US software manufacturer puts Kiwi in charge

By ADAM GIFFORD

New Zealander Richard Mathews has been chosen by enterprise software manufacturer JD Edwards to run all its operations outside North and South America.

Mr Mathews, who has been JD Edwards' Australia and New Zealand managing director for the past year, will move to London.

He said the post, senior vice-president international, was created when the Denver-based company decided to combine its Asia Pacific operation with its Europe, Africa and Middle East division.

About 40 per cent of JD Edwards' $US1 billion ($2.5 billion) revenue last year came from outside the Americas.

Mr Mathews said he would be in charge of 1600 staff. He hadn't "counted up how many countries."

He said the success of JD Edwards in this part of the world was a factor in his winning the job.

Last year, its Australia and New Zealand revenues grew 170 per cent.

The year on year increase for the first quarter was 550 per cent.

Mr Mathews said the sales model he pioneered in New Zealand and then took across the Tasman had a lot to do with the company's success.

"The key thing is all the sales people have consulting experience, so they've all used the product and they can relate to the prospect a lot more easily.

"The customers are happy that the people they are working with have been there, seen that, and it removes the potential for big project blow ups."

JD Edwards has been in New Zealand since 1987, when Denver native Glenn Tubb started selling the software on an agency basis, and later expanded across the Tasman.

Last year, Mr Tubb sold his distributorship to JD Edwards, and moved back to Denver to become vice-president in charge of software development.

Mr Mathews said that because JD Edwards had such high market share in this country, it had more installers and consultants qualified on the software than most countries.