There’s a paradox in telecoms: sometimes, selling large bandwidth, ultra-fast connectivity solutions may take years of negotiations. Not a problem for the experts of our Americas team as they have been working with Orange Wholesale and building connections with our customers for even longer. As their skillset and footprint has expanded to cover evolving needs, they now make Orange Wholesale as American as baseball and hot dogs.
“Understanding the challenges and processes of each customer is crucial”David Pugin
Regional Sales VP Americas – Herndon, VA
How has the team enlarged its footprint to better accommodate customer needs in the Americas?
Our team manages sales across North America, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Most of our account managers are based on the East Coast, from New York to Miami; but we also have an account manager on the West Coast. Also, we’ve recently expanded into Mexico City to support our efforts in the region. Additionally, as many American companies now have teams in Europe and Africa, especially OTTs, we’ve hired staff in London and Brussels to interface more effectively. Currently, data services contribute more than half of our revenue and margin for the region. This marks a substantial shift from the past when voice services dominated.
Why do customers choose us as their preferred partner?
Customers choose our team primarily because of the quality we deliver. They often start small with us, and over time, their needs grow. And once you experience what we offer, you stick with us. This is especially evident in the gaming industry, where our early partnerships have flourished. We own our network and provide end-to-end service, making us one of the wholesale telecom market leaders. We’re known for being extremely serious, with an excellent reputation. Customers trust us to deliver on our promises: whether it’s roaming, subsea cables or data services, we offer reliability and competence.
How did the team adapt to new, non-telco native players? 
It’s largely about listening. I’d attribute a lot of that to the shows and events we attend. It’s about speaking their language and showing empathy from a business perspective. We had to adapt from a cultural standpoint and understand the challenges and processes of each customer regarding server quality for example, whether it’s for gaming, caching, e-commerce, video, or other verticals. Our team is highly interested and open, always learning and meeting customers face-to-face whenever possible. And we know that building relationships takes time and patience.
“We’ve transitioned into a multidisciplinary team”Florentina Prida
Senior New Business Manager Latam and Caribbean – Miami, FL
Our offerings now extend to data centers and managing carriers with an integrated portfolio. We’ve transitioned into a multidisciplinary team, requiring us to approach customers as integrated partners. They seek a deeper, integrated relationship. In addition, our interaction with clients has evolved; we do more contacts through virtual communication tools and try to attend key regional conferences to strengthen the close relationship with clients.
Brian Grady
Director Data & IP Services – Fairfield, CT
We have a long-standing relationship with OTTs and content providers. Over the past 20 years, we’ve grown the business from the ground up. Our relationship with many customers is evolving into more of a partnership, allowing us to monetize those assets more effectively. It’s a challenging time, especially with the commoditization of IP, but we’re adapting and finding ways to thrive. To effectively engage smaller players who aren’t in regular contact with us, we need to be flexible, creative, and patient.
“We can target a broader market now”Heather Olson
Senior Account Manager – New York, NY
We’re currently focusing on roaming and connectivity solutions, as well as messaging services for brands in our region. Historically, we’ve catered to full MVNOs with their own mobile core and GSMA memberships. We can target a broader market now, including light MVNOs and other players needing roaming connectivity.
“This sales team is similar to a baseball team I might have played on”Erik Sherman
Sales Manager – New Rochelle, NY
Sales is all about numbers, and you can easily make comparisons with baseball. The highest revenue could be the highest batting average; the most new logos the most home runs etc. The competitive aspect is similar. Baseball is an individual sport played by teams, and Brian’s team is similar to one I might have played on.
