The official press release was:
Chief Digital Officer Jeroen Verkroost verlaat De Persgroep.
Hij gaat op zoek naar een nieuwe uitdaging.
Jeroen kwam een kleine twee en een half jaar geleden van Microsoft naar De Persgroep als CDO voor zowel België als Nederland. Hij creëerde een digitale eenheid en was verantwoordelijk voor tal van nieuwe digitale initiatieven, waarvan een aantal de komende tijd het licht zal zien. Daarmee is zijn opdracht volbracht.
Jeroen verlaat de onderneming met een goed gevoel. “Ik vind De Persgroep een fantastisch bedrijf, waar ik met veel plezier heb gewerkt. Nu de organisatie staat, is het tijd voor iemand anders.”
De Persgroep gaat op zoek naar een nieuwe CDO.
A decision that calls for some explanation, which I will give here below.
The past 2½ years have been a fantastic period for me, with many great experiences and beautiful moments between Rotterdam and Brussel, and from Antwerp to Amsterdam. However these distances also made me drive close to 90.000 kilometers in less than two years… I am immensely proud to have been given the opportunity to build de Persgroep’s talented Digital team, which has proven to be a valuable asset to de Persgroep. I will never forget their great farewell gift, this 12 meter long token of appreciation in a stadium with 50.000 people:
With this team and thanks to them I have been able to innovate, release, change and achieve a lot at de Persgroep. The fact that de Persgroep Digital and the new way of working that we have introduced will be continued in the same shape and form after I have left is sufficient proof that the company sees the value in this as well.
So, I was the right man to start the innovation engine, but I don’t think I am the right man for the next phase at de Persgroep. Personally I have had the great opportunity to learn a lot in this fast growing organisation in the past 2½ years, about digital transformation on board level, and about its impact on sales, marketing, IT and operations.
Soon the time will come to use my learnings to add value in a new environment. I will be looking for a company that I can help grow with my digital experience, leadership skills and insights in digital transformation, in an MD, CCO, CEO or board level role. Company culture and true willingness to re-evaluate the status quo are the most important criteria for me. Most companies want to innovate, but few are willing to change…
Patience has never been my strong suit, but at the moment I am taking it easy before beginning a new adventure in 2016. I am using my time now to go out in the world. I am planning encounters with interesting people inside large companies and startups alike. Apart from my side activities I am also discussing innovative and disruptive ideas and opportunities at companies that are currently dealing with digital transformation, taking speaker opportunities and doing some consulting.