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.’
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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.’
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.’
The Dutch Climate Act requires the Netherlands to have reduced CO2 emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. That goal is jeopardized by the barriers industrial companies experience in reducing their emissions. Hans Grünfeld of the Association for Energy, Environment, and Water, and Frank Meens of energy company Vattenfall, discuss the turning point we are facing and whether it is still possible to make the transition in time. ‘The situation is worrying, but the path is clear: it is vital for the government to remove existing bottlenecks.
Michel Lamie, CFO at Achmea, needs to deal with strategy, focus on long-term value creation, digitalization and managing several major transformation programs vying for his time on a daily basis. The CFO function keeps expanding. At the same time, Lamie prioritizes connection with and among the teams he manages. ‘Together, we set the agenda of the finance function.’
ESG and corporate social responsibility have become an integral part of conducting business. Hilde van der Baan and Gijs Linse of A&O Shearman argue for transparency and less polarization to restore the trust between industry and society. According to Van der Baan and Linse companies see ESG legislation as an opportunity to bridge the gap with society.
Hans Grünfeld and Frank Means on barriers in the energy transition
The Dutch Climate Act requires the Netherlands to have reduced CO2 emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. That goal is jeopardized by the barriers industrial companies experience in reducing their emissions. Hans Grünfeld of the Association for Energy, Environment, and Water, and Frank Meens of energy company Vattenfall, discuss the turning point we are facing and whether it is still possible to make the transition in time. ‘The situation is worrying, but the path is clear: it is vital for the government to remove existing bottlenecks.
Michel Lamie (Achmea): ‘The Role of CFO Has Become Broader’
Michel Lamie, CFO at Achmea, needs to deal with strategy, focus on long-term value creation, digitalization and managing several major transformation programs vying for his time on a daily basis. The CFO function keeps expanding. At the same time, Lamie prioritizes connection with and among the teams he manages. ‘Together, we set the agenda of the finance function.’
ESG Can Bridge the Gap Between Industry and Society
ESG and corporate social responsibility have become an integral part of conducting business. Hilde van der Baan and Gijs Linse of A&O Shearman argue for transparency and less polarization to restore the trust between industry and society. According to Van der Baan and Linse companies see ESG legislation as an opportunity to bridge the gap with society.
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.’
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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.
‘ESG as a Bridge Between Industry and Society’
Shareholders as allies in the sustainable transition
Madeline Dessing (UWV): ‘Meaningful Work Contributes to Employee Well-being’
Trust And Cooperation As Building Blocks Of The Energy Transition
The Challenges in Making the Value Chain More Sustainable
Take Responsibility Of The Chain And Accelerate Progress Together
Transformation Requires Choices
At the invitation of Management Scope and consultancy firm Valcon, COOs from various companies came together. The role of the COO varies per organization, and so do the challenges. That does not rule out the fact that there are also similarities. What unites COOs, and in what way is their role changing?
Collaboration is a hot topic. But it is not easy. In a new series for Management Scope, Machiel van der Kuijl, Chairman of the entrepreneurs’ association evofenedex, delves into the world of public-private collaboration. What does it involve? What are the pitfalls? How do you ensure that collaboration yields results? This time, he talks to Brian Tjemkes, Professor of Strategy at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Tjemkes conducted extensive research on public-private collaboration and wrote a book about it. ‘Collaboration might be the most underestimated skill in the world.’
The COO Operates Innovatively And Beyond Established Frameworks
At the invitation of Management Scope and consultancy firm Valcon, COOs from various companies came together. The role of the COO varies per organization, and so do the challenges. That does not rule out the fact that there are also similarities. What unites COOs, and in what way is their role changing?
Brian Tjemkes on Public-Private Collaboration: ‘Everyone Is Focused on Their Own Piece of the Puzzle’
Collaboration is a hot topic. But it is not easy. In a new series for Management Scope, Machiel van der Kuijl, Chairman of the entrepreneurs’ association evofenedex, delves into the world of public-private collaboration. What does it involve? What are the pitfalls? How do you ensure that collaboration yields results? This time, he talks to Brian Tjemkes, Professor of Strategy at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Tjemkes conducted extensive research on public-private collaboration and wrote a book about it. ‘Collaboration might be the most underestimated skill in the world.’
Annemarie van Doorn en Elisabeth Post: ‘Direction Needed In Sustainability Efforts’
Pension Advisor Jacintha van Bijnen-Den Haag (Aon): ‘Companies Face Significant Challenges’
Wim Blaauw On The Enormous Digital Development Of IKEA
COO Jacqueline van Lemmen Knows That Operations Is Where It Happens
Pension Specialist Roos van der Velden: 'The Real Problem Is Not Being Addressed'
