Dassault Systèmes Appoints New SolidWorks CEO

Dassault Systèmes, a provider of 3D design software, has appointed Gian Paolo Bassi as chief executive officer of its SolidWorks brand. He is replacing Bertrand Sicot, who has been promoted to vice president sales of Dassault’s Value Solutions.

Bassi has more than 25 years of experience in the 3D, CAD and PLM (product lifecycle management) application development. Before joining Dassault, he was founder and CTO of RIWEBB, an organization that created new technologies for the mechanical and design automation industries.

Gian Paolo Bassi, SolidWorks’ new CEO.

Bassi was appointed SolidWorks’ vice president of research & development in October 2011. (Editor’s Note: For more on this milestone in Bassi’s career, read “SolidWorks in Transition,” October 2011.) Under his stewardship, SolidWorks ventured beyond the parametric CAD segment, resulting in the creation of SolidWorks Mechanical Conceptual and Industrial Conceptual. At the company’s latest user gathering, SolidWorks World 2014, it revealed a plan to delve into subscription-based licensing.

Sicot, SolidWorks’ outgoing CEO, joined the company in 1997 as the regional sales manager for Western Europe and Scandinavia. He stepped into the role of CEO in January 2011. The latest promotion brings Sicot’s career full circle to oversee sales at SolidWorks’ parent company Dassault. The new role puts Sicot in charge of Dassault’s products under the 3DEXPERIENCE brand, comprising a broad suite of CAD, CAE, and PLM titles.

“Behind every great brand is great talent, and [Bassi] and [Sicot] have been architects of change for SolidWorks,” said Bernard Charlès, president and CEO of Dassault Systèmes. “SolidWorks has developed into a comprehensive portfolio for intuitive, integrated 3D design, simulation, electrical design, product data management and technical communication and continues to thrive thanks to engineering ingenuity and user collaboration. We look forward to continued success for SolidWorks under [Bassi’s] leadership and to strong Value Solutions channel sales growth from [Sicot’s] extensive sales experience.”

For more information, visit Dassault Systèmes.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and contributions from DE editors.