HPE OEM Solutions Meet the Team: Joep Rovers

[MattQuirk]

This week, we met with Joep Rovers, our OEM Sales Specialist for Northwest Europe. We discussed the OEM technology trends he’s seeing in the Nordics and Benelux regions, and how he deals with cultural differences in business practices.

Hi Joep, nice to meet you. To kick things off, could you tell us what your role as OEM Sales Specialist for Northwest Europe entails?

Being the only dedicated OEM salesperson for Northwest Europe, I have to wear many hats and juggle a number of different tasks. I manage both existing and potential OEM customers, handle support cases, coach OEM account managers in my region, and deal with operations and fulfilment processes.

My main role lies in new business acquisition for the HPE OEM business unit. I get in touch with potential customers, explain what the OEM program is at HPE, and what they have to gain from becoming an HPE OEM partner. All the customers that have signed up for the HPE OEM program with me are happy with the benefits and added value of being an HPE OEM partner.

Have you noticed any differences in business practices between the Nordics and Benelux regions?

I was born in the Netherlands, so I’m very familiar with the Benelux region. The Nordics and Denmark are different culturally, as they tend to be less direct in their communication, unlike the Belgians and the Dutch. When dealing with customers from the Nordics and Denmark, I am careful to not come across as too direct. Some social empathy goes a long way, and things have worked out for me so far!

Has there been a demand for a particular HPE product or service from OEMs so far in 2023?

At HPE OEM Solutions, we deal mainly with OEM demands for compute solutions. Many OEMs are looking for customized compute servers that can be used at the “edge”. These edge locations can be very extreme, from the arid desert to the freezing Artic. They want ruggedized HPE servers that can operate in temperatures ranging from -5 to 40 degrees Celsius, and be shock tolerant as well.

Ruggedized servers are also often used by OEMs in the telecommunications industry. HPE even designed the DL110 Telco server specifically for them, as demand for these specific server specs was high.

You’ve joined HPE OEM quite recently. Is there a memorable customer experience or win you could share with us?

My most memorable experience so far was my first OEM onboarding with a new customer. It was a Danish AI cybersecurity software company that was working with a different technology partner. Their Danish sales account manager convinced them to work with HPE instead, and I was tasked with organizing the OEM onboarding process, from contracts to legal obligations and operations.

As I did not yet have experience onboarding OEMs, it was challenging to deliver the correct customer experience. It helped that the sales director at the company was very understanding and great to work with. As a result, it was very satisfying organizing everything for them, and I learned a lot in the process as well.

What do you find yourself doing the most outside of work?

As I’m currently living in Barcelona, I really like running along the beach on the weekends. I also do CrossFit during the week or on Saturday mornings. Of course, you can also find me having after-work drinks with friends and colleagues!

My background in hospitality means that I really enjoy a good dinner with friends, (usually) accompanied with red wine from Italy or Spain. As many of my friends are now living in other countries and parts of the world, I tend to travel a lot. It’s a great eye-opener.

Matt Quirk
Hewlett Packard Enterprise

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