André van der Linden commented:

“I did not make the decision to leave RFH lightly. After careful consideration, I concluded that this is a natural moment for me to pass the baton. I am proud of the results we have achieved together through RFH’s digital transformation, which has made the floriculture sector more digital and cyber resilient. I leave with great appreciation for the organization, the management team, my colleagues, and the many entrepreneurs within our industry with whom I have had the pleasure of working over the past years. I wish RFH every success in the next steps of its journey.”

During his more than seven years as CIO, Van der Linden played a key role in advancing the adoption and digitalization of the floriculture sector. Under his leadership, Floriday developed into an indispensable digital trading platform for the industry. He was also a driving force behind future-proofing RFH’s IT landscape through the decoupling and replacement of infrastructure and core systems. In addition, he accelerated the execution of RFH’s digital strategy through strengthened portfolio management and delivery capabilities, while playing an important role in enhancing the cyber resilience of both RFH and the wider sector. He also founded a central AI Lab within RFH, taking a practical approach to gradually embedding artificial intelligence (AI) as a valuable support for business processes.

Furthermore, Van der Linden led the modernization of the IT organization, increasing strategic effectiveness and operational efficiency while delivering sustainable cost savings.

CEO Pieter Bootsma expressed his appreciation for Van der Linden’s contributions:

“With André, we are saying goodbye to a highly valued colleague and member of our Management Team. We are grateful for his significant contribution to the digitalization of RFH and the floriculture sector. He established a strong foundation through professional portfolio and delivery management. Together with entrepreneurs across the industry, he helped build the digital foundations for the future, positioning RFH as a modern, future-ready platform and cooperative. He also played an important role in the practical introduction of AI within RFH. We respect his decision and wish him every success and enjoyment in the next phase of his career.”