We’re delighted to announce Erik Rehn joining UpCloud as our new Head of Sales. Erik will be a great addition to our global team leading UpCloud’s sales and business development strategy towards our key user segments among small and medium-sized businesses as well as looking for new market opportunities.
“Not all companies are able or want to use the biggest cloud providers. Either they might be too complex, confusing or they require a high level of technical skills. I see a strong need for UpCloud’s kind of vendor in the cloud market,” says Erik Rehn.
Coming from Amazon Web Services, Erik brings over ten years of experience in various sales, business development, corporate strategy, and consultancy positions. In his last role, he was responsible for startup business development for AWS Nordics & Benelux.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Erik to the team! His logical approach to sales at scale, from the same industry and also on an international level will be a great addition to us at UpCloud,” says UpCloud’s CEO Antti Vilpponen.
Experience from international cloud markets
What were Erik’s first impressions of UpCloud, and where does he see the biggest opportunities for the company? We asked him a few questions.
How do you see UpCloud’s current position in the market?
The transformation to the cloud has just begun, and right now, only 2% of IT workloads worldwide are in the cloud. That’s why there’s space for more than just the top three players in the market. UpCloud has strong potential in the segment of growing small and medium-sized businesses that need help moving to the cloud with high SLAs and great customer service.
What would you like to focus on as the Head of Sales?
I want to focus more on high-growth companies, such as Software-as-a-Service or eCommerce companies looking for global scalability through our vast network of data centres, who don’t want to rely on hypervendors. UpCloud is an ideal partner for them. We have a technology stack that can help the growing companies in the initial phases when price matters but performance is also crucial.
Which of your previous experiences do you see most valuable for the new role?
I am used to growing sales in international markets, business generation and acquisitions, so I hope my background will bring a more programmatic approach to sales. Besides that, I understand how startups and SMBs work and the requirements for their growth. That gives me a good insight into UpCloud’s user base.
What were your first impressions of UpCloud?
It’s a beautiful company with a relaxed atmosphere and low hierarchy. An apparent transformation effort is visible to focusing on the user’s needs and designing new products to satisfy them. It also has a very open and direct culture, which is really important to me.
