TNW’s CEO?

Hi there! I’m Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, founder and CEO of TNW… or am I?

That’s right — I’m handing over the company’s reins to someone new.

It’s been an incredible privilege to see TNW grow from a tiny Amsterdam startup to a Financial Times company in these past 15 years. There was only a handful of us back in 2006, the days when we threw an event with only 250 attendees. But times have changed. TNW has become an amazing international tech media brand with over 100 employees from all over the world. Our incredible team brings together tech lovers every single day through our conferences, news site, startup hubs, and innovation programs.

I’ve been TNW’s CEO throughout this entire wild ride — or, well, ever since we started using titles — and I couldn’t be more proud. But now I need to start listening to my own advice.

I’ve regularly told people ‘never let experience stand in the way of progress.’ And over the past 15 years, I’ve gained a LOT of experience. So that’s why I’d like to introduce the person who I think will be the best CEO for TNW going forward: Myrthe van der Erve.

Myrthe knows TNW inside-out after serving as the company’s COO for the past 3 years — and now it’s time for her to take the helm. Before TNW, Myrthe held management positions at Sanoma Media and a number of tech consultant firms.

I’m thrilled to take over as CEO and build upon Boris’ great work. I’m excited to solidify our direction and guide the amazing people who are responsible for TNW’s incredible creativity and success.

— Myrthe van der Erve, TNW’s new CEO

I know Myrthe will make TNW even better than it already is, and I’m not the only one. Just hear what the Financial Times has to say about her:

On behalf of the Financial Times I am delighted that Myrthe has accepted the CEO role. We are fortunate to have someone of Myrthe’s calibre as Boris takes a well earned step back, but he will continue to support the company as founder and board member.

Myrthe will be working with the TNW board and TNW leadership team to take the business to its next phase of growth. She has already demonstrated strong operational capabilities and I am very confident that she will be a great asset to the business.

— James Lund, CFO/COO Financial Times & Chairman TNW

Although TNW’s reins are now firmly in Myrthe’s capable hands, it doesn’t mean you’ll be rid of me. My new title will be ‘founder & board member’ and I’m still a shareholder. I’ll continue with some of my existing work, but I’ll also contribute to TNW in new and exciting ways.

So while I might not be the guy to email about everything anymore, I look forward to grabbing a drink with you at all our future events.

Cheers!

Oh, and if you want to congratulate us, send Myrthe a nice message on LinkedIn or hit me up on Twitter!