel. +358 50 3426858
About BasWare
BasWare is the global leader in Enterprise Purchase-to-Pay and Financial Management solutions. More than 450,000 end-users in over 20 countries use its software to automate back-office financial operations to enhance efficiency, gain process control and transparency, and meet compliance requirements. BasWare’s products are widely used in Shared Service Centers.
In 2005, net sales reached EUR 43 million. The growth target for net sales for 2006 is approximately 40% and will continue to be supported by a growing network of value-added resellers.
Founded in 1985, BasWare Corporation is a public company listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, it has eight subsidiaries in the US and Europe.