Since Boels’ acquisition of Riwal, Bob de Leeuw has been closely involved in the further professionalisation and digitalisation of the organisation. One of the key challenges is maintaining the speed and entrepreneurial spirit of the local depots, while further centralising, automating and standardising processes and systems. Through the ‘Make Rental Easy’ programme, Boels is therefore looking at how rental processes can be simplified from the perspective of employees and customers.

Within IT, Bob is also actively driving a different way of working. With an outside-in approach, IT needs to move closer to the business. Rather than simply implementing what the business asks for, IT should ask the right questions, understand business processes and jointly determine which solutions deliver the greatest business value. As part of this transformation, five IT & digital departments have been brought together into one central IT organisation.

According to Bob, true digital transformation is ultimately not just about technology. It is about bringing people along, bringing the right talent together and strengthening the connection between IT and the business. Collaboration with fellow CIOs also plays an important role: by sharing knowledge and experiences, organisations can learn from one another and better translate technological developments into tangible value. This combination of technology, entrepreneurship and connecting leadership earned him a nomination for the CIO of the Year Award.

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