Since reading Donald Norman’s book “The Invisible Computer" in the late 90s, one sentence has remained with me: “I don’t want to use a word processor, I want to write a letter." This notion represents perfectly how I see technology, and how it needs to bring value to and be in the social context of the user. In other words, I always look at technology as the tool, not the goal in itself.
Today, I continue to put this philosophy into action by leading the product vision, strategy, management and marketing for Corel’s flagship brands, including CorelDRAW, Corel Painter and WordPerfect. With my passionate focus on customer delight, I have a proven track record of delivering high quality, award winning products; building global strategies; and driving growth and profitability. I am recognized as a passionate and authentic leader, who enables the whole team to deliver the right customer driven products, at the right time and on budget.
With extensive experience in Product Strategy and Management, I lead using a collaborative approach with my team and co-workers, looking for creative approaches to business model innovation, while focusing on the end-user value. This is how I drove CorelDRAW’s move from a traditional packaged software to a SaaS / Cloud + Mobile + Desktop: providing users choice and enabling a smooth transition from one business model to the next. Combined with a switch to rapid releases, CorelDRAW now answers customer expectations and market dynamics in a matter of months versus years.
In order to achieve the best possible understanding of the customer base and to drive the product vision, I am a strong proponent of direct contact with users off-line and on-line through social networks and communities. After moving to Ottawa, Canada from Europe in 2006, I quickly became the “go-to" person for CorelDRAW users, with members of the community often commenting “just contact Gérard" in the forums in order to get something resolved.
I am also a recognized innovative thinker, capable of understanding the big picture as well as the details. As such, I have delivered patentable solutions for the company. I am able to connect and build strong relationships with colleagues, partners and press, and have always enjoyed sharing ideas through presentation and effective communications. I am the internal and external “evangelist" for my products, getting everyone aligned behind the vision.
As one colleague put it in a recent 360 degree assessment: “Gérard is analytical and is excellent at strategizing. He brings a certain unique quality by combining both business and technical skills that enable him to work with a cross section of product and engineering folks. He is … extremely dependable when leading large initiatives."
Another colleague stated that “Gérard is a highly motivated leader with obvious passion and commitment to the products he manages. One of his greatest strengths is really understanding user needs and challenges. He seems to take a lot of personal time to interact with users and gather feedback that informs strategy and development. Gerard has been great at reinforcing business objectives and ensuring that the various teams stay focused on our goals. He drives activity based on overall objectives, and reminds people why we’re doing what we’re doing. He often backs this up with hard data. He’s a numbers guy! Gerard is also a supportive colleague. He’s not afraid to take accountability for decisions, but is open to hearing other points of view. He willingly steps in to support colleagues and teams when needed."
I am a licensed private pilot, always looking for an excuse to go and fly somewhere. I also serve as a Board Member of the Rockcliffe Flying Club, a not-for-profit organization based in Ottawa that focuses on teaching to fly, operating an airport, as well as making flying fun and affordable for its members.
Originally from Switzerland, I relocated with my family to Canada in 2006 after having worked in the UK for a number of years. I speak fluent English, French and German. I am educated in both Computer Science and Business, and recently finished my Certificate of Business Excellence from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley.