PRIVATE: My last working day at Helvetia

Today, Friday September 28, 2007, was my last working day by Helvetia, after having worked there for the last 12 years, in various functions: from Software engineer to CEO of a small subsidiary, to make it short ;-)

I am very proud to have had the chance to work for this company. I have met there a lot of very good and experienced professionals, I have learnt so much. Really great.

Now, why did I leave? Very simple: Helvetia is a medium-sized company (more than 5'000 employees), with the normal positive and negative sides of a healthy organization of this size. And I like more and more smaller entities.

12 years is quite a long time and I have never thought I would stay so much time in the same company ;-) But not doing the same job! So, I must admit that this day was a particular day, also when I gave back my 12-years old badge. On the other side, it is good not having anymore this old picture on my badge!

I have now the chance, with 13 of my friends and colleagues to spin out and to start a new business in excellent conditions, thanks to Helvetia.

Helvetia is from now on my customer, and I will do my best to serve this great company as a professional and dedicated provider.

A very warm thanks to all my friends and colleagues at Helvetia. I had a great time with you all, I hope that we will continue to collaborate and to work together in the same great way. I wish you all the best and take care!

Recommendations

Some of the recommendations you can find about me in LinkedIn.

 

As CEO and co-founder of ecenter solutions

 

Many teams in a corporate environment try to spin-off and create an independent company, but very few have succeeded like Didier’s group inside Helvetia Patria. I have known and work with Didier and his team in the course of the last 2 years, and he is one of the most energetic, smart, fun, and driven CEO I know. I recommend him as an expert in software engineering (with one of the most interesting SOA environment available today), as well as a manager of a successful business unit, as a leader of a promising start-up, and as a friend.

September 27, 2007

Marc Goldberg, Managing Partner, Occam Capital

 

As member of the Board of Boomerang

 

Didier's strategic insights during our Board meetings have proven to be immensely valuable over the years. I can say that he has been instrumental in the development of the company since 2000. Didier is a dedicated individual who always makes himself available when advice is needed.

September 27, 2007

Emmanuel Bueb, Owner, Boomerang

INNOVEO: New working contracts signed

innoveo, the reason why I haven't got the time to blog.

innoveo, the result of months of discussions, negotiation, turbulences, pressure, risk-taking, unknown, and really, sometimes, just BIG shit.

On the other side, since February, an incredible phase, full of learnings, of absolutely great and decisive support from so many people. From my family and Friends. And hey, the most important support, the reason of this new venture, the TEAM. Yes, the driver of the Management Buy-out was not ego-driven. The driver was not the money. The driver was simply to keep this crazy team together, to build-up a platform for our future, with the necessary strategic freedom. And some room for implementing our vision!

We have always said that we have a particular, a quite special team-spirit. A lot of people thought that we were arrogant. Now, guys, I think that it is difficult for you *not to recognize* that we have a strong team-spirit ;-) During the 6 months of the negotiation process, the team has remained absolutely stable and compact, we have delivered greatly all the time (I am very proud of that!), and 14 of the 15 people are joining innoveo on October 1, 2007.

So, my colleagues and friends, Andrea, Bojan, Cédric, Consti, Laurent, Lorenz, Oli, Olivier, Peter, Philippe, Rolf, Roy: it is so great and exciting to work with you, such an honor for me that you have so much trust, a kind of gift :-) Thank you so much!



[left to right: Roy, Peter, Consti, Laurent, Oli, myself, Lorenz, Cédric, Olivier, Rolf, Andrea, Nick, Bojan, Philippe]

All this process would have been totally impossible without my friend and Business partner, Nick Stefania. Alone, we wouldn't have reached this success. So, "1 + 1 = 3". Or, as Lorenz said one time: "2 4 all, all 4 2". We are growing together, and ... it is not finished! Some people have tried to divide us, but hey, it is not so easy ;-)

We are also very proud to have constituted such a Board of Directors, but this is for another post!

What else? Perhaps a short explanation of the "why today": actually we have all resigned today and signed our new working contract with innoveo. So I have thought it is a good time to post ;-) And I must admit, I couldn't wait anymore to share that with you.

Our Corporate website - http://www.innoveo.com - will be launched on October 1, 2007.

Tags: innoveo - innoveo solutions