Kimon Lycos is a specialist in the area of marketing technology and innovation to other companies – a field otherwise known as Business-to-Business (‘B2B’) Marketing and Communications.
Kimon’s career in B2B started as a copywriter in Stockholm Sweden, with Wildell International. In his first year he was recognised as the 2nd best new creative talent in Sweden. He was subsequently entered as a finalist for a European-wide competition, where he placed 5th.
In 2003, he established Mihell & Lycos, now one of Australia’s leading Business-to-Business consultancies, which delivers core marketing and marketing communications services, along with business development, research and market validation.
Prior to this, Kimon co-founded an international B2B advertising agency, Laurent & Partners, in Stockholm, Sweden. The agency grew from three partners and to a staff of 14 within 4 years. Along the way, the agency delivered B2B marketing communication services to large multinationals in 5 European countries.
His 20 year experience includes consulting to large multinationals in Europe, such as Ericsson, Allgon, AtlasCopco and UPM Kymmene.
Kimon’s European experience included developing global branding for Ericsson’s core switching technology AXE to the telecom market, along with providing strategic support for managing the newly deregulated markets. This assignment was strategically important for Ericsson, with the AXE brand facing several challenges from the emerging “Next Generation Networks” along new entrants such as CISCO Systems and IP based systems.
Carefully managing a team within Ericsson who had worked with decentralised branding, the assignment started with uniting different Business Units, to centralised brand investments and working under one strategy.
Kimon also launched two pan-European brands for UPM Kymmene (third largest cut-size paper manufacture) Yes & Future, along with a new marketing and sales model, which has raised sales and profits during the past 10 years (since inception). In doing so, the European sales team were re-invigorated with value-added sales propositions and two strong brands.
For Allgon, he structured the global communications to launch UMTS (3G) compatible systems towards network operators and license holders. The resulting sales pipeline filled Allgon’s order books prior to the release of the world’s most cutting-edge UMTS equipment.
Kimon’s expertise is recognised by Universities and business media, as a lecturer, opinion writer and speaker. He is a regular columnist for Marketing Australia and in-Business magazine. He is also called upon from time-to-time to be a speaker or expert for other media outlets and seminars.
Kimon drove the successful launch of the world’s first online B2B marketing resource, www.b2bmarketercourse.com. The site was the result of consultation with RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Since the launch, over 200 students have accessed the site to understand the complete range of best practice Business-to-Business marketing, branding and communications.
Currently a Director of SWETEK, CleanTech Business Accelerator and brand director for Planet Rescue, his extra activities also extends into raising money for charities, such as 5Towns for the Leukemia Foundation (720 kilometer bike ride in 5 days), and is also assisting with the creation of Nunga Rugby, to help at risk indigenous young men.
Kimon is passionate about sustainability, reflected in his work with the Water Industry Alliance to develop and implement strategy for the national industry brand - Water Australia.