NRI Taps Steven Rivera as CRO for North American Growth Strategy

NEW YORK, NY – April 20, 2026 – Nomura Research Institute (NRI), a global consulting and technology powerhouse, has appointed Steven Rivera as its new Chief Revenue Officer for North America. The move is a clear signal of the firm's strategic intent to accelerate growth and deepen its competitive foothold in the lucrative, fast-evolving North American IT services market.

In this newly established role, Rivera will take the helm of all revenue-generating functions across the region, including sales, marketing, strategic partnerships, and client engagement. His appointment comes as NRI executes a broader strategy to expand its international presence and capitalize on the surging demand for digital transformation, cloud, and cybersecurity solutions.

A Strategic Play for Regional Dominance

Rivera's appointment is not a routine executive shuffle; it is a calculated move that aligns directly with NRI's ambitious global objectives. The company's Medium-Term Management Plan (2023-2025) explicitly prioritizes the strengthening of overseas operations, identifying them as a primary engine for future growth. By placing a seasoned revenue leader in North America, NRI is putting significant resources behind its goal to scale its business and enhance its market position.

Historically strong in financial IT solutions, particularly in its home market of Japan, NRI has been actively diversifying its portfolio. The firm is targeting growth in sectors such as retail, manufacturing, and public infrastructure, while simultaneously productizing its proprietary solutions into standardized Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings for faster international deployment. This platform-led commercialization strategy is central to its plans for fiscal years 2025 through 2027, and a leader like Rivera is crucial to executing it.

NRI North America's CEO, Toshi Oiwa, underscored the strategic nature of the hire. "Steven's experience across revenue leadership and his background in cybersecurity and consulting are well-aligned with our priorities in North America," Oiwa stated. "We believe his perspective will contribute to the steady advancement of our regional capabilities and support our efforts to further deepen relationships with our clients over the long term."

The Modern CRO: Blending Tech Expertise with Revenue Growth

With over 26 years of leadership experience in cybersecurity, managed services, and consulting, Rivera represents the new archetype of the Chief Revenue Officer in the technology sector—a leader who bridges deep technical knowledge with sophisticated go-to-market strategy.

Before joining NRI, Rivera served as CRO at Logically, where he was tasked with integrating and aligning all revenue functions, from sales and marketing to client support and pricing. This experience in creating a unified commercial engine is precisely what a complex, multi-service organization like NRI needs to drive cohesive growth. His extensive expertise spans enterprise sales, revenue operations, cloud and cybersecurity solutions, and Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC)—a potent combination for a market demanding holistic solutions.

The modern CRO is no longer just a head of sales. They are architects of the entire customer journey and revenue lifecycle. Rivera’s background demonstrates an ability to not only sell complex technology solutions but also to build the operational and strategic frameworks that ensure sustainable performance. This is critical in an industry where success depends on long-term client partnerships rather than transactional sales.

Capitalizing on a High-Stakes Market

Rivera steps into his role at a time of unprecedented opportunity and intense competition. The North American IT Services market, valued at over USD 552 billion in 2025, is projected to soar to nearly USD 836.31 billion by 2031, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 7.17%. This growth is fueled by record enterprise spending on cloud migration, AI-enabled platforms, and zero-trust security architectures.

Crucially, Rivera’s core competencies align perfectly with the market’s hottest segments. IT consulting and implementation, which includes strategic guidance on digital transformation and regulatory alignment, commanded over 45% of the market share in 2025. Meanwhile, cloud deployment is one of the fastest-growing areas, with a CAGR of 8.71%. Perhaps most tellingly, security consulting accounted for 32% of all IT consulting services globally last year, underscoring the non-negotiable importance of cybersecurity expertise.

NRI faces stiff competition from global giants like Accenture, Deloitte, and IBM, all vying for dominance. In this environment, specialized knowledge is a key differentiator. The acute shortage of skilled professionals in cybersecurity, AI, and cloud services means that firms with proven leadership in these domains gain a significant competitive advantage. Rivera’s appointment provides NRI with a leader who speaks the language of the modern CIO and CISO, enabling the firm to better position its advanced capabilities in security assessment, risk mitigation, and managed IT services.

Charting a Client-Centric, Resilient Future

Beyond driving top-line growth, Rivera’s mandate is deeply rooted in enhancing client relationships and delivering lasting value. His background in security consulting, risk analysis, and GRC is particularly valuable for NRI’s core client base in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector, which represented nearly 30% of the IT services market in 2025. These clients face immense regulatory pressure and require partners who can deliver resilient, secure, and compliant solutions.

By integrating Rivera’s expertise into its go-to-market strategy, NRI is better positioned to deliver on its promise of guiding clients "from insight to execution." This involves not just selling technology but co-creating solutions that fuel growth, improve profitability, and foster innovation. His focus on operational alignment, honed at his previous role, will be instrumental in ensuring that NRI’s sales promises are seamlessly delivered by its technology and consulting teams.

As organizations across North America continue their digital transformation journeys, the need for trusted partners has never been greater. The appointment of Steven Rivera is a strategic investment by NRI in the leadership required to navigate this complex landscape, build deeper client trust, and solidify its position as a premier business and technology solutions consultancy for years to come.