Rethinking Growth: 5 Questions for Alexandra Mennes

For Alexandra Mennes, growth is far more than a sales discipline. As the new Growth Lead on the IBM iX Executive Leadership Team, she brings more than 20 years of experience across technology, consulting and agency business, along with a firm belief that sustainable growth happens where people, technology, empathy and experience come together. For her, the human factor is not a buzzword but a mindset. 

The experienced executive joins from Valtech, where she most recently served as VP Growth DACH, responsible for new business and strategic partnerships. Before that, she spent more than seven years at Microsoft, shaping agency partnerships and developing the global model for successful cloud partnerships with agencies. Earlier roles at Starcom, Digitas and Tomorrow Focus Technologies saw her working consistently at the intersection of technology, marketing and business development. 

Alexandra, why did you choose IBM iX? 

First and foremost, there was an immediate personal connection: the open and authentic conversations, the entrepreneurial ambition and the curiosity that is present throughout the organisation. Added to that are IBM iX’s recognised market excellence and its deep understanding of human experiences across strategy, design and technology. I’m impressed by this combination of expertise, peer level consulting and the ability to deliver lasting impact. That’s exactly where I want to contribute. 

For me, the combination of a global technology company and a local agency business is the icing on the cake because it allows me to think big while staying close to clients. Looking back, this role brings together two chapters of my career that I long viewed as separate. At Microsoft, I learned to appreciate the structures of a global corporation and a highly professional, scalable way of working: thinking big, aiming high and remaining relentlessly focused on execution. At the same time, I missed the agency world: the creativity, the close advisory relationships with clients, building and leading pitch teams, pitching itself and the unique way agencies work. At IBM iX, these two worlds come together. 

What does growth mean to you beyond the buzzword? 

Anyone who still sees growth purely as a sales KPI is confusing cause and effect. To me, growth is not a sprint but a cycle. Every expectation that is fulfilled, whether for clients or partners, creates the trust that enables the next opportunity. 

I learned this at Microsoft when we developed the global model for cloud partnerships together with agencies. The biggest leaps in growth never came from individual initiatives. They came from capabilities that partners built together over time. That is why it makes little sense to view technology, experience and business separately. The cycle usually breaks down at the points where they intersect, where teams focus only on their own metrics rather than on a shared outcome. 

Many organisations are currently investing in transformation and AI. Where do you see the biggest growth opportunities today? 

I currently see five key growth drivers: 

1. Selfawareness
   Organisations that do not understand the quality and structure of their data are trying to grow with the handbrake on. Only by critically examining existing structures AI can become a genuine growth driver rather than an expensive experiment. 
2. Enablement
   Success depends not only on the technology itself but on its adoption by employees and customers. Organisations that bring people along from the start learn faster and grow more sustainably. 
3. Security
   Efficiency and productivity dominate many technology discussions, while security often receives less attention. Yet it is a powerful growth driver. Customers and partners invest where they feel trust. Security is therefore not a cost centre but an investment in growth. 
4. Orchestration
   The gap between a good idea and market impact is rarely caused by a lack of expertise. More often, it is a lack of orchestration. Growth happens when someone consistently manages rhythm, focus and collaboration, ideally through a partnership model built on equality rather than a traditional client supplier relationship. 
5. Direction
   Growth does not come from having more options but from making faster and clearer decisions. The greater the choice and the more complex the language, the more important direction becomes. It is what separates organisations that take action from those that remain stuck in evaluation. 

What distinguishes organisations that achieve sustainable growth today? 

Sustainably growing organisations are defined less by a particular methodology and more by a shared mindset. They see growth as a capability that must be continuously developed, not as a project with a fixed end point. They make decisions based on data rather than instinct and prioritise customer value over internal agendas. They are also honest enough to recognise their own limitations. 

That awareness of their limits is what makes the difference. Organisations that grow sustainably bring in partners early, partners who complement rather than simply deliver. This applies not only to technology but also to strategic thinking and execution. They do not treat service and technology partners as external suppliers but as part of their own growth ecosystem. 

That is exactly how I see the role of IBM iX: not as a provider of individual services but as a partner that helps organisations shift into the next gear and move confidently towards the future. 

How do you view the agency and consulting market? What is changing right now? 

The market is undergoing fundamental change. Today, organisations are no longer looking for implementation partners alone in their digital initiatives. They need partners who provide direction, reduce complexity and turn strategy, technology and experience into tangible outcomes. 

This is also reflected in what I continue to hear from clients and prospects: “We don’t need another system or another silo within a silo.” What they need is support in creating clarity, setting priorities, shaping long term strategy and then delivering on it.  That is what I mean by partnership on equal terms: not another isolated project focused on a narrow area of expertise, but someone who thinks alongside you before they deliver. 

It is no longer just about solving a specific problem. It is about creating clarity together and building confidence in the next steps. This shift, away from isolated challenges and towards genuine partnership, is one of the reasons I joined IBM iX. 

I want to bring my experience as a transformation consultant and growth leader to exactly those situations where clarity, accountability and trust make the difference. What excites me most is the opportunity to work with outstanding teams and partners to turn ambitious ideas into meaningful impact for clients. 

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