Market expansion

Reivax is a Brazilian company specialized in excitation and governor control systems for hydropower plants, with headquarters in Florianópolis, Brazil. The Swiss office in Baden was responsible for sales and market development across Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. In 2024, Reivax was acquired by the WEG Group, and operations were subsequently relocated to Porto, Portugal.

Operating with a small team while serving vast and geographically diverse markets presented a significant challenge. Direct sales coverage across multiple continents was neither scalable nor cost-effective. The company needed a strategic approach to expand market presence without proportionally increasing headcount or operational costs.

The hydropower control systems market requires local presence, technical expertise, and established relationships with power generation companies and engineering firms. Traditional direct sales models would require years to build this network organically in each region. The key challenge was: How to rapidly scale market reach while maintaining quality relationships and technical support across diverse regions?

I designed and implemented a comprehensive partner network expansion strategy focused on identifying, onboarding, and maintaining high-quality business partners in strategic markets.

Strategic Market Analysis & Partner Identification
I began by conducting a thorough market segmentation analysis, dividing target regions based on hydropower infrastructure, market maturity, and growth potential. For each priority market, I researched potential partners including local distributors, engineering firms, and technical service providers with established presence in the power generation sector.

Multi-Channel Outreach & Engagement
I developed a systematic outreach strategy utilizing multiple channels: targeted email campaigns highlighting mutual value propositions, strategic cold calling to decision-makers, LinkedIn networking to establish initial contact, and participation in industry events to build credibility. This multi-touch approach ensured higher response rates and quality engagement.

Structured Onboarding Process
Once partners expressed interest, I managed the complete onboarding journey. This included comprehensive technical training on Reivax products and solutions, commercial training on pricing strategies and market positioning, negotiation and signing of partnership agreements defining roles and responsibilities, and establishing clear communication protocols and support channels.

Ongoing Partner Management & Support
Beyond initial onboarding, I maintained strong partner relationships through regular communication, providing qualified sales leads and market intelligence, offering technical and commercial support during tender processes, and collaborating closely to develop winning proposals and secure projects together.

Within one year, I successfully onboarded 12 new business partners, representing a 50% increase in the company's partner network. These partners were strategically positioned across key markets including the United Kingdom, Egypt, Italy, France, and Greece, significantly expanding Reivax's market coverage and local presence.

This partner network enabled Reivax to compete more effectively in regional tenders, respond faster to market opportunities, and provide better local technical support to customers. The scalable partner model proved its value, contributing to the company's growth trajectory that ultimately attracted acquisition interest from the WEG Group.

This experience profoundly shaped my understanding of international business development. Working across multiple continents taught me to navigate diverse business cultures, adapt to different regulatory environments, and understand varying market dynamics. Most importantly, it reinforced that successful international expansion is built on genuine relationships, consistent value delivery, and long-term partnership thinking rather than transactional interactions.