CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER at ROTTERDAM SHORT SEA TERMINALS (RST) (2021-05 – Present)
Rotterdam Short Sea Terminal (RST) is the largest short sea terminal of Europe and biggest member of the City Terminal Cooperation with excellent connectivity to many Europe destinations via all possible modalities. Recruited following a change in ownership to define and execute a new IT and digital strategy supporting operational excellence, growth, scalability, and innovation.
- Define and execute enterprise-wide IT and digital strategy
- Lead cybersecurity governance and operational resilience programs
- Manage business-critical terminal systems and infrastructure
- Oversee IT investments, vendor management, and budgeting
- Align IT roadmap with terminal operations and business priorities
- Drive digital innovation, AI initiatives, and operational automation
- Lead IT organization, DevOps capability, and reporting teams
- Ensure secure and reliable IT/OT environments
- Defined the IT strategy, digital agenda, and multi-year roadmap to align technology investments with operational priorities and growth ambitions.
- Established the cybersecurity governance framework including ISO 27001 implementation and NIS 2 preparation.
- Strengthened cyber resilience through MFA, EDR/NDR, SIEM/SOC implementation, disaster recovery, endpoint protection, and security awareness programs.
- Improved terminal operating system performance and stability by approximately 70% within a highly business-critical environment.
- Led IT/OT network segmentation and infrastructure modernization to strengthen operational security and reliability.
- Built and led a digital innovation program focused on AI-driven operational optimization and automation.
- Optimized automated gate operations resulting in near fully automated truck handling and approximately 50-minute reduction in truck turnaround time.
- Increased business value from the terminal operating system by improving adoption and utilization of existing functionality.
- Introduced a cross-functional sounding board with representatives from key departments to strengthen alignment, prioritization, and stakeholder engagement.
- Implemented DevOps and cross-functional governance structures to improve prioritization, delivery speed, and stakeholder engagement.
- Implemented crane OCR across multiple ship-to-shore cranes to support automation and improve operational visibility.
- Reorganized the IT function, establishing a dedicated DevOps capability for TOS development and creating a BI and reporting team to strengthen data-driven decision-making.
- Reduced generic IT operating costs by 15% while increasing investments in digital innovation and business-enabling technologies.
- AI-driven vessel stowage optimization (Loadmaster – StowAI) – Automatic generation of vessel stowage plans using reinforcement learning to improve planning quality, speed, and scalability.
- AI-based yard and stack planning initiatives (StackAI – AI-based yard optimization for optimal terminal stack planning and JobAI – AI-driven optimization of rolling equipment deployment to improve utilization and productivity).
- Agentic Terminal – advanced a broader AI orchestration concept combining planning and operational agents to support more autonomous terminal decision-making.
- Virtual Assistant – developed an AI-supported response assistant to prepare customer communications using email history, TOS data, and internal information sources.
- Video OCR for dangerous goods recognition
- Face recognition at truck gates for biometric validation of truck drivers.
- Digital and paperless gate process concepts
- Speech-to-speech translation on intercom system
DIRECTEUR ICT at CROONWOLTER&DROS (CW&D) (2019-02 – 2021-04)
Recruited to define the IT vision, digital agenda, and roadmap required to support the company’s ambitions across smart buildings, smart health, Industry 4.0, modular construction, and smart energy. At the same time, led a broad stabilization and modernization agenda to address a fragmented application landscape, legacy ERP environment, and a low-maturity demand-and-supply operating model that constrained business execution.
- Developed enterprise IT vision, digital agenda, and transformation roadmap.
- Professionalized IT governance, project portfolio management, vendor management, and enterprise architecture.
- Led modernization of core enterprise application landscape including ERP selection.
- Implemented API management and integration platforms based on Microsoft Azure.
- Introduced self-service BI, process mining, low-code development, and robotic process automation.
- Strengthened IT risk management and security governance.
- Managed significant IT budgets (20M) and strategic investment programs (5M).
GLOBAL DIRECTOR ICT at ODFJELL TERMINALS MANAGEMENT BV (2016-12 – 2019-01)
Held global responsibility for developing and executing a new IT strategy across a complex international terminal environment. Led the implementation of new platforms, governance, and delivery methodologies, including Agile, Lean, and DevOps, while building high-performing internal and external IT teams to increase business value, resilience, and execution speed.
- Develop and execute global terminal IT strategy
- Standardized systems, governance, and operating models across terminals
- Strengthening cybersecurity and global IT governance
- Lead global application architecture and integration strategy
- Drive cloud transformation and digital modernization
- Manage international IT teams and external partners
- Drafting the Global ICT Vison and Strategy of Odfjell Terminals
- Effectively implemented the new Odfjell Terminals IT Vision and Strategy based on Business Value in less then a year with the following core components:
- Cloud first strategy: Hybrid Cloud and SaaS based solutions - Business Value: More agility and innovation against low investments, yet better integration, scalability and support, easier switching to other providers
- Replace tailored SAP solutions with Low code solutions - Business Value: Improved efficiency, higher productivity, excellent user experience, improved data quality, better and faster fulfilment of business needs
- Improved IT security - Business Value: Reduced risks, less vulnerable for Cyber attacks and data theft, less risk of damage (operational but also company image
- Introduction of new Application Architecture - Business Value: Faster innovation, choose fit for purpose solutions
- Implementation of new integration platform - Business Value: Tighter integration with customers, higher value in supply chain, higher data quality
- Implementation of BI platform - Business Value: Better reporting, better decision making
- Introduced Agile, Lean, and DevOps methodologies to improve delivery and business alignment - Business Value: Increased productivity, doing the right things, higher ROI, more engaged employees, higher business agility
- Established global IT governance, steering committees, and risk & control frameworks - Business Value: improved communication models and clearly structured governance & control standards
- Simplification of application landscape - Business Value: One Truth / Insight
GLOBAL MANAGER BUSINESS APPLICATIONS at BROEKMAN LOGISTICS (2015-03 – 2016-11)
Led the corporate Application Management and Business Support function, aligning enterprise-wide business requirements with the core application landscape. Focused on improving efficiency, effectiveness, and business-process performance through stronger application strategy, integration, and governance.
- Revised enterprise application management strategy.
- Implemented new integration platform and customer integrations.
- Led WMS implementations across multiple logistics locations.
- Established global IT steering structures and governance processes.
- Investigated and introduced rapid application development capabilities.
LOCAL IT MANAGER at ODFJELL TERMINALS ROTTERDAM (2012-03 – 2015-02)
Responsible for local ICT operations and major transformation initiatives within a highly operational terminal environment.
- Managed business-critical terminal IT systems and infrastructure.
- Led multiple infrastructure modernization and application transformation projects.
- Developed local IT strategy and governance framework.
- Established IT steering committees, CAB structures, SLAs, and key-user organizations.
- Managed cybersecurity improvement initiatives and operational resilience programs.
- Led implementation projects involving SAP, SaaS platforms, customs systems, planning systems, and operational applications.
ENTREPRENEUR at YOURSAPPLY (2006-01 – 2014-12)
Founder of YourSapply, the largest online SAP community for Dutch speaking freelance SAP consultants.
SENIOR SAP CONSULTANT at ORDINA (2005-01 – 2005-12)
In the role of Senior SAP consultant responsible for implementing and managing several SAP implementation projects.
IT APPLICATION MANAGER at RANN BV (2003-02 – 2004-12)
Built and managed IT support organization and SAP landscape separation program.
SAP / INTEGRATION CONSULTANT at PINKROCCADE NV (2000-03 – 2003-01)
Implemented SAP solutions and managed enterprise integration initiatives.
CENTRAL DESKTOP CHANGE MANAGER at SHELL SERVICES INTERNATIONAL (1997-11 – 2000-02)
Led large-scale ITIL-based desktop transformation and release management programs across Europe and Africa.
