Professional Overview
Michael Scheppke currently serves as Vice President, Sales at EXFO, a role he assumed in September 2021. Before this, he was Vice President of Sales for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region at EXFO from October 2016 through September 2021. His responsibilities encompass overseeing both direct and indirect telecom sales within these regions, managing relationships with major clients, channel partners, and strategic accounts.
Michel has a demonstrated track record of building and leading dispersed sales teams with a focus on expanding market coverage and driving revenue growth. His leadership at EXFO is aligned with the company’s strategic emphasis on next-generation optical testing and telecom infrastructure solutions.
Career History and Expertise
- EXFO (2016–present):
- Vice President, Sales (APAC) (2016–2021): Managed telecom sales, growing channel partner coverage and effectively driving revenue in key telecom markets across Asia-Pacific.
- Vice President, Sales (Global) (2021–present): Expanded remit beyond APAC, actively involved in global sales strategies particularly tied to EXFO’s advanced PIC (Photonic Integrated Circuit) testing and optical solutions.
- Ixia (2012–2015):
- Senior Director of Sales, APAC: Successfully built and scaled the sales and systems engineering teams, expanded channel partners, and achieved significant revenue growth across the region.
- Director of Sales, Strategic Accounts: Managed global sales engagements to key account Cisco Systems, delivering impressive increases in bookings and account penetration.
- Regional Sales Manager: Developed strong relationships across Cisco’s business units with a focus on telecommunications and networking test equipment.
- TEAM California:
- Served as President of this Manufacturer’s Representative company specializing in communications test equipment, engaging markets such as NEMs (Network Equipment Manufacturers), wireline & wireless service providers, enterprise IT, and military/government sectors.
- Agilent Technologies & HP:
- Early technical career roles involved sales engineering and technical marketing in the telecommunications domain, with a focus on synchronization solutions for telecom networks across Americas and Europe.
Sector and Company Context
EXFO is positioned as a leading provider of test, monitoring, and analytics solutions primarily for telecommunications and data center networks. Recent company focus under Michael Scheppke’s leadership has been on accelerating 'lab to live' transitions for next-generation optics and innovative PIC testing platforms. This aligns with the broader industry trend of increasing demand for AI-driven, high-speed data infrastructure testing, which EXFO supports through their advanced testing solutions.
Michael has been publicly associated with EXFO’s innovation efforts, including showcasing cutting-edge optical component testing solutions at major industry events (e.g., OFC 2022 in San Diego). He is involved in promoting EXFO’s position as a multi-vendor partner for faster, reliable PIC testing within global manufacturing.
Professional Recognition and Influence
- Recognized internally and by industry peers as an effective sales executive and strategic innovator.
- Commended for building high-performing teams and strong collaboration with global sales units, notably evidenced by a former colleague’s testimonial praising his management of major accounts and revenue growth at Ixia.
- Highlighted for leadership qualities including technical expertise, solution orientation, and team empowerment.
- Active presence on LinkedIn with over 500 connections and 1,500+ followers, consistently sharing insights related to optical testing, AI impact on business networks, and customer success stories.
- Participant in industry bodies such as EPIC Photonics, reflecting engagement with photonics innovation communities.
Education
- Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, University of Florida (1992–1995)
Key Insights for Business Engagement
Michael Scheppke’s extensive experience in telecom sales leadership across APAC and global markets, combined with his technical background and engagement in next-generation optical testing, positions him as a critical decision-maker for sales partnerships involving telecom infrastructure testing solutions. His ongoing involvement with EXFO’s innovation pipeline around PIC testing and AI-driven telecom performance analytics indicates strong strategic influence within the company’s product development and market positioning.
Targeted engagement with Michael would benefit from emphasizing EXFO’s leadership in PIC and optical testing technologies, solutions that address increasing telecom and data center network demands, and partnerships that enhance multi-vendor collaboration. His history of expanding revenue through channel and strategic account development also suggests openness to scalable sales models and technical-solution integrations.
Social & Contact:
- Location: Singapore
- Network: 500+ professional connections, 1,500+ followers
Visual Identity:
- Professional profile photo available on LinkedIn, signaling an active and engaged social media presence.
This profile consolidates all available data respecting the focus on his role at EXFO, avoiding conflation with other individuals of the same name.
