Now that we’re into the swing of Spring 2023, Nedap Identification Systems is proud to announce the appointment of Maarten van Cauwenberghe as Managing Director in Dubai. Maarten has full responsibility for the leadership and development of a team with proven success in the Middle East, and he’ll play a pivotal role in further strengthening our position and growth in the region. With over 16 years of experience in various management positions in the United Arab Emirates, Maarten has always been passionate about technology from a commercial and strategic point of view of the B2B tech industry.
His reputation for building relationships and high-performing teams precedes him, and in his own words, “I was impressed and even moved by the Nedap story—how the focus lies on putting people first, then technology. Having always enjoyed working with multicultural teams, I’m eager to lead Nedap Identification Systems and Nedap Security Management in Dubai where we have representation from 8 nationalities. I look forward to setting out and implementing commercial strategies for us to grow in both revenue and regional footprint. It’s a challenge I happily accept.”
Having joined in January 2023, Maarten has had three full months to transition to his new role. We asked him what his first impressions were. He was very open in his answer.
“During my interview discussions, I felt very connected with the Nedap culture which was often referred to as being unique. After three months, I can now confirm it is unique. I like how people are encouraged to take initiative, to think outside the box, and to be challenged but not micro-managed. These aspects, in combination with technological leadership in various markets, is what really attracted me to the organisation. There is a very open, transparent, and direct way of communicating within Nedap. Many companies talk about this on their website but don’t really walk the talk in reality.” Maarten Van Cauwenberghe, Nedap FZE
Maarten’s predecessor, Jochem van Ruijven, will return to Nedap’s headquarters in Groenlo where he will lead a new team at and initiative.
Jochem had this to say as his parting words in Dubai, “Although I’m excited for my next leadership role inside of Nedap, leaving Dubai is not the easiest decision because of the tremendous team I leave behind. However, what puts me at ease is knowing that the team is in very good hands with Maarten. He is the right person to capture the momentum and fuel more growth for the organisation.”
Truer words have never been spoken. Maarten couldn’t be a better fit for us.
Belgian by birth, Maarten attained his Bachelor and Master of Laws at the University of Namur and KU Leuven, respectively, and also holds an MBA from Bayes Business School (previously Cass Business School). He started his career as legal counsel for one of the largest dredging companies in the world—Jan de Nul Group—and with them, he had his first experiences doing business in the Middle East. After relocating to Dubai in 2008, he held various leadership roles in global tech companies until finding his new calling at Nedap.
On a personal note, of the 75 countries that Maarten has traveled to, Dubai is an extra special home to him because it’s where he met his wife who happens to be a lawyer from Australia! Cheers to being citizens of the world. Together, they have three children. And when Maarten’s got some free time, he’s an avid cyclist who loves a good podcast to listen to. So, we’ll have to ask him which ones are on his top playlists!
We wish Maarten and Jochem the best of luck (and fun) in their new roles.