Top CEOs Europe 2021LEAVE A REPLY
Profile
Darren Roos, now in his 6th year as IFS CEO; Darren Roos has established IFS as a leader in ERP, FSM, ESM and EAM technologies across its focus industries.
His vision and pace secured the transformation of the company by completing its digital transformation in under 2 years while successfully evolving the business’ revenue model to being subscription-based and delivering results that continue to outperform the market. Over the 5 years since he took the helm the company has achieved an ARR CAGR of 37%, software revenue CAGR of 28% and EBITDAC CAGR of 46%. The company is expected to meet its revenue goals of $1.56bn in 2023 with $430m of EBITDAC, putting it well on track for $2bn in 2025. Roos has kept his promise of delivering value to customers and putting them at the heart of the IFS value proposition; This has remained the business’ north star in both its day-to-day business, employee values and in the company’s M&A strategy. Author of the book “Moment of Service” Roos is an established thought leader in the industry.
Darren built his career in global software businesses over 20 years. He previously served as President of SAP’s global ERP business, with prior roles as General Manager of Northern Europe and Chief Operating Officer of EMEA for the company. Darren also was formerly the President of EMEA, APJ, LATAM at Software AG, during which time he also served on Software AG’s Group Executive Board.
Having grown up in South Africa, Roos understands the sound case for diversity in business and is very active in encouraging all employees to put equality and equity high on their agenda.
In addition to his IFS role, Darren is a board director at Sitecore, Chairman of WorkWave and launched InnerWings a confidence building foundation with his wife Melissa di Donato Roos; when not in work, Darren puts as much energy into enjoying time with his wife and three children.
Darren has made significant positive change on IFS culture. He is a huge proponent of an inclusive group with an all for one one for all mindset. He is a great human in addition to being a great CEO. From a business standpoint, he encouraged the use of Workplace to encourage remote distribution of information. During COVID encouraged communication through the company with Global Fireside Chats, supported not returning to planes and offices until people felt safe to do so, created executive breakfasts where employees have the chance to talk one on one with him about what was going on, and was the last person to return to full salary last year when we scaled back salaries. From a humanity standpoint, we now have CSR days for each employee to support their local community volunteering while getting paid, has created a sustainability initiative within the organization so we can measure our carbon footprint and reduce it. Has supported increased fundraising to help others less fortunate in the world. Encouraged the ‘Change for Good Awards’ where we highlight and encourage other companies to focus on their sustainability. The other thing that is so cool is he is clearly so proud of his wife and her accomplishments on LinkedIn and Workplace. Darren should be ranked the #1 CEO in Europe. AMAZING CEO and human being.
Darren has great vision for the future that he hones by listening to the company stakeholders – internal and external, particularly customers. IFS has not only grown before the pandemic, but continued to grow during it. Darren is a great communicator. He held “fireside chats” on Workplace for the entire company every month, providing 15 to 20 minutes of updates he wanted to make, and 10 minutes of open questions and answers. Employees from all over the world attending. He does this on top of the Town Halls held that provides more specific financial and business information. Darren thinks outside of the box – during the pandemic, he was able to save the majority of the employees jobs by reducing work time without impacting benefits and reducing salaries accordingly. As soon as he could he brought everyone back to full time. While our progress on projects was delayed, teams were not short staffed and key talent was maintained. Hires great leaders. The entire leadership team under Darren seems to be strong in their area of expertise as well as have top skills for leading organizations. The culture of IFS has changed accordingly, but necessary to the growth the company is experiencing and the speed of change in the software industry.
I think of my 6 years at IFS as ‘pre Darren’ (before 2018) and then ‘post Darren’ (after 2018). We went from staying in our own lane, traveling just below the speed limit, to getting a faster, more agile car that isn’t afraid to change lanes and accelerate. IFS has grown exponentially under Darren’s leadership and this year we have transformed like no other, we’ve re-positioned, re-branded and launched a brand new and unique product to the market, IFS Cloud. It’s not common for an $800m revenue company to be growing at three times the industry average, 30 years after its conception. But since Darren Roos joined IFS as CEO in 2018, he’s led our very own digital transformation that has catapulted us on an impressive growth trajectory, whilst establishing long-term foundations that bring us closer to our customers. We are growing at three times the market because of structure resources and investments that have been made. Darren as a CEO is not trying to re-create an image of other organisations, he is building a company with a strong identity of its own.
Launched new multi-year sustainability initiative with several promises including to eventually reach net zero carbon. Empowers women in leadership, executive and board positions. Introduced Challenger Women campaign to encourage female development and support. Launched the biggest product in IFS history unique to the market with one single data model. In parallel guided us through a re-brand and re-positioning towards ‘The Moment of Service’ which has a laser focus on how our customers serve their customers to deliver delightful moments of service, smashing silos along the way. Committed to employees, he introduced ‘Darren’s fireside chats’ throughout lockdown to communicate to employees in real time, with unmoderated Q&A which meant employees felt reassured and supported in a time of immense uncertainty. Has taken IFS through a period of immense transformation since he started three years ago and as a result the company has experience continued growth of three times the market average.
2020 and 2021 are especially difficult for all businesses due to the pandemic. However, under Darren’s leadership, we are never alone as employees. – Through his fireside chat, his townhalls and his breakfast club he is constantly in touch with his employees and has his ears and eyes to the ground. This takes time and he is prepared to invest in this. – His dialogue and support for employees globally was exemplary, working hard to ensure employees felt supported and able to ask for help. Not only through his own dialogue, but by ensuring his leadership team also engaged with their teams in the same way he did. On top of that, as a huge advocate of transparency and honesty over bluster and bravado, Darren regularly interacts with all functions he follows posts and exchanges dialogue on our Company’s Workplace (by Facebook) platform. There are so many other examples that Darren is the best CEO I have ever come across in my 15 years of career. He definitely deserves the award!
Darren Roos holds a critical position of CEO at IFS. IFS has grown exponentially under Darren’s leadership and this year he has transformed IFS into a successful and acknowledged vendor. We’ve re-positioned, re-branded and launched a brand new and unique product to the market called IFS Cloud. And all this happened regardless of Covid-19 pandemic, because during the pandemic period his dialogue and support for employees globally was exemplary, working hard to ensure employees felt supported and able to ask for help. Darren has great vision and his leadership has made this possible and seeing the brand looking so fresh on a global scale has made all of us extremely proud. The focus on customer centricity is deeply embedded across the organisation because Darren spends time with our customers, responds to them and makes real commitments to them. He drives our business to be differentiated in how and why we deliver customer value. Therefore I nominate Darren Roos.
IFS’s 4,500-strong team is nominating Darren for this award. Building on his demonstrable expertise, leadership skills and ability to inspire and deliver, we’d like to pay tribute to his extraordinary leadership through the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Darren is available: period. Through his fireside chat, his townhalls and his breakfast club he is constantly in touch with his employees and has his ears and eyes to the ground. This takes time and he is prepared to invest in this. Throughout the pandemic his dialogue and support for employees globally was exemplary, working hard to ensure employees felt supported and able to ask for help. Not only through his own dialogue, but by ensuring his leadership team also engaged with their teams in the same way he did. The employee surveys play a significant part in how decisions are made and the business is run, this creates a strong sense of belonging and contribution to success from the IFS team.
Darren is with a great vision and directing all in the company on a path to make that vision a reality. The value I admire is Darren is letting all of us to share our ideas and taking input from all capacities and roles. A huge advocate of transparency and honesty over bluster and bravado, Darren regularly interacts with all functions he follows posts and exchanges dialogue on our Company’s Workplace (by Facebook) platform. Also making sure the transparency and honesty at every level, Darren walks the talk and live by example Darren is very vocal about inclusivity and sustainability at large, driving several initiatives such as reducing our carbon footprint, not in a general way but with very specific goals and targets. He is involved in charity work and is visibly engaged in advocating change – for example with his own charity, InnerWings.
Darren truly has the leadership skills and ability to inspire and deliver, across all areas of the business and he has led by example through his extraordinary leadership through the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Darren is available to everyone. He’s not all talk, he’ll take the time to listen and act where appropriate. Through his fireside chat, his townhalls and his breakfast club he is constantly in touch with employees and has his ears and eyes to the ground. This takes time and he is prepared to invest in this. Throughout the pandemic his dialogue and support for employees globally was exemplary, working hard to ensure employees felt supported and able to ask for help. Not only through his own dialogue, but by ensuring his leadership team also engaged with their teams in the same way he did.
Under his vision IFS has transformed into a successful and a knowledge vender so the employees. He is building the company image and the identity more – Throughout the pandemic his dialogue and support for employees globally was exemplary, working hard to ensure employees felt supported and able to ask for help. Not only through his own dialogue, but by ensuring his leadership team also engaged with their teams in the same way he did. The growth is much bigger after his join with IFS. His encourage all IFS employees to do charity works. He is personally involved in lot of charity work as well. He values the customer, feedback from customer and work with customer. Under his leadership we could still successfully overcome from the pandemic and the employees were secured.
It’s not common for an $800m revenue company to be growing at three times the industry average, 30 years after its conception. But since Darren Roos joined IFS as CEO in 2018, he’s led our very own digital transformation that has catapulted us on an impressive growth trajectory, whilst establishing long-term foundations that bring us closer to our customers. Darren has great vision and has transformed IFS into a successful and acknowledged vendor, while taking employees on the journey with him. We are growing at three times the market because of structure resources and investments that have been made. Darren as a CEO is not trying to re-create an image of other organisations, he is building a company with a strong identity of its own.
Says what he is going to do, and then transparently does it. Is a huge advocate of inclusivity and sustainability who also follows up these words with action. Has provided open stability and leadership throughout the Covid-19 pandemic that resulted in a tremendous 2020 by any standard – even without the pandemic. Is leading from the front the transformation of a business growing at three times the industry average, that now dares where previously it did not and which has discovered a mojo and common sense of purpose never held before (which I can write as an employee of over 24 years’ standing). Has his finger on the pulse and engages across the length and breadth of the company Workplace (Facebook) platform. Is available. Always. To every employee.
Darren is proven to be huge advocate of transparency and honesty over bluster and bravado, HIs actions speak even louder than his words and he leads from the front. Darren regularly interacts and engages with all parts of the business he follows posts and exchanges dialogue on our Company’s Workplace (by Facebook) platform offering support and guidance where needed. From day 1 Darren has been very vocal about inclusivity and sustainability at large, driving several initiatives such as reducing our carbon footprint, not in a general way but with very specific goals and targets. He is involved in charity work and is visibly engaged in advocating change – for example with his own charity, InnerWings.
Darren is available: period. Through his fireside chat, his townhalls and his breakfast club he is constantly in touch with his employees and has his ears and eyes to the ground. This takes time and he is prepared to invest in this. Throughout the pandemic his dialogue and support for employees globally was exemplary, working hard to ensure employees felt supported and able to ask for help. Not only through his own dialogue, but by ensuring his leadership team also engaged with their teams in the same way he did. The employee surveys play a significant part in how decisions are made and the business is run, this creates a strong sense of belonging and contribution to success from the IFS team.
Darren is available: period. Through his fireside chat, his townhalls and his breakfast club he is constantly in touch with his employees and has his ears and eyes to the ground. This takes time and he is prepared to invest in this.The employee surveys play a significant part in how decisions are made and the business is run, this creates a strong sense of belonging and contribution to success from the IFS team. Throughout the pandemic his dialogue and support for employees globally was exemplary, working hard to ensure employees felt supported and able to ask for help. Not only through his own dialogue, but by ensuring his leadership team also engaged with their teams in the same way he did.
By living and breathing customer-centricity in every aspect of what we do as a business, Darren has created a differentiation that competitors have struggled to emulate. We pioneer innovations that are meaningful and underpin how we deliver business value to our customers going forward. All companies talk of customer centricity, Darren has shaped his leadership team and our company goals to reflect that mission. The focus on customer centricity is deeply embedded across the organisation because Darren spends time with our customers, responds to them and makes real commitments to them. He drives our business to be differentiated in how and why we deliver customer value.
Darren has a great vision with a clear direction and are able to take all employees with him on the journey Darren believes in transparency and open and honest communication even in tough times and he managed to steer the company through the pandemic using those strengths Darren has managed to set a very strong leadership team by adding people that truly complement him Darren is very delegating in his leadership style and trust the team around him. That is one of his biggest strengths. Darren ALWAYS put the customers first. Always. And that is what have helped us get to the position we are in today. In my opinion, IFS has never been stronger
IFS has grown exponentially under Darren’s leadership and this year we have transformed like no other, we’ve re-positioned, re-branded and launched a brand new and unique product to the market, IFS Cloud. Darren’s leadership has made this possible and seeing the brand looking so fresh on a global scale has made all of us extremely proud. This was one of our highest engagement periods on social media as people shared their experience of the last 3 years and the journey to transformation. The entirety of #TeamPurple have rallied round this change and growth as it symbolizes the fantastic culture at IFS and its inspirational attributes
I vote for Darren because he’s the best leader I’ve seen during my 25years’ career. He’s competent, authentic, honest, passionate, committed – and he’s available! Darren organizes fireside chats, gloabal townhall meetings and talks about his vision and about details how he plans to make our software and company even better and our partners and customers more successful. During the pandemic, he established a breakfast club and he talks to employees 1:1. I had such a meeting last week (via Teams), and it was great to experience that he really is authentic and a sympathetic person with a keen mind. A perfect leader.
The times during the COVID pandemic has been tough for a lot of businesses and industries globally. Very early on Darren showed the whole IFS organization that he understood the situation and the uncertainty we all were facing, while he openly and continuously informed us about his role as CEO and how he and the leadership team would implement measures to assure the confidence of all key stakeholders. Darren introduced hashtags such as #standtogether and #proudlyIFS to reassure employees and dampen concerns of uncertainty and to demonstrate the success of this open communication.
Courage, Passion & Intensity Darren Roos is drawn to change and effective action like a moth to a flame. he is always looking towards the future, setting ambitious goals and often rely on the intuition. Darren Roos takes initiative, are quicker to capitalize on opportunities and are more likely to take high level risks. After he took control the IFS changed everyway, specially handling employees needs and treating customer is important at the same time treat employees as key of company future. He, changed all old thinking and changed all employees to think out of the box.
Darren has great vision and has transformed IFS into a successful and acknowledged vendor, while taking employees on the journey with him while improving employees career and personal well-being as well. Darren is available; through his fireside chat, his townhalls and his breakfast club he is constantly in touch with his employees. This takes time and he is prepared to invest in this. The employee surveys play a significant part in how decisions are made and the business is run, this creates a strong sense of belonging and contribution to success from the IFS team.
Darren has great vision i.e. putting customer centricity central and has transformed IFS into a successful and acknowledged vendor, while taking employees on the journey with him. He has ability to inspire and deliver. He is building a company with a strong identity of its own. He is quite clear in his targets. Darren is an open person who is available for both customers and employees. He is constantly in touch with them and invests a lot of time in this. He knows what is going on at customers and with his staff and committed to get thing done.
A huge advocate of transparency and honesty over bluster and bravado, Darren regularly interacts with all functions he follows posts and exchanges dialogue on our Company’s Workplace (by Facebook) platform. Darren is very vocal about inclusivity and sustainability at large, driving several initiatives such as reducing our carbon footprint, not in a general way but with very specific goals and targets. He is involved in charity work and is visibly engaged in advocating change – for example with his own charity, InnerWings.
A huge advocate of transparency and honesty over bluster and bravado, Darren regularly interacts with all functions he follows posts and exchanges dialogue on our Company’s Workplace (by Facebook) platform. Darren is very vocal about inclusivity and sustainability at large, driving several initiatives such as reducing our carbon footprint, not in a general way but with very specific goals and targets. He is involved in charity work and is visibly engaged in advocating change – for example with his own charity, InnerWings.