The o9 platform offers a strong value proposition in the digitization of processes from execution to long-range planning, across supply chain, commercial and P&L domains. In an exclusive conversation with CXO Media, Brett Theisen, Chief Revenue Officer, o9 explains to Bhavya Bagga, Business Reporter – Corporate & Leadership, CXO Media & APAC Media that AI is not just a technology trend but is reshaping how enterprises think about planning, decision-making, and execution.
With your extensive experience in scaling sales organizations, what drew you specifically to o9 Solutions at this stage of your career?
My decision to join o9 was based on three key factors. First, the strength and quality of the o9 Digital Brain platform, which brings together supply chain and integrated business planning, forecasting and decision-making into one connected platform. I believe this platform and o9’s AI capabilities are the best in the current market.
Second, I felt a very strong alignment to the leadership team’s clear vision for transforming enterprise planning across a wide range of industries.
And finally, I believe the timing is right. AI has changed everything in the last year, and I believe o9 has the most compelling AI story and the strongest ability to execute on new AI/ML advancements in the space. Because of those reasons, I believe o9 is poised for fantastic growth, and I am excited to contribute to scaling that success.
o9 positions itself as a leader in AI-powered enterprise planning. How do you plan to align your sales strategy with the evolving demands of AI adoption across industries?
My first priority is to listen, learn, and collaborate with our global sales team to understand what is working well and where we can improve as we scale. Our team is incredibly knowledgeable about the o9 platform, the AI-powered technology that underpins it, and the current needs of the clients and industries that we serve.
What is clear is that AI is not just a technology trend; it is reshaping how enterprises think about planning, decision-making, and execution. As such, I’m confident that we will continue to support the demands of organizations that are looking to adopt AI into their ways of working.
You have led sales and revenue growth across companies like QAD and NiCE. What key lessons from those roles are you bringing into your strategy at o9?
In my role as CRO at QAD, I led go-to-market functions in supply chain and manufacturing and developed a strong track record at a time when the industry was experiencing significant headwinds and uncertainty. In my role at NiCE, I oversaw teams that helped to scale the company to more than $1 billion in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR).
Some of the key takeaways I learned from both roles are that a successful CRO must be a strong customer advocate, a visionary leader who is directed by data and a cross-functional champion. Customer satisfaction and retention are paramount for growth, and in my role as CRO at o9 I look forward to ensuring customer success is a core part of the continued growth plan.
The enterprise planning market is increasingly competitive. How do you plan to differentiate o9’s value proposition to expand in both existing and new global markets?
First and foremost, I believe that o9’s platform inherently offers a strong value proposition in that it enables the digitization of processes from execution to long-range planning, across supply chain, commercial and P&L domains. And new advancements centered on specialized AI agents and self-learning models take intelligence, automation and value-creation speed to the next level.
Today, leading manufacturers, retailers, distributors and service providers across more than 30 industry verticals leverage the o9 Digital Brain to create a boundaryless operating model for optimized, synchronized decision-making. I expect this figure to grow as more and more enterprises around the world seek next-generation technology to respond to rapidly emerging and evolving market risks and opportunities.
As CRO, how do you plan to measure success—not just in terms of revenue, but also in building long-term client relationships and sustaining growth?
Beyond revenue, I believe that success can also be measured in the strong relationships we build with our clients and prospects and is demonstrated by our unwavering commitment to deliver results.
Creating client value is o9’s top priority; it is built into all aspects of the company culture and is underscored by our team’s collective expertise in technology, understanding of AI, and how we share this knowledge with our clients throughout their adoption of our platform. Our goal is not only to provide a world-class planning platform, but to continue to be trusted advisors to our clients at each phase of their digital transformation and AI adoption journey.
