After 37 years, Guy Couder is bidding farewell to Simac PHI DATA. Olivier Billiau will succeed him as CEO. Olivier Billiau will continue to shape the growth strategy and professionalism of the company, which specialises in Smart Edge solutions. Olivier Billiau brings extensive experience from the sectors that form the primary focus of Simac PHI DATA’s activities. Guy Couder himself will remain involved with Simac PHI DATA as an external consultant for several more months.
“The back-story of Simac PHI DATA appealed to me enormously right from the start,” says Olivier Billiau. “What I found attractive was that, as CEO of a medium-sized company, I could still be very close to the market, the customers and the company’s technology partners. At the same time, I was won over by the way Simac PHI DATA works with its customers to provide added value. I believe very strongly in consultative selling, in which you share thoughts with the customer on a long-term basis to provide solutions.”
Olivier Billiau has worked in the technology and ICT sector for nearly 25 years in both Sales and Management roles. His track record included companies such as Agfa-Gevaert, Barco, Canon, Televic and MIPS. In his previous position, he was Managing Director of Centric Belgium. For a major part of his career, Olivier has worked in the Healthcare market, a sector in which Simac PHI DATA is also strong.
“Simac PHI DATA has established a solid position in numerous sectors,” says Olivier Billiau. “We achieved those positions by always working with quality products and adding our own software (such as ID Asset, ID Stock) along with a portfolio of services. As such, we are in a position to provide sustainable solutions that will benefit our customers for a long time. In times when sustainability is on everyone’s mind, this is very important. With our integrated solutions, we are ideally placed to take responsibility for fulfilling our customers’ needs.”
Olivier Billiau knows he has big shoes to fill, but that does not deter him. Like Guy Couder, he wants to be close to his teams and his customers. At the same time, he wants to further develop the company’s structures and processes to support the growth of Simac PHI DATA. In order to achieve that, he certainly intends to take advantage of the scale and experience that its parent company Simac has to offer. Simac took a majority stake in PHI DATA three years ago and acquired 100% of the shares this summer.
“Olivier Billiau is the right man in the right place,” says Guy Couder. “He can think strategically, but he is also familiar with the day-to-day operational practices of a medium-sized company. What is more, some of his experience was gained within larger organisations, which can only benefit Simac PHI DATA as it grows. Guy Couder worked for Simac PHI DATA for 37 years, initially in Sales positions, but has been the company’s General Manager/CEO since 1998. In the coming months, he will remain with Simac PHI DATA as an external consultant in order to make the transition as smooth as possible for the company’s staff, customers and partners.“We are extremely pleased to welcome Olivier Billiau to Simac PHI DATA,” said Maartje van Schagen, CEO of the Simac holding. “His way of working fits perfectly within Simac’s culture. We are very grateful to Guy Couder for shaping Simac PHI DATA into the company it is today and we are confident that Olivier Billiau is the right person to guide the continued growth of Simac PHI DATA.”
For further information, please visit
Web: https://www.phidata.be/en/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/phi-data-nv-sa/
Press contact:
José Delameilleure
