He started his career at the government and worked there as a project manager for years. Tim Willemse, 47, has a common thread running through his career: working with people, changing and growing organizations, and improving processes. Now, he’s bringing that passion to Salacia Solutions as our new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Tim made this move deliberately, not just to grow an organization, but to make a real impact. “I want to contribute to a better world and be able to look my 8-year-old son in the eyes when I’m older, knowing I did my part,” he says. “For the past 11 years, I worked for a small software company that was acquired by a large corporation 3 years ago,” he says. “I had already reached the point where I was considering looking for a more meaningful job. The acquisition was the push I needed to spread my wings.”
Salacia Solutions came into the picture
“I was introduced to Salacia by a former colleague, and after my first conversation with Kees Kerstens, I immediately felt the energy of the team and the challenges they have as a company. Their mindset, the scale of the company, and the focus on sustainability really resonated with me.” After further discussions with Lenny and Martijn, it became clear that both Tim and Salacia could bring out the best in each other.
Continuous optimization
“I will be working with all departments, but my initial focus will be on the ESG team,” Tim explains. In my role as COO I will map out the organization and its current processes, analyze where there are bottlenecks and areas for improvement, and draw up an actionable plan to optimize the organization. It is a continuous process; my work never stops.” The great thing is that the Salacia team is extremely diverse, we are all on the same page and there is an enormous amount of drive and expertise. You can really make things happen with that.”
A bright future for Salacia
We ask Tim what he thinks his future and that of Salacia will look like. He replies: “From an overarching perspective, there are two important components. The internal component is the organization itself. How do you make growth human and keep it that way? My job is to help our people grow on a professional level and to help them contribute to the growth of Salacia itself. Shaping the company together, responding to the changes that inevitably come our way. It is very important that with these changes we foster the company culture and dynamics that prevail here. That is what makes Salacia strong.”
Then there’s the external component: “Our goal is clear—Salacia Solutions should be synonymous with sustainability software. Beyond that, we want our clients to recognize and appreciate our team not only for our deep knowledge and expertise but also for the outstanding customer support we provide. I firmly believe that Salacia has the power to get there.”
Work hard, play hard
Tim feels right at home in Rotterdam. ”The work is enormously meaningful and I can use all my skills here.” Beyond work, Tim is a big fan of live music – whether it’s a major festival like Best Kept Secret or an intimate gig by an upcoming artist. “I’d love to see our team not just work together but also have some fun together outside of work. How cool would it be to discover an interesting and upcoming band at Rotown together with some colleagues!”
