Leadership Team

Troy Simoni

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 08:00:50 +0100

A co-founder of SweetBeam Networks, Mr. Simoni is responsible for general management, strategy and business development of the company.

Mr. Simoni is a serial entrepreneur and business manager with more than 15 years experience developing and expanding high-growth multinational businesses into market-leading positions.

As founder and CEO of Quiconnect Ltd, a specialist software and systems provider in the wireless sector, Mr. Simoni grew the company from concept in 2001 to a worldwide leader interconnecting nearly all of the world’s leading wireless telecoms operators by 2008, with offices in London (UK), Grenoble (France), San Diego (US), and Hong Kong (China).

Prior to founding Quiconnect, Mr. Simoni worked for Hewlett-Packard (HP) from 1993 to 2002, both in the USA and Europe. From 1996 to 2002, he was responsible for the marketing and business development of HP’s mobile computing division, which grew by more than 300% during that period, from the #12 position to the #5 position prior to the Compaq acquisition.

In 1989, Mr. Simoni co-founded and managed California-based Digidraft, a company providing specialized computer graphics software, solutions and services.

Often called a 'visionary' with skills in leadership, public speaking, team motivation, financing, and business development, Mr. Simoni has frequently been asked to speak at industry conferences and events.

Mr. Simoni is a citizen of both France and the USA. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the University of California, and a MBA from Cornell University, a member of “The Ivy League” of top US universities.

Cornell University is home of the internationally renowned Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.

Jeffrey Archambault

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 06:00:10 +0100

Mr. Archambault is Vice President of Communications and Member of the Executive Committee of Euro Disney SCA, and a member of the Advisory Board of SweetBeam.

He has been responsible for corporate, internal communications and community relations since 2006. He joined the Company in 1992 as Finance Manager for Human Resources and Administration departments. He held successively different posts, including Director of Purchasing and Logistics, Director of Maintenance and Landscaping, Vice President of Park Operations, Vice President of Walt Disney Studios Development and Vice President of Corporate Alliances & Alliance Marketing.

Prior to Disney, Mr. Archambault worked for Apple Computer. He is also a long-standing supporter and member of the Conseil des Gouverneurs of the American Hospital of Paris.

He received his MBA from Stanford University in the USA, and lives with his family in Paris, France.

Daniel Gates

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 05:00:10 +0100

A co-founder of SweetBeam Networks, Mr. Gates is responsible for corporate marketing as well as marketing and design services for the company’s hotel and resort clients.

Mr. Gates is a global marketer with over 15 years of experience driving industry-leading innovation and rigorous operational excellence in marketing organizations at worldwide, pan-regional and country levels.

Prior to SweetBeam, Mr. Gates founded and managed BrandOperative, a consultancy focused on delivering pragmatic solutions for brand activation and marketing program management for world-leading brands including HP and Kodak.

Mr. Gates held leadership marketing and advertising positions within Hewlett-Packard (HP) from 1997 to 2007, with both EMEA and worldwide responsibilities. He was instrumental in HP’s “One Voice” initiative to harmonize and reposition the HP brand, drove the most awarded EMEA advertising campaign, built the first leveraged marketing organization and global agency network, and helped HP rapidly accelerate to #1 in the PC category.

Prior to HP, Mr. Gates worked for Sommer-Allibert in both France and the UK, where he developed unique got-to-market models and a core furnishings product line that has become a category classic in the hospitality industry.

Mr. Gates is a citizen of both France and the USA. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honors from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, USA. He lives with his family near Grenoble, France.

Norm Johnston

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 04:00:35 +0100

Mr. Johnston is the Global Digital Leader for Mindshare Worldwide, a leading advertising media agency (part of Group M), and a member of the Advisory Board of SweetBeam.

Mr. Johnston has been involved in interactive marketing since graduating from Chicago’s Northwestern University in 1988. While at Accenture, he led a team that developed one of the earliest interactive shopping destinations for a large US retail client. After completing his MBA from Duke University in 1995, Norm joined America's first digital agency, Modem Media, who revolutionized the advertising industry by placing the first banner ad on the internet.   In 1997, Mr. Johnston moved to London to open Modem's first international office. During his time in London, Modem Media became a leader in the UK digital agency scene, known for nurturing some of the UK's best digital talent, consistently placing in the top of the digital league tables, and a winner of numerous international interactive awards on behalf of clients such as Unilever, General Motors, and Citibank. Modem UK was responsible for the UK's first rich media ad and viral campaign, and its innovative work led the London office in 2006 to being named as one of the world's top 10 most awarded digital agencies and the top winner in the UK.

Mr. Johnston joined Mindshare in 2007 to lead its digital operations in Europe, and has recently assumed a broader global responsibility for digital services as well as a position on the company's global executive board.

Mr. Johnston is a vocal evangelist of the digital industry and is a frequent speaker at interactive conferences, including the most recent IAB Europe regional conference in Berlin. He lives with his family in London, United Kingdom.

Jean-Marc Potdevin

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 03:00:43 +0100

Mr. Potdevin is an e-commerce and Internet-technology expert at large, and a member of the Board of Directors of SweetBeam.

He is a visionary in the area of application of the Internet to affect fundamental human behavior in the public marketplace. He currently works as an advisor to venture capital funds, while also participating in or advising Internet-based startup companies in France.

Until 2006, Mr. Potedevin was Vice President, Engineering for Yahoo! Europe. Previously, he was the founding CTO of Kelkoo, which was acquired by Yahoo! for €475 million in 2004.

Prior to Kelkoo, Mr. Potdevin worked for nine years in R&D for Schlumberger in both Europe and the USA.

Mr. Potdevin holds a degree in engineering from the Institut Supérieur d’Electronique du Nord and also studied at ISEN. He lives with his family near Grenoble, France.

Tom Virden

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 00:50:34 +0100

Mr. Virden is a seasoned executive in businesses combining leisure, travel, and technology, and a member of the Board of Directors of SweetBeam.

He is founder and CEO of Boatbookings.com, a tailored e-commerce solution that has grown to become a worldwide leader in luxury yacht bookings. Boatbookings.com has its headquarters in London, England, and is present in many travel and leisure destinations worldwide including in Cannes, France.

Mr. Virden was previously the original International Director at Lastminute.com, where he launched their International sites and helped grow the business from infancy to become one of the leading travel booking sites on the web. Lastminute.com is now part of Travelocity.

Prior to Lastminute.com, Mr. Virden spent ten years at Apple Computer in a variety of marketing and product management roles, and at Netscape, where we was in charge of their European Web Sites. He also founded VEO (Virtual European Office), a successful consultancy that helped US-based startups launch in Europe during the dot-com boom. These positions have provided a broad understanding of how technology can change business paradigms.

Mr. Virden is a graduate of Stanford University in the USA and has written for the Harvard Business Review. He lives with his family in Cannes, France.