Q&A with Gabriele Severini, Head of Communications at Ivalua – Part 1

We recently caught up with Gabriele Severini, Head of Communications at Ivalua, to discuss how he got into PR, the role of headline-driven research and the importance of PR-driven thought-leadership.

How did you get into communications and PR?

Growing up I’ve always been passionate about letters, words, languages, cultures, as well as the non-verbal elements that shape our interactions, simply, the way people communicate. After a few different work experiences and a Masters in International Communications, PR felt like the right path to follow!

What is your role at Ivalua and what does it entail?

Leading global communications at Ivalua, I focus on contributing to raising awareness of our company as a leading, innovative spend management vendor by bringing our many stories to life. Working with teams across multiple countries, one of my priorities is to strike a balance between finding cross-region commonalities and defining a tailored approach that suits each market with the support of regional experts.

What does Ivalua do?

Ivalua is a market-leading provider of cloud-based, AI-powered spend management software. Thanks to our unified solution, we empower organisations to effectively manage their spend and suppliers. By providing our customers with full visibility across their supply chains, we enable them to make better-informed decisions, increase profitability, improve sustainability, and reduce risk. We work with over 400 customers in more than 70 countries and across multiple industries.

What attracted you to join Ivalua?

Three key aspects, in no particular order: the culture, the global nature of the company and the product. Ivalua is a great place to work, from day one I felt that I was listened to and valued. The feeling of genuinely looking forward to seeing your colleagues when you go to work is unmatched. Secondly, interacting daily with talented people from all over the world makes you grow daily. It enriches you with different perspectives, ways of working and views. Finally, credibility is key and working in PR is far easier and more rewarding when your mission is to uncover the stories of an organisation with a market-leading product.

What do you find most satisfying about your job?

It’s difficult to find just one satisfying aspect, but if I had choose a word that encompasses multiple aspects I would say finding the right connections. Connecting people, connecting journalists with experts, connecting with colleagues to collaborate, and, of course, connecting interesting topics with our messages to identify suitable opportunities. The right connections usually lead to the best outcomes.

How important has PR been in educating the market and driving awareness of Ivalua?

PR holds an interesting position at Ivalua. As a company with a strong, global marketing team and a relentless focus on improving our product, PR can add a different dimension to our narrative. We have several, extremely knowledgeable people in our organisation, great content and exciting innovations to discuss. PR is uniquely placed to drive awareness among external, target audiences.

What role does headline-driven research play in your broader PR strategy?

Headline-driven research has proven incredibly valuable in issue-oriented PR markets like the UK. Incorporating original data in our strategy allows us to generate timely content that aligns with current events and connect our expertise with topics that resonate with large audiences. Backing our content with research findings contributes to building credibility and trust when positioning Ivalua as a thought leader.

How important is PR-driven thought leadership in helping Ivalua stand out from its competitors?

PR-driven thought leadership is crucial in differentiating our narrative and gaining credibility in what is often a “crowded space”, especially for certain topics. As a software vendor, it’s often about finding the right compromise between communicating the strengths of our solution and how these can make a difference in the real world. Luckily, our experts can convey our key messages eloquently and effectively.

Check out part 2 of our conversation next week.