Implementation and Transformation
A good strategy is one thing, actually implementing that strategy is quite another. Obviously, the parameters include good people, good leadership, a good HR system. But when it comes to the implementation itself, the past few decades have been a true roller coaster for the chief operating officer (COO) and his/her troops.
At the cradle of this roller coaster are some major trends. At an accelerating pace after the fall of the USSR, companies have started to look internationally for their purchasing and supply chains. Complex factors affect those decisions. Price matters, but so does quality of production, availability of raw materials, other production, and so on. For a few years now, however, the trend of internationalization has been halted: the trade relationship between China, the United States, European countries and Russia has come under increasing pressure.
Both this earlier expansion of the supply chain and the recent setback present COOs with major challenges. First it was ‘am I on the right track?’ Now it is also ‘what if the course I took no longer exists?’ Since 2020 this trend has been reinforced by the threat of pandemics, which can simply endanger companies' access to certain countries: a logistical nightmare.
The second major trend is that of digitalization. That is nothing new, of course. The letter was followed by the wire transfer and then by the fax and telephone. But with the arrival of the Internet combined with fast computers, this evolution has accelerated. ‘Digitalization’ is what we call it, and disruption: business models are changing so fast through digitalization and the rise of artificial intelligence that it is no longer a question of evolution but rather of revolution. It is up to the COO to keep up with this pace in the process of implementation.
This is a hell of a job because it means that such an implementation requires not only its own implementation strategy but also a great deal of entrepreneurship. After all, which IT infrastructure do you choose, does it have to be top of the line or perhaps cheaper than that used by the competition? Do you develop it yourself or do you outsource? Does the same hold for technological progress in production? What about marketing automation, robotization, warehousing, fulfilment and other logistics? How sustainable should your transport be? How local will production need to be?
The COO position may still be a position that, in the hierarchy, is just below the executive board, frequently in the executive committee (the ExCo), but, in terms of responsibilities, the position is not inferior to the top jobs of CEO and CFO.
Siete Hamminga and Guus Verhees on Robin Radar's scale-up journey
From birdwatcher to drone detector: Robin Radar has grown into a global company. We are in conversation with the founder who was fifteen years ahead of his time with the smart doorbell, and with the investor who had to endure three years of losses: Siete Hamminga of Robin Radar and Guus Verhees of SHIFT Invest. Together, they look back on Robin Radar's tumultuous scale-up journey: ‘We went from about twenty radars a year to six a week. That requires an agile organization.’
Read more.jpg)
The labor market is about to undergo a transformation that is deeper and more fundamental than many organizations realize. AI is about to redefine the nature of work, turning the world upside down. This calls for urgent action, including in the boardroom. That is why it is time for a new tool: the workforce budget, argue Hilde van der Baan and Gijs Linse.
Organizations invest a great deal of money, time, and effort into AI development, often with sky-high expectations. In practice, however, Dutch companies are still deriving limited real benefit from their investments, according to Lotte Hart and Nena Roes of the management consulting firm SeederdeBoer. The cause is not the technology itself, but a combination of organizational and human factors.
A workforce budget for every organization
The labor market is about to undergo a transformation that is deeper and more fundamental than many organizations realize. AI is about to redefine the nature of work, turning the world upside down. This calls for urgent action, including in the boardroom. That is why it is time for a new tool: the workforce budget, argue Hilde van der Baan and Gijs Linse.
Why AI projects fail
Organizations invest a great deal of money, time, and effort into AI development, often with sky-high expectations. In practice, however, Dutch companies are still deriving limited real benefit from their investments, according to Lotte Hart and Nena Roes of the management consulting firm SeederdeBoer. The cause is not the technology itself, but a combination of organizational and human factors.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Trudy Onland has been at the helm of grid operator Stedin since early May 2025. Her clearly defined goal is to ensure that the company takes major, concrete steps towards a new, sustainable energy system, now still under construction. ‘It is important not to get stuck in yesterday’s technology.’
Portuguese Maria Montenegro has been chief strategy officer (CSO) at data supplier/tech company Wolters Kluwer ‘since Valentine’s Day 2022.’ Starting out with ten employees, she now leads a department of seventy people. ‘We are more than ever a tech company. I, together with others, work closely on fostering an innovative culture.’
The energy transition, digitalisation, geopolitical shifts – organisations are facing major and complex transformation issues. Huge investments are made, the pressure to achieve results is high and the world is in constant flux. Moreover, this takes place against a background of constraints in time, people and/or technology. All this requires an agile organisation, says Janine Tjassens, business unit leader of CGI Netherlands.
Trudy Onland (Stedin): ‘Accelerating with tomorrow’s technology’
Trudy Onland has been at the helm of grid operator Stedin since early May 2025. Her clearly defined goal is to ensure that the company takes major, concrete steps towards a new, sustainable energy system, now still under construction. ‘It is important not to get stuck in yesterday’s technology.’
Maria Montenegro (Wolters Kluwer): ‘Steady, continuous transformation’
Portuguese Maria Montenegro has been chief strategy officer (CSO) at data supplier/tech company Wolters Kluwer ‘since Valentine’s Day 2022.’ Starting out with ten employees, she now leads a department of seventy people. ‘We are more than ever a tech company. I, together with others, work closely on fostering an innovative culture.’
Those who are agile and collaborative stay relevant
The energy transition, digitalisation, geopolitical shifts – organisations are facing major and complex transformation issues. Huge investments are made, the pressure to achieve results is high and the world is in constant flux. Moreover, this takes place against a background of constraints in time, people and/or technology. All this requires an agile organisation, says Janine Tjassens, business unit leader of CGI Netherlands.
Rutger van der Leeuw (Enexis): ‘More copper in the ground is not the solution’
For two years now Rutger van der Leeuw has been CEO of Enexis, the grid operator responsible for the construction, management, and maintenance of the gas and electricity grids in the south and northeast of the Netherlands. In a sector that is almost constantly under scrutiny, he strives to achieve a balance between social impact and business results. ‘It is our job to be flexible at the front end and to maintain as much calm as possible at the back end.’
Read moreMost read
Paul de Krom (Louwman Group): ‘Mobility Services Are the Future’
The Louwman group is transitioning from car importer to mobility provider. Paul de Krom has been the new CEO of the family-owned company since spring 2023. ‘Our automotive activities are at the essence of this company, but our ambition is mobility for life.'
Marnix van Stiphout: 'ING is Not Your Usual Company'
Marnix van Stiphout has been COO and member of the management Board of banking group ING for a year and a half. During this time, he mainly worked on the realization that operations form an extremely important part of the bank.
How Offshore Wind Farms can become Attractive Again
Ingrid Faber and Jan Nooitgedagt on public-private partnerships: ‘Improvement is often simple’
From Human to Hybrid Decision-Making
Hans Grünfeld and Frank Means on barriers in the energy transition
ESG Can Bridge the Gap Between Industry and Society
‘ESG as a Bridge Between Industry and Society’
Michel Lamie (Achmea): ‘The Role of CFO Has Become Broader’
More and more directors are intrinsically motivated to make their company's value chain more sustainable and fairer. Legislation can help to also get their partners in the chain moving and create a level playing field, argue Hilde van der Baan and Gijs Linse of Allen & Overy.
Change is the only constant, it is sometimes said. But change does not happen at the same pace for every company. Moreover, companies often also have a choice about how they respond to change. Valcon partner Eelco Simon draws some lessons from HEMA and Sligro.
Take Responsibility Of The Chain And Accelerate Progress Together
More and more directors are intrinsically motivated to make their company's value chain more sustainable and fairer. Legislation can help to also get their partners in the chain moving and create a level playing field, argue Hilde van der Baan and Gijs Linse of Allen & Overy.
Transformation Requires Choices
Change is the only constant, it is sometimes said. But change does not happen at the same pace for every company. Moreover, companies often also have a choice about how they respond to change. Valcon partner Eelco Simon draws some lessons from HEMA and Sligro.
Gerrit Buitenhuis (Sligro): ‘Our Logistics Challenge Is Quite Simple’
Paul de Krom (Louwman Group): ‘Mobility Services Are the Future’
Sustainable Design: Eight Phases and a Different Mindset
Pieter Heij (HEMA) on an Efficient Logistics Chain
The COO Operates Innovatively And Beyond Established Frameworks
