Manuel VERGEZ
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR | ANGLOPHONE AFRICA | B2B & B2G |
Revenue Growth • Market Entry • Strategic Partnerships • Telco • Fintech • Digital Identity
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & REVENUE LEADER | ANGLOPHONE AFRICA
30+ years of international experience building businesses, opening markets and accelerating revenue across Africa and Latin America.
Senior commercial executive with a strong track record in multi-country business development, market entry and strategic partnerships, particularly across Telecom, Fintech and Digital Identity. Experienced in developing complex B2B and B2G opportunities with Tier-1 MNOs, banks, governments and international organisations.
Africa-focused GTM expertise: market and segment prioritisation, C-level engagement, strategic partner selection, POCs and first customer wins, followed by channel development and regional scale-up.
Proven builder: from market entry to first revenues, from direct sales to partner ecosystems, and from local opportunities to scalable multi-country business.
KEY
ACHIEVEMENTS
B2B/B2G Revenue Engine Creation – Built Latin American sales operations from scratch across three core verticals — Telecom, Banking and Government — scaling the business to €60M within four years for Oberthur Technologies (now IDEMIA).
Africa Go-to-Market Execution – Built Famoco’s initial African pipeline from approximately $400K in Year 1, establishing business across four priority regions — East Africa, Southern Africa, Nigeria and Egypt — while progressively expanding coverage across the continent. Year-2 commercial target: €6.3M in 2026.
Strategic Partnerships & Ecosystem Development – Built a network of 11 strategic partners in Year 1, including distributors and system integrators. Structured distribution agreements, co-selling models, partner enablement and joint governance, while training local teams to accelerate market access and execution.
Team & Regional Leadership – Built and led multicultural sales, marketing and pre-sales teams of 20+ FTE at Oberthur Technologies / IDEMIA, driving commercial performance, operational efficiency and budget discipline across regional organisations.
TELECOM, FINTECH & DIGITAL IDENTITY — BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE
“I am because you are.” — Ubuntu
This principle has strongly influenced my approach to business development across Africa: sustainable growth is built on trust, local partnerships and shared value.
Throughout my career, I have focused on building commercial ecosystems where companies, customers and local partners grow together — combining local understanding with long-term business performance.
Famoco | Sales Director AFRICA | 2024-present.
Lead business development and go-to-market execution across Anglophone Africa, developing complex B2B/B2G opportunities around secure Android devices, Digital Identity & KYC, Payments and Field Operations, combined with recurring software and device-management services.
Built and executed Africa GTM across East Africa, Southern Africa and Nigeria, with additional development in Egypt and other strategic African markets
Grew the qualified opportunity pipeline from $400K to $6.3M in 12 months
Built 11 strategic channel and system-integrator partnerships, accelerating local market access and indirect sales
Reduced average go-to-market cycle from 18 to 12 months through local partnerships, targeted POCs and C-level engagement
Oberthur Technologies (Idemia) | Latin America Director | 1996-2007
Built and scaled Latin American operations from the ground up across Telecom, Banking & Government.
10-year progression across Latin America, from Sales Executive in Mexico (1996) to VAS Product Marketing, before establishing and leading the regional organisation from Brazil, with operations in Bogotá and Buenos Aires.
Scaled the regional business to €60M across three core verticals — Telecom, Banking and Government.
Built and led a 20+ FTE sales and pre-sales organisation, supported by the establishment of a 100+ FTE local production operation.
Combined market expansion, revenue growth and operational leadership, delivering regional performance against budget while building a sustainable multi-country organisation.
HEALTHCARE & MEDICAL DEVICES — BUSINESS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Laboratoire TETRA MEDICAL | Sales Director | 2015 - 2019
Led direct and indirect sales across France and African markets, managing a 20+ FTE commercial organisation.
Led a €32M business, redefining the commercial strategy across domestic and international markets.
Rebuilt the sales organisation and channel strategy, combining direct sales, tender management and indirect distribution.
Accelerated international growth, delivering +30% export sales through stronger local distribution and partner development.
Managed and developed a 20+ FTE sales organisation, aligning teams, channels and resources with commercial objectives.
ABENA-FRANTEX | Sales & Marketing Director | 2012 - 2015
Led Sales, Pre-Sales and Marketing teams, transforming the company’s commercial approach to the French healthcare market (30+ FTE).
Delivered +35% revenue growth in three years, growing the business from €41M to €55M between 2012 and 2015.
Improved margins consistently throughout the period while sustaining strong top-line growth.
Led a major commercial transformation, restructuring sales processes, product portfolio and organisation to improve market focus and execution.
Managed 30+ FTE across Sales, Pre-Sales and Marketing, aligning teams around growth, profitability and commercial performance.
From
2007
Transition Management | Various export / sales / director transition positions |
Until 2024
EDUCATION
1993 - 1996
Institut Supérieur de Gestion
Multinational Management & Finance
2004 - 2006
University of Liverpool
Online MBA program
LANGUAGES
French: Native
English: Professional
Portuguese: Professional
Spanish: Professional
“There is only one language for business: partnership.”
My approach to business development has always been simple: create value for the customer first, and sustainable growth follows.
Across telecom, banking, government, healthcare and technology, I have built long-term business through trust, local understanding and aligned interests — turning customer relationships into partnerships, and partnerships into scalable growth.
MY INTERESTS
Investment, wealth management
During my professional experience at a real estate company specializing in investment asset management, I discovered a true passion for analyzing real estate markets and optimizing asset portfolios. Each project was an opportunity to deepen my understanding of market trends and work closely with investors eager to maximize their wealth. This experience allowed me to develop critical investment strategy skills while reinforcing my desire to contribute to long-term value creation in the real estate sector.
Golf
My all-consuming passion for golf took on a whole new dimension when I had the opportunity to coach youth teams at the local and regional levels. Sharing my love for the sport, seeing young people blossom and improve, has strengthened my own mastery of the game. Each training session becomes a special moment where I share tips, and, above all, the camaraderie that characterizes our shared passion. This commitment to young people isn't limited to teaching them the etiquette, but also to instilling in them the values of perseverance and respect, essential in golf and in life. It's an experience that fuels my enthusiasm and pushes me to surpass myself every day.