Bentley Systems changes a command in Russia

TAdviser knew that at once several key staff of the Russian office of Bentley Systems company (Bentley Systems), including the area manager in Russia and the CIS, the posts for the last several months left.

, Leon Rizzi who since 2008 headed office of the producer of the engineering systems in Russia and the neighboring countries left the company in January, 2011. Information on it is placed in its profile in LinkedIn social network.

On the same website data appear that at the moment Leon works in Anda company which is engaged in IT consulting. In the world there are several consulting IT companies of the same name - in Bulgaria, Poland and the USA (Vermont), but any of them according to official websites has no representations in Russia. On other web resource Leon's position in Anda – the managing partner – and its location (Moscow) is specified. There is no information on activity of this company in open sources.

At office Bentley Systems in Moscow TAdviser by phone was told that Leon's post is held now by other employee of "Bentley" - Tuomo Parjanen, the Finn, long time working respectively in the Finnish division of the company.

At office "Bentley" refused further comments, having referred to absence of the employees who are responsible for press relations. As Andrey Levchenko who is responsible for marketing of the company in Russia also left the post some time ago. The reasons of its leaving are not known.

But the fact that just a few weeks ago "Bentley" was left by one more key employee - Paweê Brook is more important, in it held a position of the partnership director. And he only worked half a year. Now Pavel holds a position of the chief representative of SolidWorks Three-dimensional project environment in Russia and the CIS. "As for my leaving, the reason exclusively personal, not connected with a situation in the company in any way", - he told TAdvser.

Meanwhile, the Bentley Systems company insists that Russia is for it key the regional market. In the fall of 2010 to Russia for the second time there came the senior vice president and the executive director on transactions of Bentley Systems Malcolm Walter.

Then he said the following in an interview to the CAD/CAM/CAE Observer magazine: "I am happy with the work done by us and progress of business of our company in Russia. Formally our office in Russia functions five years, but real progress in work was made for last two years". (So it is those two years which fell on time under control of Leon Rizzi).

Also according to Walter, over 60% of the income of Bentley gain outside the USA therefore "importance of skillful regional policy constantly increases". The current list of the priority countries at number one includes Russia, then there is Brazil, they are followed by India. And, according to him if on others of the Bentley market it is ready to adapt to regional features of business only for 10%, then Russia is a special case where the company is ready to renounce 50% of the rules.

One of the main differences of business of Bentley Systems in Russia from other regions of presence is the scheme of product sales. Practically worldwide Bentley performs direct sales, and only 15% of total returns fall to the share of partners. In Russia, on the contrary, the most part of income will be brought by the partner channel (about 60-75%).

Also Walter said that the Russian office asks supports of the main office "in determination of policy of the company for work with partners in Russia". "We have an idea of what it should be, but there is also a background of the relations with the companies, people. Therefore we try to define priorities now in how partner relations should be constructed. At us progress in this case was already outlined", - he added to an interview, we will remind, written in October, 2010, i.e. 5 years of an entry of the company into the market later.

Walter declared plans of Bentley Systems in Russia, and they are quite aggressive. For the same interval of time doubling of staff of office up to 40 people. And what is even more important – considerable expansion of a partner network in Russia. For the next three years – doubling of income of the Russian office Bentley.