The Global Arena Team
We are a fast growing team of senior business managers and consultants with different Industry backgrounds. Together the team has over 200 years of senior global business experience.
Our team is already spread over 7 countries and we continue to expand our global footprint. To bring our Global Arena capabilities close to your organization and market, we are implementing a global network of Certified business partners through our FDIworld partner program.
We offer our clients turn-key solutions for global expansion working with our FDIworld business partners.
Peter Storm founded Global Arena which started online operations end of 2009. Global-Arena.com aims to realize every Location's business potential for both the private and public sector.
Prior to Global Arena Peter was Director of Consulting for HP Switzerland and strategy consultant for HP’s EMEA headquarters management, where he worked on the planning and management of HP’s global site selection. These positions followed over 20 years of achievement as an international professional, manager and leader with Digital Equipment Corporation, Compaq and HP.
Peter’s global perspective, customer focus, global networking and well-seasoned judgment are prime assets in Global Arena’s innovative strategy, as it makes the transition from start-up to a profitable internationally recognized enterprise. A native of The Netherlands, Peter moved to Switzerland in 2001 while working for Compaq. He and his family are based in Zürich, one of the top-ranking global business locations.
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Lex Dekkers - COO
Lex Dekkers joined Global Arena in December 2010 from APO Offshore, a software company focusing on predictive analytics tools. In Global Arena Lex is responsible for designing the operational model of the organization on a global basis, as well as for driving strategic partnerships.
Before APO Offshore Lex was with HP, where he was VP General Manager of the Global Account Team for Shell. Prior to that role Lex worked from February 2001 in various roles in HP’s European services organization, focusing on business consulting and on infrastructure integration for projects at large multi-national accounts. Before this Lex spent eight years on various locations in the US (1993 – 2001) for Digital Equipment Corporation and Compaq, in several local and global sales, product management, business development, and marketing roles around PCs, servers, storage, software, and messaging solutions.
Lex started his career in IT at Philips Data Systems in 1982, as sales development manager for its application software business in The Netherlands.
Lex has a BBA in Business Management in The Netherlands, and has participated in Harvard’s DEC Advanced Management Program. He currently lives in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, with his wife, two children, his Harley Davidson and his golf clubs. E-mail: lex.dekkers@global-arena.com
Natalia Gimpel Sabarots - CMO
 Natalia Gimpel is responsible for online content management and the marketing of Global-Arena.com, along with assisting clients in online support. Natalia was previously engaged with various non-governmental organizations in the area of Communication and PR in Argentina, United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
When she was living in Argentina, Natalia used to work as well for the Swiss-owned company Purtierra S.A. in the two fields of Product Development and Export.
Natalia holds a Posgraduate Study on Developing Countries and Project Management from the Center for Development and Cooperation of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), as well as a Master Degree in Institutional Communication from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
After living in England, she is now based in Zurich since 2007. Natalia is fluent in Spanish, English, German, and French. E-mail: natalia.gimpel@global-arena.com
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Arjen Goetheer - CIO
Arjen Goetheer is Chief Innovation Officer for Global Arena. In this position he is responsible for Global Arena's innovation management, location benchmarking and analytics and statistics.
Before moving to Zurich in spring 2011, Arjen worked as advisor Innovation Intelligence at NL Agency. To support the decision making process of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Arjen analysed worldwide trends and developments in the broad field of economics, policy, innovation and technology, and as project manager he carried out extensive qualitative and quantitative economic forecast studies to various industries and technologies. He was also involved in strategic international comparisons in relation to countries such as China, and Dutch and European innovation network studies. Arjen has a deep understanding of innovation management, R&D, collaboration, decision making processes and networks. In addition, he published several articles and reports about trends in innovation and scenario analysis.
Arjen holds a Master Degree in Policy and Organisation Studies from Tilburg University in The Netherlands and is fluent in Dutch and English and advanced in German. E-mail: arjen.goetheer@global-arena.com
Kris Mattens - CTO
Kris Mattens is responsible for economic and statistical knowledge of Global Arena’s business, along with supply of macro-economic advice for its corporate and governmental clients. Kris was previously engaged by the Association Ghent University in Belgium as an academic researcher working on the scientific development of the GlobalArenaRank™ solution.
At Ghent Kris specialised in advanced statistical methodologies, optimisation techniques, location analysis for multinational corporations and advanced macro-economics and development.
Kris holds a Master Degree in Commercial Engineering in Information Management from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium and is fluent in Dutch, English, French and German. E-mail: kris.mattens@global-arena.com
Ruud Storm - VP & GM EMEA Region
Ruud Storm is responsible for serving the needs of Aerotropolis & Aerospace business. Ruud is an experienced pilot with extensive insights into the needs of companies active in this sector. Currently employed by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines as a pilot on intercontinental flights, Ruud was previously Director of Flight Operations for KLM Cityhopper (a 100% subsidiary of KLM), serving KLM’s regional network with over 50 Fokker jets and turboprops.
Ruud trained as a pilot while in the Royal Netherlands Navy, for whom he flew helicopters from frigates in tactical operations and shore-based search and rescue missions. His primary professional training took place at the Nautical College in Amsterdam, where he specialised in navigation and cargo handling on merchant ships.
Ruud's long experience in a customer-driven, operational environment is helping establish Global Arena as an innovative organiser for the Foreign Direct Investment marketplace. His board-member responsibility for our internal quality assurance procedures maintains our focus on providing maximum customer value, a stable IT platform and a constant flow of well tested innovations. Ruud is born and living in The Netherlands. E-mail: ruud.storm@global-arena.com
Ed Naberhuis - VP & GM Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Segment
Ed Naberhuis is responsible for sales and marketing. Before Ed started his own business in Austria, he used to work for SRAM Corporation as Global Market Analyst and Customer Service Manager for Europe. Ed holds a Master Degree in Business Administration from both The Nyenrode Business School in Breukelen, the Netherlands as from The Simon Business School in Rochester, New York, USA and a Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering. Being a native dutchman, Ed is living in Reith bei Seefeld, Austria. E-mail: ed.naberhuis@global-arena.com
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Michiel Weimar - Co-founder and chairman of the Advisory Board
Michiel Weimar is a co-developer of the GlobalArenaRank™ solution, having worked on it together with Kris Mattens, Martine Goossens and Peter Storm. Michiel brings over 30 years experience in HR to Global Arena, having worked in fine chemical and the steel industry before entering the IT sector in 1997. In addition to his HR work, Michiel also has experience in sales and production planning. Retired since 2007, Michiel’s most recent position was that of Director of HR at HP’s EMEA Headquarters. In that position he was the executive sponsor for the GlobalArenaRank™ solution within Hewlett-Packard. Michiel lives in Leutasch, Austria.
Pieter van de Watering - CFO
Pieter van de Watering is responsible for financial planning and risk management in Global Arena. Prior to Global Arena Pieter was VP EMEA at Givaudan, responsible for sales and profit throughout the region. Since 2002 he has been a successful informal investor for start-up businesses, helping with financial, legal and organizational aspects. Pieter is also a member of several supervisory boards in a range of industries including IT service, Food and Logisics, among others. Pieter is native to and still lives in The Netherlands.