Who is Ivet Petrova?

Marketing Director at ShapeBlue and Apache CloudStack PMC Member. I am a change-driven professional passionate about tackling new challenges. I’ve been working in the IT industry for the majority of my career, closely following its rapid evolution, emerging trends, and innovations.

As a professional, I strive to lead by example – inspiring my team and ensuring that ShapeBlue is recognised as “The CloudStack company”. We live and breathe open-source, and our values are deeply rooted in its principles of transparency, collaboration, and innovation.

On a personal level, I’m committed to continuous self-improvement. I enjoy travelling, learning new skills, and finding the balance between work, personal growth, and family life.

How do you define and measure the success of your marketing initiatives?

Marketing is not a single action or an isolated campaign. It is a continuous, multi-layered discipline that defines how a company positions its products, services, and overall value in the market. It encompasses how we communicate, how we show up across channels, the initiatives we drive, the events we deliver, and ultimately how we shape market perception.

Importantly, marketing is not confined to the marketing department. It is the sum of how the entire organisation presents itself. Every interaction – every employee, every touchpoint – reinforces or reshapes how customers view our company.

When it comes to measurement, our metrics must align directly with our objectives. If the goal is pipeline growth, we measure lead volume and quality. If the priority is market positioning, we look at brand awareness, website engagement, and broader shifts in how the market perceives us. In short, we measure what moves us closer to our strategic goals.

To give a short and clear answer: it depends on your targets!

 

What strategies do you employ to align marketing efforts with sales objectives?

For any IT company, it is critical to ensure smooth collaboration and communication between the marketing, sales, and tech teams. Objectives should be set with a clear understanding of the company’s potential, yet also be ambitious and motivating for the team.

When it comes to aligning marketing and sales, the key elements for me are:

• A shared vision
• A clear understanding of targets and KPIs
• A well-defined division of responsibilities and tasks

Last but not least – working together to achieve a common goal as one team. Marketing and sales must always recognise that they share the same objective, and that each side contributes to its success. Collaboration is crucial – helping and understanding each other is what makes the difference.

And of course, it all leads to building a stable and predictable pipeline.

Which campaign are you most proud of, and what contributed to its success?

No doubt, my greatest pride is the work we’ve done over the past two years to shift perceptions of open source. Where it was once seen as a second-tier option, open-source is now recognised by enterprises as a strategic choice for building sustainable, vendor-independent IT infrastructure.

Many companies searching for VMware alternatives and vendor independence are now confidently exploring and deploying open-source solutions in production environments.

 

How does ShapeBlue contribute to the marketing of Apache CloudStack?

ShapeBlue is the leading code contributor to the Apache CloudStack project, but we also recognise the importance of supporting the project from a marketing perspective. The more awareness there is of the benefits of open source, the greater the adoption will be.

Myself, our marketing team, and the entire company contribute in various ways. For example, we help organise events, produce high-quality content, and actively speak and present about Apache CloudStack at conferences and community gatherings. We also contribute significantly to the project’s website, video production, design work, and many other promotional activities.

 

What has your experience been like as a woman in a leadership role within a male-dominated industry?

It is true that the IT industry is male-dominated. I believe that people working in IT are judged by their professional qualities and skills. The IT industry is a great place to develop a career and grow. Sometimes it requires extra determination and persistence, but I believe that over the years I have demonstrated my skills, technical understanding, and leadership qualities.

In your view, what are the key ingredients to building and leading a high-performing marketing team?

Knowledge and expertise in the specific industry, combined with flexibility and the ability to communicate and collaborate with diverse people, are essential. I try to lead by example, share what I’ve learned, and support my team’s growth. It’s also essential to continuously improve your skills and expand your knowledge – both in marketing and on the technical side.

 

What activities or interests do you enjoy outside of your professional responsibilities?

I love being close to nature, travelling to new places, and learning new things. Spending time with family, being relaxed and enjoying the time. Preferably with a glass of nice wine and good music.