Shows
SparkOptimus | CEO storiesIn conversation with CEO Herna Verhagen and CIO Jennifer Crites at PostNL about Diversity in leadership and using data and technology to create value for customersJoin us for an exciting episode of our CEO stories series, as Alexandra Jankovich sits down with two remarkable leaders from PostNL: Herna Verhagen, one of the few women CEOs on the Dutch Stock Exchange, and Jennifer Crites, the first woman CIO on the Stock Exchange. In this exclusive interview, they delve into PostNL's remarkable digital transformation journey, their ambitious sustainability goals, and the invaluable lessons they've gained along the way.
𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄:
• The transformation from a predominantly a mail company to an e-commerce logistics company
• Offering PostNL customers value-based services through data
• How to meet the constantly rising customer demands through technology
• Why ESG is a crucial element in PostNL's strategy
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2024-01-3040 min
SparkOptimus | CEO storiesIn conversation with Prabha Parameswaran, Group President of Growth and Strategy at Colgate-Palmolive about digital transformations and sustainability initiatives
Join us for another exciting episode in the CEO stories series, as SparkOptimus’ Co-Founder and Managing Partner Alexandra Jankovich sits down with Prabha Parameswaran, Group President of Growth and Strategy at Colgate-Palmolive, a values-driven Fortune 500 business executive with 25+ years track record of leading and growing businesses across emerging and developed markets.
In this exclusive interview, the two seasoned leaders discuss the importance of being proactive in embracing digital transformation early on, how investing in enterprise-level upskilling while balancing local empowerment and centralizing digital capabilities unlocks team creativity and entrepreneurship and Colgate's ambitious sustainability goals like achieving zero carbon by 2030.
𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄:
• The digital transformation journey Prabha led the company through in Europe
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2023-09-0436 min
SparkOptimus | CEO storiesIn conversation with CEO Carsten Knobel at Henkel about sustainability, purposeful growth and customer-centric digitalizationSince taking the helm as CEO at Henkel in 2020, Carsten Knobel has been a driving force behind the company’s Purposeful Growth agenda. In this Interview with managing partner and co-founder of SparkOptimus, Alexandra Jankovich, he discusses the progress made over the last two years, the five key elements behind the agenda and what the future holds.
Key topics in this interview:
Update on Purposeful Growth agenda
Cultural transformation as a top priority
Customer-centric digitalization
The 2030+ Sustainability Ambition Framework
Diversity program
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2022-06-1620 min
SparkOptimus | CEO storiesIn conversation with CEO Nancy McKinstry at Wolters Kluwers about successfully transforming a company from the print age to the digital ageNancy McKinstry, CEO of Wolters Kluwer shares her key insights from 18 years at the top. How did she lead the company from the print age into the digital era while growing the share of digital revenue from ~30% to ~90%?
Watch the full interview above and learn:
Why it takes a decade to complete a successful transformation
How she kept stakeholders and shareholders on board during times of significant investments and flat profits
How she turned Wolters Kluwer into a customer-first tech company
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2022-02-0939 min
SparkOptimus | CEO storiesIn conversation with Mark Schneider, CEO at Nestlé about quickly transforming a business using digital capabilities
CEO of Nestlé, Mark Schneider believes the best of digital is yet to come. As he leads the transformation, he shares key digital insights with Alexandra Jankovich: how consumers now move seamlessly between opportunities, why businesses need to reconfigure fast, and how mindsets are shifting from forward-looking market research to real-time data experimentation.
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2021-06-3023 min
SparkOptimus | CEO storiesIn conversation with Jitse Groen, founder & CEO Just Eat Takeaway.com about competing in a winner takes all market [Dutch Interview]How did Just Eat Takeaway.com become Europe's #1 food delivery marketplace? Founder and CEO Jitse Groen speaks about his approach to conquering new markets, how he adapts his leadership style over time, and he reveals the two key performance indicators he looks at every day
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2021-06-1521 min
SparkOptimus | CEO storiesIn conversation with Jean-François van Boxmeer, former CEO Heineken about using digital transformations to lead a multinational brewerHeineken’s former CEO, Jean-François van Boxmeer and Alexandra Jankovich, Co-founder & Managing Partner of SparkOptimus are looking back on the past 5 years of global partnership. Together they discuss digital initiatives, transformation strategies and innovative start-ups and what it takes to lead in digital as one of the world’s largest brewers.
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2021-04-1954 min
SparkOptimus | CEO storiesIn conversation with Hanneke Faber, President Global Foods & Refreshment at Unilever about transforming the global food system and achieving sustainability goals as a multinationalHanneke Faber, President Global Foods & Refreshment at Unilever, is transforming the global food system by getting out on the edge with sustainability, technology and cultural change. She talks with Alexandra Jankovich about winning markets by doing good, and how IT and data are moving to the heart of how Unilever does business.
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2021-03-1820 min
SparkOptimus | CEO storiesIn conversation CEO Eddie Perdok at Kramp about using digital to stay ahead and transforming customer service [Dutch Interview]Eddie Perdok, CEO of Kramp, took sales from 0 to 95% online, tripling turnover in 10 years to become Europe’s largest supplier of agricultural parts. He shares his insights on this remarkable history and building for the future, including how:
making digital important naturally attracts talent
digital horizons require you to think in decades not quarters
to head off disruption from Amazon, you need to really get in touch with your client
leading in digital is always people first, digital second
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2021-02-1820 min
SparkOptimus | CEO storiesIn conversation with Daniel Ropers, co-founder and former CEO at bol.com about their journey to become the successful online retailer they are today [Dutch Interview]
In 2010, bol.com faced a pivotal question: grow new product categories or expand into streaming? Daniel Ropers, former CEO of bol.com, talks about working with SparkOptimus on the strategy, and explains why you don’t always want straight answers to apples-or-oranges questions, but to go on a journey of discovery. Bol.com is now the Netherlands’ largest online retailer.
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2021-02-0420 min
SparkOptimus | CEO storiesIn conversation with Pieter van der Does, co-founder & CEO at Adyen about innovating where traditional banks can't [Dutch Interview]Pieter van der Does, co-founder and CEO of Adyen, offered clients a ‘subscription to innovation’, where traditional banks had neglected the payments sector as ‘dull’. He is now aiming for 1 trillion transactions. He speaks to Alexandra Jankovich about this, and his rigorous focus on better products, better talent, and delivering on the right here, right now.Read the edited transcription of the conversation below the table of contents.
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2021-01-1920 min
SparkOptimus | CEO storiesIn conversation with Joris Beckers, co-founder Picnic about serving customers and improving as an online supermarket [Dutch Interview]Joris Beckers, co-founder of Picnic Technologies, speaks about how data is used to improve the online supermarket’s customer proposition, reduce waste, and make employees’ lives easier.
He shares how Picnic is becoming the best milkman on earth by:
Offering minute-precise delivery
Eliminating food waste
Refunding customers without asking questions
Testing first and asking for “permission” later
Selling only products that customers really want
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2020-12-0220 min
BNR Boardroompanel | BNRBoardroompanel: The Green Deal en Tata Steel- Gerard van Vliet (Vereniging van Commissarissen en Directeuren) - Tjalling Tiemstra (ABN Amro en Royal HaskoningDHV) - Paul Koster (VEB) - EN: Alexandra Jankovich (SparkOptimus).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2019-12-1223 min
BNR Economenpanel | BNREconomenpanel: Kan Rutte zijn oproep om loonverhoging waarmaken?Met vandaag: - Arnoud Boot, Hoogleraar ondernemingsfinanciering en financiële markten aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam - Edin Mujagic, Hoofdeconoom bij OHV Vermogensbeheer - Hans Stegemans, Head of research and Investment Strategy bij Triodos - Alexandra Jankovich, Managing partner bij SparkOptimusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2019-06-1723 minBNR Economenpanel | BNREconomenpanel: Is de Eurozone écht stabiel?Met vandaag: - Steven Brakman Hoogleraar internationale economie aan de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen - Sylvester Eijffinger Hoogleraar Financiele Economie aan de UvT te Tilburg - Hans Stegeman Head of researsch and Investment Strategy bij Triodos - Alexandra Jankovic, Managing partner bij SparkOptimusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2019-05-2021 min
BNR Beleggerspanel | BNRBeleggerspanel: rust op de obligatiemarktMet vandaag: - Martine Wolzak, journalist bij het Financieele Dagblad - Mary Pieterse-Bloem, Hoofd obligatiebeleggingen bij ABN Amro en bijzonder hoogleraar financiële markten aan de Erasmus School of Economics - Jacco Heemskerk, Head of Investment bij Willis Towers Watson en voorzitter van de beroepsvereniging van professionele beleggers. CFA Society VBA En - Zakenpartner Alexandra Jankovic van SparkOptimusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2019-03-0522 min