Femke Anna van Zanten

Peter Boersma is one of the most renowned DesignOps experts in Europe. Based in Amsterdam, he is also one of our esteemed partners, currently working on a significant assignment with IKEA. Our paths first crossed on a mailing list in 2002, but it took until earlier this spring until our first collaboration. When we needed a partner for a customer assignment, he was the perfect fit. Peter helps organizations enhance their design processes. He recently served as the DesignOps Manager at Miro, where he supported a team of 45 researchers, designers, and writers. Throughout his career, Peter has focused on refining design processes, defining career ladders, and clarifying roles and responsibilities for designers and their peers in engineering and product management. Peter, how would you say that the field has developed in the last couple of years? – Design Ops used to be a niche field, but it has gained significant recognition. Most larger organizations now understand the importance of operational excellence in design and how it can lead to more efficient, effective, and scalable design processes and teams. – We have also seen a shift towards more structured approaches, with companies investing in dedicated DesignOps roles and teams and defining multi-year roadmaps. What would you say are the most common challenges at the moment? – Managing the complexity of scaling design teams. As organizations grow, maintaining consistency - where it makes sense - and quality across different teams and projects becomes increasingly difficult. – Another challenge is fostering effective collaboration between design, engineering, and product teams. Bridging the gaps between these functions requires strong communication, goal alignment, and a shared understanding of each team’s processes and priorities. – Additionally, proving the value of DesignOps to stakeholders remains challenging. Even when the benefits are clear within the design organization, articulating this value in business terms that resonate with leadership can be tricky. Finally, where do you see the DesignOps field in three years? – I expect that many more design organizations will have established dedicated DesignOps roles. In larger teams, we will also see more specialized roles focused on different aspects of DesignOps, such as people & culture, craft & processes, or tooling and procurement. – I am also curious to see how far the collaboration with other Ops teams will have developed by then. We could see an emergence of ProductOps teams, collaboratively tackling improvements In research, design, content, product management, data & analytics, product growth and marketing, engineering, QA, and maybe more. Thanks, Peter! Sounds like we have much to look forward to! So nice to meet you again! … Peter is available for a new assignment in August. If you need a DesignOps expert in your team, send a PM to Filip Månsson, Head of Partners at Ambition, and we’ll help you out! #designops

87

7 commentaren

Dutch Coffee Brand Pioneers Youthful Corporate Governance Dutch coffee brand De Koffiejongens, known for its sustainable and biodegradable coffee pods, is taking a groundbreaking step by forming a Raad van Commissarisjes, or 'Board of Little Directors.' With advertisements in major newspapers, the brand is recruiting children aged 8–12 who enjoy coloring outside the lines. This initiative aims to connect De Koffiejongens' focus on sustainability with the perspectives of the younger generation, who will be most impacted by today's business decisions. This innovative move highlights a new way to make corporate governance more inclusive and diverse, even if just for a day. Puma Engages Youth for Sustainability Insights Similarly, PUMA has launched Voices of a RE:GENERATION, an initiative to incorporate young people's perspectives into its sustainability strategy. This project builds on findings from PUMA's 'Conference of the People' event and involves four young thought leaders from Europe and the US as consultants. Alice Aedy, Andrew Burgess, Luke Jaque-Rodney, and Jade Roche will meet with PUMA's Chief Sourcing Officer, Chief Product Officer, and sustainability team three times a year. They will provide insights and recommendations on improving the brand's sustainability practices, ensuring their opinions, suggestions, and criticisms are heard and translated into action. The Importance of Youth Involvement Research by PUMA reveals that 71% of young people feel their voices aren't being heard on environmental issues, with many wanting brands to make more commitments (49%) and be more transparent (34%). By involving the next generation, PUMA aims to make its sustainability efforts more accessible and transparent. Reflecting on Corporate Responsibility As society faces complex challenges, changes are needed that are not just operational but existential, fundamentally reframing what we value. Brands must consider sharing power with youthful voices or, at the very least, listening to generations typically excluded from influential conversations about their own future. Conclusion Initiatives like De Koffiejongens' Board of Little Directors and PUMA's Voices of a RE:GENERATION exemplify how businesses can engage younger generations in meaningful ways. These steps are crucial for ensuring that the voices of those who will inherit the planet are included in decision-making processes today. Is your brand taking visible steps to ensure the inclusion of younger voices in shaping a sustainable future?

3

At a time when many economies are struggling, the Netherlands offers a place of relative calm and stability for brands, which is evident in our 2024 ranking with its strong brand value growth.” Bram van Schaik, MD, shares an overview of the results from the new #KantarBrandZ Top 30 Most Valuable Dutch Brands Report in this article: https://lnkd.in/gJfjZz94 #KantarBrandZ #BrandZ

7

🚆🌟 Curious to know what a week in the life of CX Unraveled looks like? This was what my week looked like last week 🌟🚜 I led some inspiring and impactful sessions with some of the coolest brands out there. ✨ Kicking off with an inspiration session for 40 conductors and service employees at Dutch Railways/Nederlandse Spoorwegen, I shared insights on how to excel in customer service. The energy in the room was amazing, and it was great to see so many engaged and motivated participants! 🌱 Next, I inspired the Management Team Netherlands of Eurofins Agro & Horti NL, diving deep into the intricacies of customer experience. I also facilitated their first journey mapping session, setting the stage for ongoing improvements and innovations. 🚜 The week wrapped up with a trip to Groningen and Heerenveen, where I interviewed farmers and had insightful conversations with the Lely center team. These discussions are crucial as we work to enhance the customer journey for Lely International's automated feeding machinery. At CX Unraveled, we are passionate about partnering with exceptional brands to elevate their customer experiences. If you’re looking to enhance your customer journey, we’d love to help! And if you like this post, follow us on CX Unraveled for more. #CustomerExperience #JourneyMapping #ServiceExcellence #CXUnraveled #DutchRailways #EurofinsAgro #LelyInternational #Innovation #CustomerJourney

48

Rituals Cosmetics Pledges 10% of Net Profit to Charity Rituals Cosmetics, the renowned Dutch lifestyle brand, has announced a significant commitment to giving back. Starting from 2025, the company will donate 10% of its annual net profit to charitable causes[1][2]. Key points: • Initiative begins in 2025, using profits from the previous year[4] • Donations will support various charitable org’s and projects • CEO Raymond Cloosterman emphasises that "success comes with responsibility"[3] This bold move of #zigging when the competition #zags aligns Rituals with a growing trend of ‘good’ business, demonstrating their dedication to making a positive impact beyond their product offerings. The company's success in the competitive beauty and wellness market has positioned them well to give back to society. As industry leaders, this sets a new benchmark. It will be interesting to see how this impacts Rituals' brand perception and whether it inspires similar actions from other at-scale players. Good intentions need relentless actions in execution. Make it happen! #SDG #Rituals #ProfitShare #GiveBack #Accountability Sources [1] rituals-geeft-voortaan-10percent-van-de-winst-weg https://lnkd.in/e-XpdJZm nettowinst-weggeven/

14

1 commentaar

My summary of the first keynote at WordCamp Europe 2024 with Juliette Reinders Folmer and Joost de Valk about sustainable open source. Key Topics: - Dependency Risks and Business Impact - Funding and Supporting Open Source - Maintainer Responsibilities and Challenges - Corporate Social Responsibility and Open Source #WCEU2024

4

🍾 Happy Birthday, CoNet! We love you! 🎉 One year ago, we launched our social intranet CoNet with the ambition of making it our new digital headquarters. And since then it has become a vibrant centerpiece of our daily communication.🥳 Good communication is not a monologue. It is a dialog and an exchange of information. Especially in times of remote work, good communication via digital channels plays an extremely important role, because good relationships need to be cultivated. Only then can real team spirit develop. The fact is: Day-to-day work is often about projects, goals and results. However, cultivating a common corporate culture and a sense of togetherness also needs space to be fostered and strengthened. This is precisely why CoNet has become indispensable. As a social exchange platform for all Conradians and as a part of success for Conrad as an employer brand. Over the past year, we have achieved a lot together as the Conrad family - and read about it in CoNet. From the organisation and communication around our amazing 100th year celebrations, to the exciting "Become a CoNet Hero Week" that inspired each and every one of us, to the steady growth of our intranet and the weekly CEO Update - it was a year full of highlights.📈 Watching you bring our intranet to life is impressive: 2123 active users come back to CoNet on a frequent basis to share their knowledge and read about improvements, 1698 published posts showing our successes and insights, and 1843 comments creating lively discussions. Not to forget the 45.849 likes and reactions to posts that show how engaged and connected we are every day. 💙 Thank you Lena Windisch for your vision and commitment in starting and driving CoNet forward with everything it has to offer. Your strategic foresight, your analytical thinking, your perseverance and your positive energy is just great and an essential part of success! 💪 So let's celebrate this anniversary and toast to many more years of innovation, creativity and community.🥳 🥂 Let's make the next year just as eventful, productive and inspiring as the last! We are Conrad 🤘🚀 #SocialIntranet #InternalCommunications #BrandCommunication #WeArePartOfSuccess

49

2 commentaren

Bruxells 08 May 2024,   Yesterday we signed the agreement for the creation of the european metacluster of cultural and creative enterprises, to improve international collaboration, policies, and opportunities for public and private partnership. After 18 years of work, a new challenge starts today: 'to leave the world a little better than we found it'. On the occasion of the #EuropeanClusterCollaborationConference, a collaboration agreement was signed between the two #Euroclusters #FRIENDCCI and #CREATHRIV-EU dedicated to the cultural and creative sectors, which bring together the strategic and transversal public and private sectors of creative innovation and culture such as cultural heritage, design, media, literature, music, theatre, gaming, restoration, and which represent 6.7 % of the European GDP. The two Euroclusters, created thanks to funding from the Commission and in particular from the #EISMEA agency, have already been operating for more than a year, financing more than 300 enterprises for the development of innovative projects and collaboration between cultural and creative sectors and 'traditional' manufacturing sectors, for supply chain, product or technology innovation. "This cooperation agreement represents an important step towards the realisation of the Commission's ambitions to create a Pan-European network of clusters and is indicative of a support mechanism - represented by the new European initiative 'Euroclusters' - that works and achieves its policy objectives." Says Valentino Izzo, Programme Coordination Manager of Eismea "EU CCIs Meta-Cluster represents a great potential to create strategies and opportunities to develop the skills, services and economically productive sectors driving innovation and beauty and culture in Europe, which are also useful for other production and manufacturing sectors," says Sergio Calò, Project Manager of Friend CCI and Director of Venetian Cluster. "This initiative brings together the experiences of 10 clusters and connects a myriad of actors in the European Cultural and Creative Industries ecosystem. SMEs will benefit from a wide support network to face the challenges of the green and digital transition and become major players in the global market." Says Giovanni Scaramuzzo project manager of CREATHRIV-EU for Basilicata Creativa. "This initiative is part of the EU's policies in favour of micro, small and medium enterprises and the involvement of territories at local level; a great result that brings European funding and policies closer to citizens and businesses," says gian angelo bellati, President of Venetian Cluster Lead Partner of Friend CCI. The establishment of #EUCCIsMetaCluster is therefore a first step to connect the main European public and private actors of the sectors in order to grow international and interregional collaboration and create a hub of ideas, skills and applied innovation for new projects and services.

68

4 commentaren

Shaking things up! ⚡ Odido storms into the 2024 Dutch Top 30 as the highest-ranking newcomer! From an overnight transformation that shook the Dutch telecom market to establishing a vibrant brand identity, Odido's launch was nothing short of spectacular. Want to dive deeper into this disruptive debut? 👉 Download the full Kantar BrandZ Top30 Most Valuable Dutch Brands report for exclusive insights! https://lnkd.in/dTeZnXT2 #Odido #Innovation #BrandSuccess #BrandZNL2024

1

[DM me if you're a Marketing leader and interested in joining next time] 💭 Picture this:    A sun-drenched warm May-evening…   The beautiful gastronomic venue of August in Antwerp   And… a group of well-selected marketing leaders.   This is the beautiful setting of the latest Marketing Leaders dinner by Customer Collective. For more than 10 years, The House of Marketing and Customer Collective have been organizing these famous dinners to discuss common marketing challenges, share past practices and get inspired by other marketing leaders. Last week, the topic of Customer Experience took center stage. Despite the evidence, many businesses still believe CX to be too costly or too time-consuming to take on.    After a short inspirational key note by our CX Director Anders Jansen, it was fascinating to hear how different companies tackle CX challenges! While diverse perspectives were discussed, we could conclude that there's one universal truth: the customer must remain the key focus to drive sustainable success.

9

Come join us in the event with experts on Wednesday evening to learn more about changing consumer behavior at Marktplaats office by Adevinta & Women in Product NL

11

Addressing Unseen Challenges in Creating an Inclusive Dutch Job Market In our ongoing efforts to foster #inclusivity within the Dutch job market, we must confront not only visible barriers but also those embedded within our cultural perceptions. A profound exploration by Jack Shaheen in his book Reel Bad Arabs sheds light on this issue by analyzing how over 1000 Hollywood films have portrayed Middle Easterners, predominantly casting them in negative roles as villains, terrorists or at least backwords. This portrayal has significant implications. #Recruiters and HR professionals are part of a society that has been exposed to these stereotypes for decades, possibly influencing their perceptions and decisions without their conscious awareness. This type of media influence contributes to an inherited #bias against Middle Easterners and Arab #immigrants —a subtle yet powerful force that can unintentionally shape western recruitment practices and workplace dynamics. Despite robust efforts to promote diversity and equality, the question remains: Can these initiatives effectively counteract decades of systematic and intense stereotyping? The challenge is considerable, but not insurmountable. Acknowledging the source and impact of these biases is the a step towards genuine #change. By actively seeking to understand and dismantle these preconceptions, we can enhance our efforts to build truly inclusive workplaces. Let's continue to champion diversity not just in policy, but in practice, by creating a dialoge and practices that rectify such deformed stereotyping, and by educating ourselves and challenging the bias that persist in media representations. Together, we can pave the way for a job market where everyone is evaluated fairly and equitably, based solely on their abilities and potential. #DiversityAndInclusion #CulturalBias #MediaRepresentation #InclusiveRecruiting #HRInnovation #UnconsciousBias #EquitableHiring #DutchJobMarket #SocialImpact #ChangeMakers

10

"🏀Samsung's Slam Dunk: New AI Tool Gives Dutch 3x3 Basketball Team an Edge at the Olympics! 🥇 💡Samsung recently unveiled its latest AI-powered sports analytics tool, ShotControl, developed in collaboration with Cheil Benelux. This ground-breaking tool is set to change the game, already proving a game-changer for the Dutch 3x3 Basketball team at the Olympics. 🤔 Mixing technology and sports always offers fascinating outcomes, and this combination by Samsung is nothing short of that. It's an intriguing indication of how far tech can push sporting performance and strategy planning. 🌍 The technology undoubtedly has the potential to revolutionize the sports industry. For any business working in sports analytics, this is a wake-up call: AI isn't just in the realm of tech giants. It's filtering into every single industry, changing the way we work, play, and compete. What are your thoughts on this surprising AI-sports interaction and its implications for various industries? Share your insights in the comments.💬 For more exciting AI news, sign up for my FREE newsletter, The Real World AI: https://lnkd.in/e5jBQ5ev 👈"

1

1 commentaar

Let’s face it: Corporate reports as static PDFs are a thing of the past. In corporate communication, there are many more exciting ways to engage our stakeholders nowadays (especially given all the new AI tools). As someone immersed in corporate reports and interested in new tools, I recently came across Relayto. This amazing tool lets you upload a PDF report and generate an entire interactive landing page based on it in a couple of seconds. Does your company produce Sustainability Reports, Impact Reports, or Annual Reports? Check out my conversation with Pete Vrettakos JD/MBA 🇺🇸🇪🇺, co-founder of Relayto: https://lnkd.in/dFSN8ZWt. If you want to give Relayto a free test run, take a look here: https://lnkd.in/dBAqfmcy. You can also have a short chat with me about how I help companies create reports using Relayto: https://lnkd.in/dj-j3tTV. #sustainabilityreports #ESGreports #impactreports #CSRDreports #CSRD #sustainabilityreport #reportwriter #corporatecommunication #corporatecommunications RELAYTO/ Content Experience Platform

26

2 commentaren

Innovative Public Health Campaign: Free NIVEA Sunscreen Vending Machines in the Netherlands! 🌞 Exciting news in the realm of public health and skin cancer prevention! The Netherlands has launched a groundbreaking campaign that is sure to make waves and save lives. What’s Happening? To combat the rising cases of skin cancer, free #NIVEA sunscreen vending machines have been installed in various public areas across the country. These machines provide easy access to sunscreen, encouraging people to protect their skin from harmful UV rays. Why It Matters? Skin cancer is one of the most common yet preventable forms of cancer. By providing free sunscreen, this campaign addresses a crucial public health need and promotes proactive skin care habits. It’s a simple yet effective solution to a pressing issue. The Impact Increased Awareness: By placing these machines in high-traffic areas, the campaign raises awareness about the importance of sun protection. Accessibility: Free sunscreen ensures that everyone, regardless of financial status, has the means to protect their skin. Behavior Change: Easy access to sunscreen encourages people to adopt regular sunscreen use, reducing the risk of skin cancer over time. A Model for the Future This innovative approach serves as a model for other countries facing similar public health challenges. By combining accessibility with education, the Netherlands is setting a new standard in preventive health care. Kudos to NIVEA and the Dutch public health authorities for this pioneering initiative! Let's spread the word and inspire more such initiatives worldwide. Protecting our skin today can prevent serious health issues tomorrow. #PublicHealth #SkinCancerPrevention #NIVEA #InnovativeHealth #SunscreenAwareness #HealthCampaign #Netherlands

2

For anyone working in the business sector today, especially if you focus on new technologies: E-commerce, AI and market trends, this Deloitte report on the 2024 Gen Z and Millennial survey is key. Living and working with purpose in a changing world. Concern for environmental sustainability, increased positive perceptions about GenAI, sense of identity at work and more. Enjoy the reading! https://lnkd.in/eTKnHEud

5

🎙Today's Episode: Technology as a true mechanism for democratic and creative decision-making? 🔮 Tomorrow's Topic: Strategic decision-making by digital humans? Yes, but in what form? That's the question we're tackling. Evelien is at the forefront of addressing the ethical questions and solutions behind this wave. On the other end of the spectrum, players like NVIDIA are advocating for actual avatars to facilitate these conversations. Will these digital beings influence each other in ways that make us feel comfortable? Dive into our latest podcast to find out, cheers 🖖. 👀 Tune in for the full episode and join the discussion! https://lnkd.in/dJvXVSzS

21

4 commentaren

Oh, let me tell you about this fascinating journey with one of our clients at FunnL, a data science company deeply involved in fraud detection and management. They are real wizards when it comes to using real-time, machine-based learning to secure transactions across multiple channels worldwide, from North to South America and over to Europe and Africa. Now, this company was on a mission to broaden their reach, especially in regions that had rapidly adopted mobile and advanced chip cards. But here's the challenge: their traditional marketing strategies just weren't cutting it anymore. They had been trying to set up meetings through cold calls and the like, but the leads they were getting? Not so great. Most of these were low-level talks that didn't involve decision-makers. So, they were in a bit of a bind, needing to reach the real movers and shakers like Operations Heads, IT Chiefs, and CFOs—people who really understood their technology and were ready to talk shop. That’s where we stepped in with our Personalized Email Marketing framework. Our first step was to get a deep understanding of the client's needs and the market landscape. This involved a lot of back and forth, and a pretty comprehensive market study. Based on these insights, we prepared a document that basically became our bible for the whole campaign design. This included building the database, crafting targeted emails, and setting up the sales funnel. Our campaigns were tailor-made. We targeted top banks in the US and UK, big-time payment processors, and major retailers. And let me tell you, these weren’t your run-of-the-mill email blasts. We were talking about finely tuned campaigns that ran for a good five months, reaching out to CFOs, COOs, CTOs, and all those big titles. And the results? They were nothing short of impressive. Our analytics showed how each campaign was hitting the mark, or how we needed to tweak them in real-time based on feedback and responses. The best part? The conversations that came out of these campaigns were not just about nodding along to problems. No, they were engaging, substantial discussions about potential solutions and how a partnership could look. Through it all, we built a robust sales pipeline for our client, forecasting leads and even eliminating the extra spend on branding—our personalized approach took care of that too. It’s these kinds of stories that really make our work worth it at FunnL—seeing a client not just meet but exceed their goals, all through the power of targeted, thoughtful marketing strategies. It's all about understanding not just who to talk to, but how to talk to them. And that makes all the difference. #B2BSales #LeadGeneration #FraudPrevention #EmailMarketing #DigitalMarketing #Cybersecurity #MachineLearning #DataScience #CustomerSuccess #MarketingStrategy

10

Power point or board game, which will get you the job? It took me such a long time to realise the value in difference. In the education system I was seen as disruptive and easily distracted, in earlier jobs I was labelled 'intense'. For a long time I believed conformity to the process was the only way. Fortunately, my innate curiosity has always been louder than conformity and once I had coupled this with some like minded humans, I was set free! Reflecting back to 2010; I was in a job interview at a large Global bank. I was presenting a marketing strategy using a board game. It was the stunned silence from my interviewers that made me realise the power of difference. At this time naivety eradicated any pressure, but over the years I learnt that an ability to interpret pressure will set the stage. How we respond to stimulus is what matters 😎 . From one board game came many opportunities, 👩‍🎨 A thanks to Rupert Bedell for seeing something in that interview - do you remember that board game? 👊 To Amanda Rendle for continuing to foster my difference and putting me in situations in which I could learn and grow. 🙌 And, to Martina McDonnell for pushing me to move from that large bank to large tech and for being the most inspiring of human leaders. In part 2 of my conversation with Sara Milne Rowe we explored tuning in to pressure, the power of difference and the importance of human leadership. Importantly, we also explored what happens when things don't go to plan. I hope you enjoy the conversation. You can find episode 1 on the same platforms. #Resilience #betterunderpressure #leadership #womeninbusiness

50

7 commentaren