Bertrand Sicot declares he will be a CSWP

At SolidWorks World, there are a lot of events.  One of the more interesting events is the Press Event.  This event is held in honor of the Press attendees.  It gives them a chance to connect directly with SolidWorks employees and leadership.  Bernard Charles, CEO of Dassault Systemes, and Bertrand Sicot, CEO of the SolidWorks subsidiary, were both on-hand at this year’s Press Event last night.  Several of the CAD bloggers had a chance to talk with both CEOs for a considerable length of time.

As some are aware, Sicot is a SolidWorks user.  In Sales, he may be called upon to demonstrate the product.  During our conversion, I asked Sicot if he is a CSWP (Certified SolidWorks Professional).  His first answer was a sheepish smile.  After reminding him that Jeff Ray (previous CEO of SolidWorks) has his certification, Sicot lamented, “I should have my CSWP.”  In front of Charles and others, Sicot then added, “I will have my CSWP before the next SolidWorks World.”  I must give kudos to Sicot for stepping up to the challenge.

He is a busy person right now.  Since his promotion, he has been doing double duty both as CEO of SolidWorks and also still as EVP of Global Sales (until his replacement is found).  With those responsibilities, I don’t expect him to earn his CSWP within the next couple of months.  Becoming a CSWP by this time next year does seem realistic.

The CSWP is important since it demonstrates that a person as a firm understanding of how to use SolidWorks core functions.  Sicot’s spontaneous declaration (that he will earn his CSWP) isn’t a stunt, in my opinion.  It seems to be born out of a genuine desire to connect to SolidWorks users.

Author: fcsuper

As a drafter, mechanical designer and CAD engineer, I've been in the mechanical design field since 1991. For the first 8 years of my career, I was an AutoCAD professional. I utilized AutoLISP and many other AutoCAD customization features to streamline drafting activities for 6+ drafters and designers. I authored several custom functions, one of which was published in the March 1997 issue of Cadalyst Magazine. Since 1998, I've been used SolidWorks non-stop. I've worked to utilize the SolidWorks' user environment to simplify drafting and design activities for 20+ engineers. I've created this website to provide current information about SolidWorks from a variety of contributors. More recently, I am now employed by Dassault Systemes as SOLIDWORKS Sr. Product Definition Manager to improve drawing, annotation and MBD related areas. View all posts by fcsuper