Together we have build new channels, introduced innovative technologies and led market entries with and for multiple vendors in EMEA for over 15 years. We decided to establish NovoQuest to help potential emerging companies and startups with our "expertise and knowledge" to accelerate their market entry, while minimizing risk and maximizing result.
Rashied Akrum
Managing Partner
With more than 25 years experience in leadership roles he has been successful in building European channels for new emerging technologies. He has an extensive entrepreneurial experience and for the last 15 years he has been building the EMEA channel for and with multiple IT software infrastructure vendors.
Business brief
In his last role as Vice President EMEA InstallFree, Rashied was responsible for establishing the EMEA footprint. Before this he spent more than two years with Microsoft to establish the Desktop and Application Virtualization market for Microsoft in EMEA, when Softricity was acquired by Microsoft. At his role as General Manager EMEA for Softricity, he’s been part of the team who created the Application Virtualization Market. Prior to joining Softricity he was one of the pioneers who introduced Citrix to Europe in the early 1990’s and has been involved in building the European channels since then. During this period, Rashied was the CEO of CDG Europe, a very well known European Value Added Distributor. Rashied has a degree in IT technology and an extensive experience in Marketing and Sales. He also conducted Strategic Business Administration at the school of Economics.
Carina Rozendaal
Managing Partner
Carina Rozendaal has 17 years broad experience of sales, marketing and business development in the computer technology industry with a focus in the last 10 years on building EMEA channels for the software Infrastructure and virtualization market.
Business brief
In her role as Sr. Director Sales & Marketing EMEA at InstallFree, Carina oversaw all the commercial activities for the EMEA market. Before that the was responsible for the EMEA channel strategy, building and development for virtualization at Microsoft, right after the acquisition of Softricity, where she was Director Sales & Marketing EMEA. She has extensive experience in the areas of sales, business development and marketing within infrastructure and virtualization technologies like Softricity, Citrix and MS Virtualization. Rozendaal also brings her experience in channels in emerging technologies across Europe, Middle East & Africa with companies like CDG Europe, ASG Europe and Racal-Datacom. Carina has a bachelor degree in sales and marketing with the specialization international management from the University of Rotterdam.
Patrick Jaspers
Senior Partner
Patrick is a senior business developer with 19 years IT experience. The last 4 years in Microsoft Patrick was responsible for the Microsoft-Citrix alliance, he created joint sales programs around private & hybrid clouds building architectures with products like Hyper-V, Citrix XenDesktop, App-V Application Virtualization and System Center and developed GTM initiatives with partners like Dell and HP for the European, CEE and MEA market. This was built with and through solutions of their joint partners.
Business brief
In his last role as Sales Strategy Manager EMEA for Microsoft, Patrick was instrumental in the initiating the V-Alliance program, an alliance between Microsoft, Citrix, Intel and HP, which was rolled out to accelerate adoption of the new way of working, creating secure virtual working and mobility. This successful program now involves 1000+ partners worldwide.
He also worked on business development for Microsoft’s virtual desktop strategy and on application virtualization, this was after Softricity was acquired by Microsoft for whom he worked on business development in Europe, CEE and MEA. With Softricity he’s been part of the team who created the Application Virtualization Market.
Before that he worked for Compuware APAC and Oracle Benelux working on 4GL development tools UNIFACE, Forms, Workflow Management, Security, Optimal Flow, J2EE Development, Optimal J, network monitoring and optimization, Vantage and QA Load. He is also an Oracle Forms trainer and owns a SIE bachelor for systems integration from the University of Amsterdam.
Graham Bell
Senior Partner
Graham has over 20 years experience in the IT industry, and most recently over 12 years delivering enterprise software sales and operational excellence. From leading Independent Software Vendor (ISV) startups to managing the UK for innovative product sets at Microsoft across all enterprise business sectors. With an innovative mindset, taking businesses from current to future states through controlled evolution.
Business brief
The last 5 years as co-owner and Director at AutonoWare, a UK based start up ISV focused on automating desktop application virtualization packaging, with customers ranging from a small school in Australia to a Top 10 global financial services firm in the US. Prior to that, Graham kick-started a UK software and services solutions provider, RealServe IT, to just under £1/2m turnover in its first year.
At Microsoft, Graham spent 4 years responsible for the UK for Desktop Virtualization, Applications Virtualization and the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack and, by developing a strong eco-system, became its highest over-achiever globally. The role at Microsoft was as a result of the acquisition of Softricity, the pioneers of application virtualization, where Graham was UK Country Manager, helping to transition the development from start up to the levels achieved at Microsoft for the UK.
