SDL Names New Head of N. America Web Content Management

By Barb Mosher | Published May 5, 2010

Only a few months after they consolidated their business divisions under the SDL (news, site) brand, another major announcement is coming from the global info management organization: a new General Manager is set to lead the North American operations for their Web Content Management Solutions division, formerly known as Tridion.

Are Big Changes Coming for SDL?

A consolidation of brands left SDL with several major divisions:

Structured Content Technologies
Web Content Management Solutions
eCommerce Technologies
Language Technologies
Language Services

And with a solid year behind them, SDL is poised now for even bigger changes.

A New GM for Web Content Management

The latest announcement comes today with the naming of Sophie Pibouin as the new General Manager for North America, heading up the Web Content Management Solutions division.

Pibouin, has some background coming from Computer Associates (now CA, Inc.) and Chronicle Solutions, Inc. At CA, Pibouin served as VP/GM managing a 400 person field organization, bringing continuous growth year over year.

During her tenures at both of her previous companies it seems that Pibouin had a strong sense of the importance of both community and customer satisfaction and retention. These are traits a GM must have to succeed at a time when engagement is critical to a company's success.

According to Jan Jaap Kolleman, CEO of SDL Web Content Management Solutions:

"Sophie’s skills and experience are a perfect match for SDL, especially at this moment in our history. We are solidly positioned as a WCM leader in the US market and are poised for exponential growth. Sophie’s proven leadership and ability to drive sales and customer satisfaction will enable us to bring our thriving organization to the next level."

Is SDL Keeping-up with Web Content Management?

We don't have many specifics, but it's clear that there are some changes coming for SDL's web content management solutions (Tridion). Pibouin has said that her immediate plans are to enhance North American operations to support their customers as "they benefit from a series of new releases of SDL Tridion solution suite."

At least one new release must have something to do with the Fredhopper, eCommerce acquisition at the end of January. Although Fredhopper joined the eCommerce Technologies division, it is a natural integration for WCM.

Another area we expect to see movement in is Web Engagement Management. SDL already has an Online Marketing Suite. It seems a natural next step to take that suite a step further — as is the WCM fashion these days.

Stay tuned as we dig a big deeper into SDL's 2010 plans.