My passion is to bring technology driven organizations to the next level of sustainable growth.
Running, Cycling, Skiing, Walking and Swimming.
I am proficient in English and German besides my native Dutch.
Lived in 6 countries and almost visited 100.
Through my career I had several leadership roles, where I had the opportunity to demonstrate my abilities to create strategically directions, developed new market opportunities, align organizations and report in a structured way the needs of the market.
I possess a proven talent for enhancing business operations by swiftly implementing necessary structures and processes, always considering the cultural context. This ability allows me to quickly establish connections with diverse stakeholders.
In the first half of my career, I built a strong foundation through various leadership roles in business development, sales (direct, indirect/channel & OEM), alliances, M&A (PE), marketing (PR & product marketing), corporate strategy/development, product management, and production/logistics. In most of these roles, I held profit and loss responsibilities.
My enduring interest in technology, coupled with my ability to rapidly understand and adapt to its evolving landscape, has made me a recognized expert in various domains, including Wi-Fi, Optical, and SaaS/AI. From a young age, traveling the world instilled in me a global perspective. This, combined with my technological expertise, has enabled me to effectively bridge cultural and technological divides.
These early adoption skills have been instrumental in starting and scaling businesses from the ground up, entering new markets, and navigating uncharted territories. My drive to integrate new technologies into everyday business operations has been a key feature of my career. I excel in explaining complex technologies using metaphors, making me a go-to authority in initial customer meetings, events, media interactions, governmental bodies, and within analyst communities.
I strongly value teamwork, a principle that has been pivotal to my successes. Understanding that collaboration is key, I have embraced a coaching approach, fostered individual growth, and shaped teams that thrive even in remote settings.
My career path has led me through a diverse array of organizations, ranging from large public-listed corporates and mid-sized companies to start-ups. I have worked in technology sectors with global operations, primarily in Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
I was privileged to get educated at several levels: In 2011-2012, I obtained a Dual Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on International Master’s in Management at Purdue University Daniels School of Business and at the Tilburg based TIAS School for Business and Society. Prior to that, from 1994 to 1997, I attended Eindhoven University of Technology, earning a MSc/Ir in International Technical Development Science. Which was combined in 1996, to obtain a Master of Science (MS) in International Business from Tecnológico de Costa Rica. The undergraduate studies took place from 1990 to 1994 at Windesheim in Zwolle, earning a BEng/ing. in Industrial Management.