Executive Management
Jean-Yves Leclerc
CEO & co-founder
Jean-Yves has extensive experience in managing international high-tech companies in the technical, industrial, marketing and sales domains. He was the cofounder of Tecsi, then Deputy General Manager of Telic-Alcatel, where he oversaw the development of Minitel. He set up and managed the Supercomputer Division of Evans & Sutherland in California. He was Chairman of Alcatel Business Systems in the UK. Jean-Yves graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris and received a Ph.D. in Computer Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley.
Thierry Grenot
EVP & co-founder
Thierry was responsible for the design and implementation of numerous telecommunications systems, including large multi-service high-bandwidth networks. A recognized expert in the fields of networking and quality of service, he owns numerous patents. Before Ipanema’s creation, he was VP of Engineering, at the Corporate Network Business Unit of Thales. Thierry is an E.N.S.E.R.G. graduate.
François Lecerf
CTO & co-founder
François has over 20 years experience in the design of numerous telecommunications products, including access systems for WAN (PPP, frame relay, ATM, IP, etc.). He was co-founder and Vice President of Engineering & Manufacturing at Synaptel until its acquisition by the Interphase Corporation in 1987. At Interphase, he was CTO for Europe. François is an Ecole Supérieure d'Electricité graduate.
Michel Agopian
SVP Worldwide Sales
An INSA and IAE graduate, Michel has already more that 20 years of commercial experience in the new technology sector. After holding the positions of commercial engineer, regional commercial director and then marketing director at Digital Equipment, he was then general manager for UB networks, a networks solution manufacturer. In 1997 Michel joined Cisco Systems Europe as EMEA marketing director for the enterprise sector and then commercial director for large accounts in the industry sector. Before joining Ipanema he held the position of general manager for Symbol Technologies France.
David White
President NA & SVP BDev.
David is a seasoned senior executive with over 25 years’ experience in sales, marketing and business development. David has a strong background in WAN Optimization and has worked extensively in both enterprise and service provider markets.
Rogier van der Wal
VP Cloud Services
Rogier brings a wealth of experience in leading sales and marketing teams in EMEA dealing with Service Providers, Channel Partners and Large Accounts, selling complex IT and Managed Services solutions.
Prior to joining Ipanema, Rogier headed European Sales and Marketing organization for UBIqube Solutions, defining and executing GTM for Service Providers, Channel and OEM partners. At Click and Decide, Rogier built a successful Channel to deliver BI solutions to large enterprises in the Benelux and Dach region. Prior to NetReport, Rogier lead the Indirect sales team for ActivIdentity where he closed one of the largest continental Smartcard deals.
Rogier holds a Master Degree in Mechanical Engineering and Marketing of the University of Applied Mechanics in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Véronique Coulmann
VP Finances & Administration
Before joining Ipanema, Veronique spent most of her career at Amdahl (mainframe manufacturer who got acquired by Fujitsu) . During her 10 years at Amdahl, she gained a very broad experience in the different finance functions together with a business understanding through the following responsibilities : bid desk management, sales administration manager, european controller and finance director . Veronique started her education in France where she graduated from the business school : ESCEM of Poiiters-Tours and completed there her accounting graduation with the D.E.S.C.F. She decided then to continue her education in the USA where she got an MBA from Seattle University and also got her C.P.A.
Béatrice Piquer Durand
VP Marketing
Béatrice has over 18 years experience in the IT industry focused on the development of Marketing strategies for start-up. Before joining Ipanema Technologies in 2001 to secure the sales success of the company and to create the worldwide marketing team, she worked as marketing director for several companies including Thomson Multimedia (Technicolor), Catalliances (Prodware) and Interface Data. Béatrice has extensive business and management experience in the IT and Telecom sector. Beatrice has a master degree in Marketing and sales Management from Ecole Supérieure de Vente de Paris.
Alain Dupont
VP Technical Operations
Alain has over 20 year experience in telecommunication software (frame relay, ATM and IP). Alain led integration teams for large governmental projects at Cap Gemini, Thales and CS Telecom. When joining Ipanema as one of the first employees, he took the responsibility for software integration then worldwide technical support. Alain is an Ecole Centrale d’Electronique graduate.
Theater Leaders

Nigel K. Pink - VP & GM UK and Ireland
Nigel has held Sales and Management Consulting positions in organizations including Cisco Systems, SAP, Interel Public Affairs & Public Relations, Network Equipment Technologies (N.E.T.), and Electronic Data Systems (EDS). Additionally in his early career he worked for the UK’s Ministry of Defence.
At Cisco, Nigel led the start up of the IBM / Cisco business in EMEA, which proved highly valuable for clients, IBM and Cisco alike. At SAP, Nigel grew the Public Sector business in Europe, Middle East & Africa, NEWS Region. At Interel he led its Structured Finance Practice, targeting major infrastructure opportunities in partnership with major IT organizations including Oracle, SUN Micro Systems and Unisys. Earlier in his IT career he had roles at Network Equipment Technologies where he started high growth partnerships with Ericsson and IBM.

Brecht Seurinck - VP Northern Europe
Brecht Seurinck is a Gent University graduate. Previously Brecht held many different sales roles at companies including UCB Pharma, Mobistar Corporate Solutions, Infonet Belgium and Vanco Belux. His assignment for Ipanema started early 2008.

Michael Kunzi - VP Germany
Michael Kunzi is recognized as a dynamic, passionate and versatile business leader in Sales, Channels and Business Development in the internet and ICT industry and he has more than two decades of senior management experience. Michael started his career in a business consultancy and has worked as a sales leader and general manager for a European system integrator.
Over the past 15 years at Cisco, Michael has held several sales leadership positions (Enterprise customers, Public Sector Organizations and Global Accounts) and he was also leading the relationship with Cisco's largest global system Integrator. In his previous role, Michael led the Ecosystem Partner Business Development Team in the European Partner Organization with the ownership for the creation of European Business Models and Go-To-Markets for the Industry Solutions Partner Community in all relevant key markets.
Michael has studied Business Administration with a major in Marketing and he is a certified Coach.


Manelli Hosseini - VP & GM North America
Starting with his first software contract aged 16, Manelli spent over 10 years in various technical roles before moving to sales. For the past 16 years Manelli has held a variety of commercial roles mostly in sales and sales management with companies throughout the world, including Telstra, Cygnus Solution (Red Hat), Persistence Software, and PKWARE among others.


Danny Smolders - VP Asia Pacific
Danny Smolders brings a wealth of experience working for major European telecommunications operators over the past 12 years in different roles across Europe, Canada, Brazil and China. He has worked for companies including T-Systems, BT Global Service, Equant, Mobistar Corporte Solutions and Telenet.


Géraldine Palau - VP France & Iberia
Géraldine has more than 16 years experience in sales in the IT sector and in network management. She managed Channel for 4 years at Legato Systems then for 4 years at Network Appliances, both leading companies in the Storage Industry. She then joined the French subsidiary of Silicon Graphics as Sales Director.
Géraldine is an ISTEC graduate - Ecole Supérieure de commerce et Marketing.


Pier Paolo Lanati - Country Manager Italy
Pier Paolo has spent more than 25 years in sales in the ICT market sector. His previous roles have included management positions at Vitroselenia, Ericsson, Infostrada, Alcatel, and most recently at COLT Telecom where he successfully managed the launch of the company in Italy as the Sales Director. Pier Paolo grew the company driving the MED (Major Enterprise Division) and contributing to the Fiber Optics Broadband service offering in Italy, selling to both Italian and international companies. Pier Palo holds a degree in Electronic Engineering from Bologna University.


















