6 months CEO Bauke

In two word: super fun! Such a career switch is naturally quite exciting. But the reception by the entire team was fantastic. The eagerness with which we collaborate to further develop and accelerate MultiBel is truly valuable. I’ve also spoken to many existing and new customers. Besides much appreciation for the MultiBel product, you naturally hear that things can be improved. This feedback is invaluable and largely determines the direction we steer as a company.

MultiBel is a relatively young and rapidly scaling SaaS enterprise. My previous work environment was primarily Anglo-Saxon and “corporate” driven. At first glance, the differences with a company like MultiBel are, of course, significant. But actually, I find the parallels that exist much more important. The foundation of successful teams is the same everywhere. It always revolves around energy, decisiveness, resourcefulness, and what the English so beautifully call “purpose.” In that sense, I find myself in very good company again.

In aircraft manufacturing, there is no margin for errors, and safety always comes first. This ‘quality thinking’ is integral throughout the supply-chain; from design to production and maintenance. I see many opportunities for this approach in the software industry. I also see that the solutions provided by MultiBel are becoming larger and more complex. With planning methodologies that I previously applied to design and production programs, we can remain predictable and reliable to our customers while MultiBel scales up rapidly.

Benjamin Franklin once said: “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” I often use that quote. It means that you make a plan together and organize and execute based on it. Additionally, I adhere to Jack Welch’s 4 E’s: Energy, Energize, Edge, and Execution. Energy is about what you radiate; Energize is about how you activate people; Edge is about the ability to make difficult decisions; and Execution is about the ability to deliver results. I’ll add a fifth E, which is Empathy. A performance culture can only thrive if there is trust, patience, and mutual understanding. It sounds a bit like a management book, but it works very well for me as a guideline.

Our goal is to bring systemic safety and protection to all the places where people work. It’s incredibly exciting that we contribute to making that possible with the development of the MultiBel platform. In the coming years, we will continue our international expansion beyond the BeNeLux and D-A-CH regions. Furthermore, we are working hard on improvements to enhance user-friendliness and develop new functionalities. For example, we are working on the development of modules that provide customers with extensive insights into the functioning of their own safety organizations. And much more!