Robert Janssen
CEO. OBr.global
Robert Janssen is an accomplished Entrepreneur and Senior Executive with 30+ years of successful cross-border business development in IT, Education, Energy, and Retail sectors. Leveraging his experience and cultural awareness by guiding startups and scaleups through acceleration & internationalization, he is a valuable asset for companies with a global focus because of his unique acumen in understanding how business culture differences impact desired outcomes. His broad areas of expertise include Strategic Planning, International Business Development, Product & Market Fit Development, and Mentoring for Mentors. He currently is a member of different Silicon Valley and Brazilian angel groups, including Sand Hill Angels,TIE Angels, Gavea Angels, and Anjos do Brasil. Throughout his career, Janssen held leadership positions at companies, including Advanstar, Gartner, Fenasoft, Softex, and IT Mídia. As CEO of the international accelerator OBr.global, he focuses on providing market intelligence & business execution for startups and scaleups to go global. He has participated in the go-to-market success of several companies using OBr’s methodologies and is one of the principal advisors to the Brazilian government. He is the Vice President of International Relations for the Assespro Federation (Premier Technology Association in Brazil), where he guides the largest organizations with their internationalization strategies. He is also an official accelerator for the Startup Rio & Startup Brasil programs and currently, he leads OBr’s internationalization activities in Silicon Valley and San Antonio, Texas. In 2015, 2016, and 2017, Robert was elected the Top 50 Most Influential IT Executives for Midsize Enterprises in the US. Robert was raised in both Rio de Janeiro and California. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business from San Diego State University. He currently lives between Silicon Valley and Rio de Janeiro.
Robert Janssen is an accomplished Entrepreneur and Senior Executive with 30+ years of successful cross-border business development in IT, Education, Energy, and Retail sectors. Leveraging his experience and cultural awareness by guiding startups and scaleups through acceleration & internationalization, he is a valuable asset for companies with a global focus because of his unique acumen in understanding how business culture differences impact desired outcomes. His broad areas of expertise include Strategic Planning, International Business Development, Product & Market Fit Development, and Mentoring for Mentors. He currently is a member of different Silicon Valley and Brazilian angel groups, including Sand Hill Angels,TIE Angels, Gavea Angels, and Anjos do Brasil. Throughout his career, Janssen held leadership positions at companies, including Advanstar, Gartner, Fenasoft, Softex, and IT Mídia. As CEO of the international accelerator OBr.global, he focuses on providing market intelligence & business execution for startups and scaleups to go global. He has participated in the go-to-market success of several companies using OBr’s methodologies and is one of the principal advisors to the Brazilian government. He is the Vice President of International Relations for the Assespro Federation (Premier Technology Association in Brazil), where he guides the largest organizations with their internationalization strategies. He is also an official accelerator for the Startup Rio & Startup Brasil programs and currently, he leads OBr’s internationalization activities in Silicon Valley and San Antonio, Texas. In 2015, 2016, and 2017, Robert was elected the Top 50 Most Influential IT Executives for Midsize Enterprises in the US. Robert was raised in both Rio de Janeiro and California. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business from San Diego State University. He currently lives between Silicon Valley and Rio de Janeiro.