Roland Siebelink

Roland Siebelink

MBA

CA, US
Helping startup leaders keep the momentum in the growth and scaling journey towards market dominance. | Past leadership experience in 3 massive scale-ups | Author | Scaleup Growth & Momentum Advisor

Roland is a 25+ year veteran of Internet business, entrepreneurship and digital marketing who brings a unique perspective on what it takes to keep the growth momentum alive and well. He is the only person in the world to have lived through three massive scaleups in a row across three continents. Whether in product, marketing or strategy roles, Roland always found executives seeking his advice. Roland has seen the movie many times and can tell startup leaders exactly what will happen next. He now uses his experience and training to advise and coach growing tech companies. Armed with this wisdom and guidance, entrepreneurs can avoid the pitfalls many scale up companies fall into and thereby avoid missing the opportunity to transform into the marketplace's next sparkling unicorn.

Advisory Experience:

  • has served and continues to serve in a variety of executive, strategy, product and advisory roles to CEOs to companies in software, technology, media and entertainment industries.

Leadership Experience:

  • CEO and co-founder of Topicmarks (AI-powered summarization of large documents, acquired by Tagged, 2011)
  • CEO and founder of Avalu (e-mentoring for high-potential employees, nominated for Fast Company's Fast50, 2006)
  • COO and co-founder of Allmansland (first web site producer in Belgium, 1994)
  • In the 2010s, Roland joined early programmatic advertising scaleup Rocket Fuel. He launched a platform product, drive quality management and rolled out business units. Rocket Fuel grew from 100 to 1100 employees in three years, had a successful IPO in 2013 and was acquired by Sizmek in 2017.
  • In the 2000s, he led product portfolio and strategy optimization for Bluewin, the leading Swiss Internet scaleup. Bluewin also retains market leadership until today.
  • In the 1990s, Roland launched Europe's first consumer broadband internet service for Telenet Belgium. Telenet grew from 8 to 1200 employees in only four years and is still market leader today.

Acknowledgements and Awards:

  • is a former landslide winner of the Silicon Valley Founder Showcase;
  • was recognized by the US government as an "Alien of Extraordinary Ability"

Roland is a 25+ year veteran of Internet business, entrepreneurship and digital marketing who brings a unique perspective on what it takes to keep the growth momentum alive and well. He is the only person in the world to have lived through three massive scaleups in a row across three continents. Whether in product, marketing or strategy roles, Roland always found executives seeking his advice. Roland has seen the movie many times and can tell startup leaders exactly what will happen next. He now uses his experience and training to advise and coach growing tech companies. Armed with this wisdom and guidance, entrepreneurs can avoid the pitfalls many scale up companies fall into and thereby avoid missing the opportunity to transform into the marketplace's next sparkling unicorn.

Advisory Experience:

  • has served and continues to serve in a variety of executive, strategy, product and advisory roles to CEOs to companies in software, technology, media and entertainment industries.

Leadership Experience:

  • CEO and co-founder of Topicmarks (AI-powered summarization of large documents, acquired by Tagged, 2011)
  • CEO and founder of Avalu (e-mentoring for high-potential employees, nominated for Fast Company's Fast50, 2006)
  • COO and co-founder of Allmansland (first web site producer in Belgium, 1994)
  • In the 2010s, Roland joined early programmatic advertising scaleup Rocket Fuel. He launched a platform product, drive quality management and rolled out business units. Rocket Fuel grew from 100 to 1100 employees in three years, had a successful IPO in 2013 and was acquired by Sizmek in 2017.
  • In the 2000s, he led product portfolio and strategy optimization for Bluewin, the leading Swiss Internet scaleup. Bluewin also retains market leadership until today.
  • In the 1990s, Roland launched Europe's first consumer broadband internet service for Telenet Belgium. Telenet grew from 8 to 1200 employees in only four years and is still market leader today.

Acknowledgements and Awards:

  • is a former landslide winner of the Silicon Valley Founder Showcase;
  • was recognized by the US government as an "Alien of Extraordinary Ability"

From Startup to Unicorn - Scaling your Company Silicon Valley Style

Format:​ 60-120 minutes interactive talk, customizable to small or large groups


This program is perfect for:

  • entrepreneurs and founders of startup companies
  • startup communities and coworking spaces
  • entrepreneurial business school programs

Key topics addressed:

  • how to make your startup more robust while keeping an entrepreneurial culture
  • moving your goal posts from...
Business GrowthAudience ActivityEducational / InformativeTechnical / Specific

Maximizing Startup Momentum: How to Add Method to the Madness

Format:

60-90 minute interactive workshop with 4-5 exercises for participants, works from small (~10) to larger (~100) groups

Summary:

Are you feeling your hard work is not paying off? That others lead their startup to success after success, while you are still struggling? You may be missing an essential ingredient in your life or business plan: momentum.

In this workshop, serial unicorn operator Roland Siebelink talks...

EntrepreneurismAudience ActivityEducational / InformativeTechnical / Specific