Damien Rapoye, Commercial Leader

About Damien

I build the commercial engine.
You focus on the company.

"Most companies at an inflection point don't have a strategy problem. They have an execution gap. Too much ambition, not enough commercial architecture to carry it."

I am a senior commercial leader operating through Elevate Advisory & Management (MFA Invest NV). I target Country Manager, Commercial Director, and Managing Director mandates with Benelux or EMEA scope, full-time or senior fractional, depending on what the situation calls for.

When revenue stalls

I rebuild the commercial engine: pipeline discipline, team coaching, pricing reconstruction, and a GTM strategy that creates momentum instead of activity.

When entering a market

I build from zero. Distribution networks, channel partners, brand-to-retail strategy, bilingual outreach (NL/FR/EN) across Benelux, France, and EMEA.

When scaling fast

I install the operating architecture that prevents hypergrowth from becoming chaos: EOS, MEDDPICC, OKR alignment, and P&L discipline across international teams.

I have done this across gaming hardware, B2B SaaS, consumer electronics, industrial automation (ASRS), and digital services. The sector changes; the pattern does not. Companies at inflection points need someone who has seen the movie before and knows which scenes come next.

Trilingual (NL · FR · EN), Flemish-rooted, extensively networked in Belgium, France, and across EMEA. Available through Elevate Advisory & Management, which means senior-level engagement without the friction of traditional employment structures.

Track Record

Where it happened
and what it produced.

2024 · Software Sales Manager Europe

Scott Automation NV

B2B SaaS · ASRS · Industrial Automation

Inherited a stalled software sales team. Rebuilt pipeline discipline, restructured pricing model, and installed MEDDPICC-based coaching. Software revenue doubled from €800K to €1.6M in six months, with 20–30% net margin improvement alongside the top-line growth.

2015–2023 · Managing Director

Digital Sports Group

Esports · Digital Media · B2B Agency · EU

Full P&L ownership of an international business: 10+ FTE across 11 nationalities, three brands (Sector One, Statrics, DSA). Built from a single-market agency to a multi-brand EU operation. Triple-A publisher deals, IP commercialisation, and Belgium's largest esports sponsorship ecosystem.

2025 · Regional Sales Director

Glorious LLC

Consumer Electronics · Gaming Hardware · USA

Entered three blank-slate regions (Benelux, France, Eastern Europe) with zero distribution infrastructure. Built the ecosystem from scratch toward a projected €5M revenue trajectory within 24 months through a brand-to-retail pivot and indirect channel strategy.

2011–2014 · Sales & Marketing Manager

SteelSeries

Gaming Hardware · Benelux & France

Full commercial ownership of Benelux and France. Led local channel teams and retail partners. Tripled turnover through a direct market strategy and retail expansion, moving from a distributor-dependent model to a structured, brand-led commercial operation.

Current Mandates

Active now
through Elevate Advisory.

ACTIVE · Owner · Since 2014

Elevate Advisory & Management

Management Company · MFA Invest NV

The operating vehicle for all senior mandates. Enables fractional, interim, and project-based engagement at Country Manager or MD level, without the overhead of traditional employment. Board-level advisory, commercial architecture, and embedded leadership for tech-driven companies across EMEA.

Active · GTM & BDR Lead · Apr 2025

Valenta Belgium

AI Consulting · Fractional · One day/week

BD lead for Belgian SME market. Apollo.io and HubSpot outreach infrastructure built from scratch, bilingual sequences (NL/FR), MEDDPICC-qualified pipeline. Retainer plus performance bonus plus recurring commission model operating in parallel with all other mandates.

Active · EMEA MD · Oct 2025

NovaCode Studio

AI & Software Development · Fractional

EU GTM and sales automation methodology for an Indian-based AI development team. Six-agent agentic sales stack at PoC stage. Brand strategy and agency partnership programs across the EU market.

Active · Advisor · Jul 2025

ZypZap

Gaming Platform · France

Non-executive advisor to a French gaming platform startup. GTM strategy, B2B narrative building, and activation of French commercial networks for early commercial traction.

Ventures

Building on the side,
with skin in the game.

Active · Founder

Valora

Pre-Seed · SaaS · Admin & Planning for Tradespeople

Scheduling, job management, invoicing, and client communication in one tool for tradespeople. Solo founder model. First production deployment on own client operations: the strongest possible signal of conviction. Investor deck in final stage.

Pivoting · Founder

SignIQ

Pre-Seed · Traffic Sign Condition Intelligence · Mar 2026

AI-driven infrastructure monitoring originally built for municipalities and road operators. Currently in active business model reorientation based on early market feedback. The core detection technology remains sound. The go-to-market is being rebuilt.

Frozen · Founder

AdRover

AI · Robotics · Retail Media · 2025

Autonomous advertising robot for high-traffic indoor retail. RaaS + media CPM + data subscription revenue model. Concept validated through market research, business model design, and technical architecture. On hold since end of 2025: prototyping capital requirements exceeded available runway. The thesis remains intact.

Exited · Co-Owner · 2025

Lumière

Fashion Retail

Co-founded a fashion boutique: brand identity, marketing plan, store interior, and full business plan. Clean exit. Shares fully divested 2025.

What I Solve

Three problems.
One person who's done it.

"We have pipeline but no revenue."

Pipeline · MEDDPICC · Conversion · Coaching

Deals stall, forecasts lie, and the team is busy but not closing. I rebuild the commercial process from qualification to close, installing MEDDPICC discipline, restructuring pipeline governance, repricing where needed, and coaching the team to hold deals accountable. The result is predictable revenue, not optimistic projections.

"We need to grow in Benelux and France. Where do we start?"

Market Entry · Channel · GTM · NL · FR · EN

Entering a new market without the right commercial infrastructure is how companies burn budget and confidence simultaneously. I have built distribution ecosystems, activated retail channels, and developed B2B pipelines from zero across Benelux, France, and broader EMEA, in three languages, from day one.

"We're growing fast but the business is running us."

EOS · OKR · P&L · Team Architecture · Scale

Revenue is there, the team is growing, but things are falling through the cracks. I install the operating framework that turns a fast-moving company into a deliberate one: EOS, Level 10 cadences, OKR alignment, P&L ownership, and leadership structures that scale without losing the culture that got you here.

Experience

The journey
so far.

Apr 2025 – Now

GTM & BDR Lead Active

Valenta Belgium · Fractional

One day/week retainer as BD lead for Belgian SME and professional services market. Full outreach infrastructure built on Apollo.io and HubSpot, bilingual sequences, MEDDPICC-qualified pipeline, operating alongside Elevate as an overlay to all other mandates.

Oct 2025 – Now

EMEA MD Active

NovaCode Studio · Fractional

Building GTM and sales automation methodology for the EU market with an Indian-based AI and software development team. Brand strategy, agency partnership programs, and agentic sales stack at PoC stage.

Jul 2025 – Now

Non-Executive Advisor Active

ZypZap · France

Guiding a French gaming platform startup on GTM, B2B narrative building, and French commercial network activation for early traction.

2014 – Now

Founder & Managing Director Active

Elevate Advisory & Management · MFA Invest NV

Embedded commercial leadership for tech-driven SMEs. AI and automation advisory, 4h/week startup mentorship, board-level strategy. Previously branded as BrandsXL / Piltover Holding. Director at UNIZO Kortrijk, President of UNIZO Marke.

2025

Regional Sales Director

Glorious LLC (USA) · Benelux, France & Eastern Europe

Led indirect commercial teams across three regions. Built a distribution ecosystem from zero toward a projected €5M revenue trajectory through a brand-to-market strategy and localized distribution-to-retail pivot.

2024–2025

Co-Owner Sold

Lumière · Fashion Retail

Co-founded a fashion boutique from scratch: brand creation, marketing plan, store interior design, full business plan. Shares divested in 2025.

2024

Software Sales Manager Europe

Scott Automation NV

Doubled software revenue from €800K to €1.6M in 6 months through KPI frameworks, pipeline restructuring, pricing reconstruction with 20–30% net margin improvement, and direct sales coaching of the internal IT sales team.

2015–2023

Managing Director

Digital Sports Group · Sector One · Statrics · DSA

Full P&L ownership of an international business with 10+ FTE across 11+ nationalities. Strategy, technology, sales, operations, and branding across three brands. 360° agency: new sales processes, IP strategy, Triple-A brand and publisher deals for Belgium's largest esports IP.

2011–2014

Sales & Marketing Manager

SteelSeries · Benelux & France

Full commercial ownership for Benelux and France. Led local channel teams and sales partners. Tripled turnover through a direct market strategy. Full budget management and retail channel expansion.

2008–2011

Sales & Commercial Leadership

Unlocked · Metanous · Pimalion

Senior commercial roles in gaming agencies, custom software, and tech distribution. Built demand generation engines, led channel teams, multiplied turnover across Benelux market.

The Toolkit

Methods that
actually work.

Operating Systems

EOS / Entrepreneurial OSAligning vision with daily execution.
Level 10 Meeting CadenceStructured, high-impact weekly rhythms.
LMA (Lead, Manage, Achieve)Empowering experts to perform at ceiling.
OKR & KPI AlignmentBridging the gap between goals and data.
Process DocumentationMapping core workflows for scalability.
The Integrator RoleActing as the glue between MD, CEO, and team.

Sales Methodology

MEDDPICCQualification and coaching for high-stakes B2B.
Pipeline GovernanceMaintaining accuracy in CRM and forecasts.
Value-Based SellingDiagnosing pain points over selling features.
Sales-to-Ops HandoverEnsuring seamless client transitions.
Account-Based MarketingPrecision targeting for C-suite leads.
Negotiation StrategyClosing complex multi-stakeholder agreements.

AI & Agentic Automation

Apollo.io + HubSpotFull outreach and pipeline infrastructure.
Agentic WorkflowsAutonomous agents for research and enrichment.
RAG ArchitecturesTurning internal data into expert assistants.
LLM OrchestrationLeveraging GPT-4o, Claude, and reasoning models.
Autonomous Lead GenScaling outreach with intelligent automation.
AI Strategy & ROICalculating the business value of AI integration.

Go-to-Market

Market Entry StrategyBenelux, France, Eastern Europe, EMEA.
Brand-to-Market PivotTransforming brand value into retail revenue.
Channel Partner ProgramsBuilding indirect commercial engines.
Demand GenerationCreating repeatable engines for inbound leads.
B2B Narrative BuildingCrafting stories that resonate with CxOs.
Competitive Landscape AnalysisIdentifying gaps in saturated markets.

Finance & Strategy

P&L ManagementFull ownership of international business units.
Budget Closing & VarianceTight control over project-level health.
Pre-Seed FundraisingPreparing ventures for capital injection.
Business Plan DevelopmentMapping 1-year and 3-year growth paths.
Strategic AdvisoryBoard-level consulting for scale-up founders.
Mgmt Company StructureFractional and interim via Elevate Advisory.

Team Leadership

AE & BDR CoachingLeveling up sales talent through methodology.
Hybrid & Remote TeamsManaging 11+ nationalities across Europe.
Culture StewardshipProtecting the family vibe during growth.
Conflict ResolutionAddressing friction within multi-office setups.
Talent DevelopmentCreating clear professional growth paths.
Cross-Departmental SynergyAligning Sales, Ops, IT, and Finance.

Damien
Rapoye

I build the commercial engine.
You focus on the company.

Where it happened
and what it produced.

Scott Automation NV

Digital Sports Group

Glorious LLC

SteelSeries

Active now
through Elevate Advisory.

Elevate Advisory & Management

Valenta Belgium

NovaCode Studio

ZypZap

Building on the side,
with skin in the game.

Valora

SignIQ

AdRover

Lumière

Three problems.
One person who's done it.

"We have pipeline but no revenue."

"We need to grow in Benelux and France. Where do we start?"

"We're growing fast but the business is running us."

The journey
so far.

Methods that
actually work.

Let's build
something clear.

Choose your
reality.

Insert coin.
Start game.

DamienRapoye

I build the commercial engine.You focus on the company.

Where it happenedand what it produced.

Scott Automation NV

Digital Sports Group

Glorious LLC

SteelSeries

Active nowthrough Elevate Advisory.

Elevate Advisory & Management

Valenta Belgium

NovaCode Studio

ZypZap

Building on the side,with skin in the game.

Valora

SignIQ

AdRover

Lumière

Three problems.One person who's done it.

"We have pipeline but no revenue."

"We need to grow in Benelux and France. Where do we start?"

"We're growing fast but the business is running us."

The journeyso far.

Methods thatactually work.

Let's buildsomething clear.

Choose yourreality.

Insert coin.Start game.

Damien
Rapoye

I build the commercial engine.
You focus on the company.

Where it happened
and what it produced.

Active now
through Elevate Advisory.

Building on the side,
with skin in the game.

Three problems.
One person who's done it.

The journey
so far.

Methods that
actually work.

Let's build
something clear.

Choose your
reality.

Insert coin.
Start game.