Hi, I’m
Giovanni Cervone d'Urso
Bari
Summary
International Sales Executive with 25+ years of experience building and leading high-performance teams from the ground up to drive international growth across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Proven in designing and scaling hybrid go-to-market models that integrate direct enterprise sales with strategic alliances. Track record of creating field sales and partner organizations from scratch, from early-stage and mid-size companies to global leaders such as Amazon Web Services and Oracle. Expert at translating complex cloud and data platforms into measurable business outcomes for major institutions in Banking, Financial Services, Telecommunications, and the Public Sector.
Overview
30
years of professional experience
5
Languages
Work History
ScyllaDB
Vice President EMEA Sales
10.2025 - Current
Job overview
- Recruited to form the Go-to-Market strategy for a scalable NoSQL database, delivering 25% pipeline growth by improving execution discipline and resource allocation Return on Investment.
- Acted as a Strategic Advisor to large-scale accounts, optimizing pipeline governance and improving forecast accuracy to 92%.
- Enforced General Data Protection Regulation and enterprise compliance frameworks within high-availability cloud consumption models.
Oracle
Senior Sales Director EMEA Sales & Channels
11.2015 - 09.2025
Job overview
- Led a 20+ person organization across Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), representing 33% of global MySQL revenue, specializing in mission-critical AI workloads in Telecommunications, Banking and Public Sector.
- Orchestrated flagship 5 million dollar plus transactions by coaching teams through complex value-based negotiations with major enterprises and public sector institutions.
- Introduced the Infomotions Solution Selling framework for complex deals, improving win rates by 18% and translating technical features into strategic impact.
- Strengthened partner ecosystems by recruiting and enabling 50+ VARs and distributors, expanding market reach and revenue accountability.
- Spearheaded the shift from on-premise licensing to Cloud and Software as a Service (Oracle Heatwave), increasing cloud revenue mix by 35% through rigorous Total Cost of Ownership analysis.
- Owned global strategic alliances in EMEA such as SAGE, Ericsson, CyberArk, TCS
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Director EMEA Channels & Alliances
11.2012 - 10.2015
Job overview
- Scaled Amazon Web Services (AWS) indirect cloud/saas consumption models from ~$100M to $500M+ in EMEA for data-intensive cloud workloads, demonstrating strong revenue accountability and execution focus.
- Built EMEA partner ecosystems from the ground up, adding 200+ active partners and driving 150% partner-sourced revenue growth.
- Implemented KPI-driven pipeline governance for partners, improving forecast accuracy and optimizing investment in scalable, replicable routes to market.
- Applied critical & analytical thinking to balance risk mitigation with growth objectives across diverse asset and service portfolios.
- Led distributed teams across regions, reinforcing consistent execution and resilient performance.
- Recognized as Partner Leader of the Year twice for measurable impact on scalable growth and ecosystem development.
ORACLE
OEM/ISV Sales Manager (MySQL)
10.2010 - 10.2012
Job overview
- Grew OEM/ISV license revenue by 35% YoY using value-based selling and enterprise solution selling in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
- Closed $8M+ ARR flagship deal, strengthening long-term, recurring revenue streams and supporting scalable growth.
- Managed negotiation risk and commercial terms to protect margin and renewal potential in strategic accounts.
- Aligned regional go-to-market strategy with OEM partner ecosystems to extend reach into priority markets
Honeywell
VP Global Emerging Markets
09.2007 - 09.2010
Job overview
- Developed go-to-market strategy for satellite IoT services in emerging markets, generating $2M in new contracts and 38% YoY ARR growth.
- Established KPI frameworks for recurring revenue, strengthening revenue accountability and forecast accuracy across systems and airtime.
- Expanded partner ecosystems to reach new emerging geographies, supporting scalable and replicable commercial models.
Riverbed Technology
Sales Director, Southern Europe
09.2004 - 09.2006
Job overview
- Led OPNET enterprise and telecom sales across Southern Europe and LATAM, building a $6M annual pipeline and closing $2.5M in multi-year bookings ahead of the Riverbed acquisition.
- Built and governed regional pipeline and KPI frameworks (conversion, cycle time, win rate), improving opportunity conversion by 25% and increasing quarterly forecast predictability.
- Orchestrated cross-functional pursuit teams (sales, presales, product) to deliver tailored demos and proofs of concept, accelerating deal cycles by 30% on strategic accounts.
F5 Networks
Sales Director, Southern Europe
09.2000 - 08.2004
Job overview
- Built the Southern Europe business from the ground up, contributing to global scale from $100M to $1B in revenue through successful market entry and early customer acquisition.
- Launched regional go-to-market and partner strategy, securing initial enterprise contracts and key partnerships within the first 12 months.
- Established local sales and operations teams and implemented pricing and GTM frameworks, improving time-to-market, execution consistency, and regional profitability.
Onyx Software
Channel Manager, South EMEA
11.1998 - 11.2000
Job overview
- Launched CRM SaaS to Southern European businesses, contributing to successful NASDAQ IPO (ONXS) by driving 25% regional user adoption within 12 months.
- Established regional sales operations across Southern Europe, securing 15 key enterprise accounts and increasing annual revenue by 40%.
- Built partner network and channel programs to accelerate market adoption and revenue growth, expanding channel sales by 60% and adding 12 strategic partners.
HP
(DEC) EMEA Pre-Sales Consultant
09.1995 - 11.1998
Job overview
- Delivered EMEA pre-sales consulting on DEC Alpha/VAX and UNIX/Windows, optimizing system selection/deployment and cutting implementation issues by 30% via standardized technical frameworks.
- Supported sales pursuits through RFPs, demos, and proofs of concept, contributing to $5M in pipeline and improving win rates by 20% on targeted opportunities.
- Recognized for top-quartile performance and customer impact through selection to the STARS corporate development program.
Education
MIT SloanCambridge, MA, US
Executive Education from Leading The AI-Driven Organization
09.2025
University of Michigan Ross School of Business & IESE BarcelonaBarcelona & Ann Arbor, Spain & US
Executive Education from ORACLE Accelerated Executive Insight
12.2019
Strathclyde Business SchoolGlasgow, UK
MBA from General Management & Strategy
09.2007
University of StrathclydeGlasgow, UK
B.Eng (Honours) from Mechanical Engineering
06.1995
Skills
Strategic & Commercial Skills: Go-to-market strategy, Cloud/SaaS consumption models, Value-based selling, Enterprise solution selling, Scalability, Strategic Alliances, Account Management, business development
Operational & Risk Management: Risk mitigation, Pipeline governance, Forecast accuracy, Revenue accountability, Cyber-security, High-availability, reporting, Focus on execution
Languages
English
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
Italian
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
Portuguese
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
Spanish
Advanced (C1)
French
Intermediate (B1)
Timeline
Vice President EMEA Sales
ScyllaDB
10.2025 - Current
Senior Sales Director EMEA Sales & Channels
Oracle
11.2015 - 09.2025
Director EMEA Channels & Alliances
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
11.2012 - 10.2015
OEM/ISV Sales Manager (MySQL)
ORACLE
10.2010 - 10.2012
VP Global Emerging Markets
Honeywell
09.2007 - 09.2010
Sales Director, Southern Europe
Riverbed Technology
09.2004 - 09.2006
Sales Director, Southern Europe
F5 Networks
09.2000 - 08.2004
Channel Manager, South EMEA
Onyx Software
11.1998 - 11.2000
(DEC) EMEA Pre-Sales Consultant
HP
09.1995 - 11.1998
University of Michigan Ross School of Business & IESE Barcelona
Executive Education from ORACLE Accelerated Executive Insight
Strathclyde Business School
MBA from General Management & Strategy
University of Strathclyde
B.Eng (Honours) from Mechanical Engineering
MIT Sloan
Executive Education from Leading The AI-Driven Organization