Guido Bartels

About Guido Bartels

Guido Bartels is a global technology and industry executive known for building high-trust ecosystems that transform industries and unlock enterprise value.At IBM, he led multi-billion-dollar global and regional business units, including Wireless Solutions, Energy & Utilities, and the Nordics. He pioneered IBM’s Intelligent Utility Network (IUN) strategy and launched a $100M smart grid investment program that positioned IBM at the center of the industry’s digital transformation. He also founded the Global IUN Coalition (GIUNC), aligning leading utilities worldwide around policy, standards, and infrastructure modernization. His leadership across Wireless, Energy & Utilities, and the Nordics contributed directly to IBM’s broader Smarter Planet strategy - demonstrating how integrated technology and ecosystem orchestration drive market leadership and long-term strategic relevance.Beyond IBM, Bartels served as Chairman of the U.S. GridWise Alliance and founded the Global Smart Grid Federation (GSGF), connecting more than a dozen national smart grid bodies across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Working alongside ministers, regulators, and global utility CEOs, he helped shape the early global architecture of smart grid policy and collaboration. In recognition of his role in electricity sector modernization, he served - as the only foreign national - two consecutive terms on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Electricity Advisory Committee (EAC).He later joined Amazon Web Services as Managing Director for the Nordics & Baltics, transforming AWS into a regional industry leader - scaling the workforce tenfold, growing revenue from approximately $250M to $1B ARR, launching the AWS Europe-Stockholm Infrastructure Region, and establishing strategic enterprise partnerships.Most recently, he joined Netherlands-based, private-equity-backed IT consultancy Xebia - reconnecting with his Dutch roots. There, he architected custom, multi-year strategic hyperscaler and regional ecosystem partnerships - including sovereign-market access agreements in the Middle East - strengthening the firm’s global position and enhancing enterprise valuation ahead of its strategic exit phase.Guido is currently operating in a portfolio phase, focused on venture creation, board and advisory roles, and selective investments across AI, digital infrastructure, and energy. He is co-founding a new venture in stealth mode focused on edge AI and distributed infrastructure while advising leadership teams on growth, partnerships, and go-to-market strategy.

Experience

1. Advisor, Commercial Strategy (Interim)

   Become Alliance

   Jan 2025 — Present · US

   Advising the leadership team on commercial strategy and go-to-market execution, with a primary focus on sales effectiveness, positioning, and growth acceleration. Supporting the company in an interim, hands-on capacity as it scales its purpose-driven consulting offering and deepens engagement with enterprise clients.

Education

• University of Amsterdam

  Master's degree, Business/Managerial Economics

  1982 — 1988

• Nyenrode Business University

  Management Development Program for IBM Netherlands Next Gen Leaders, Leadership and Change

  1994 — 1994

• IMD

  Leadership Development Program for IBM NL Top Talent

  1993 — 1993

Skills

• Smart Grid
• Integration
• Government
• Energy
• Sales Management
• Program Management
• IT Strategy
• Business Alliances
• Business Process Improvement
• Leadership
• Saas
• Contract Negotiation
• Management Consulting
• Management
• Business Transformation
• Telecommunications
• Wireless
• Business Development
• Business Strategy
• Strategy
• Strategic Partnerships
• Go-to-Market Strategy
• Project Management
• New Business Development
• Strategic Planning
• Sustainable Energy
• Change Management
• Start-Ups
• Cloud Computing
• Outsourcing
• Entrepreneurship
• Product Management
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Team Leadership
• Enterprise Software
• Process Improvement
• Business Intelligence
• Crm
• Executive Management
• People Skills