Expert perspectives, practical know-how

The world is changing fast, and digital technologies are both driving the chaos and offering the key. But what’s behind the buzzwords?

SparkOptimus Insights provides expert perspectives and practical know-how on how to make disruption work. Take control and lead the change.

CEO stories

CEO As Tempelman on balancing profit and planet through digital transformation

Join us for another exciting episode in the CEO stories series, as SparkOptimus’ Co-Founder and Senior Partner Alexandra Jankovich sits down with As Tempelman, CEO of Eneco. In this exclusive interview, the two leaders discuss Eneco’s ambitious journey towards sustainability, the transformative role of digital innovation, and the company’s commitment to fostering a greener future.

Alexandra Jankovich

2024

CEO Prabha Parameswaran, Colgate-Palmolive on driving digital transformation for sustainable impact

Join us for another exciting episode in the CEO stories series, as SparkOptimus’ Co-Founder and Managing Partner Alexandra Jankovich sits down with Prabha Parameswaran, Group President of Growth and Strategy at Colgate-Palmolive, a values-driven Fortune 500 business executive with 25+ years track record of leading and growing businesses across emerging and developed markets.

Alexandra Jankovich

2023

Herna Verhagen & Jennifer Crites on what’s driving the success of digital transformation at PostNL

Join us for an exciting episode of our CEO stories series, as Alexandra Jankovich sits down with two leaders from PostNL: Herna Verhagen, one of the few women CEOs on the Dutch Stock Exchange, and Jennifer Crites, the first woman CIO on the Stock Exchange. In this exclusive interview with both of the notable leaders, they delve into PostNL’s remarkable digital transformation journey, their ambitious sustainability goals, and the invaluable lessons they’ve gained along the way.

Alexandra Jankovich

2023

Carsten Knobel on taking Henkel’s Purposeful Growth agenda to next level

Since taking the helm as CEO at Henkel in 2020, Carsten Knobel has been a driving force behind the company’s Purposeful Growth agenda. In this Interview with managing partner and co-founder of SparkOptimus, Alexandra Jankovich, he discusses the progress made over the last two years, the five key elements behind the agenda and what the future holds.

Alexandra Jankovich

2022

View all CEO stories

Books

Disruption in Action

Disruption in Action reveals how to take on digital disruption and win. Told through seven fictionalised company stories based on the authors’ experience as Europe’s leading digital transformation experts, this book goes to the heart of digital disruption and explores the high-level strategy through to the operational nitty-gritty of transformation projects

Make Disruption Work

We have entered a new era of technology-driven disruption. This presents risks, but also a tremendous opportunity for you to change your company. This book is about how to make disruption work for you. It’s based on our experience of transforming some of the biggest companies in the world.

10 Recommendations to make disruption work in the next decade

We have developed 10 “conversation starters” on the opportunities we think matter most. Our goal is to Spark a conversation, inspire and challenge you, and work together to initiate these bold moves now.

A Decade of Making Disruption Work

It’s been ten years in which digital start-ups have become global brands, and high street titans have toppled like T-rexes, while practically every business left standing has undergone some form of digital transformation. This is the story of what happened and our role in it. It’s also the story of who we are, and our vision for the next ten years of making disruption work.

“We want to express our sincere gratitude towards SparkOptimus for their hard work towards realizing Koningsdagthuis.nl, a digital platform that enabled the virtual celebration of King’s Day during the smart lockdown: stay home, stay in touch, celebrate online. It gave wings to the virtual celebration of King’s Day by connecting tradition with innovation – something that was not deemed possible until recently.”

THEIR MAJESTIES KING WILLEM-ALEXANDER AND QUEEN MÁXIMA OF THE NETHERLANDS

“Disruption is on every business leader’s mind. Alexandra Jankovich and Tom Voskes have taken this complex topic and created a very clear, actionable path.”

WIEBE DRAIJER

CEO of Rabobank

“I have seen SparkOptimus play a crucial role in bringing a strategic perspective to fast-growing digital disruptors and helping them overcome their scaling challenges. They are truly the market leader in hands-on digital know-how.”

ADRIAAN NÜHN

Chair of the supervisory board of Just Eat Takeaway.com

“SparkOptimus has been a true partner for our digital transformation journey, from strategy to actually doing the implementation work side-by-side with our digital and ecommerce teams.”

PRABHA PARAMESWARAN

Group president, Global Innovation Group at Colgate-Palmolive

“With their digital know-how, enthusiasm, and informal pragmatic approach, SparkOptimus has the unique ability to help companies to truly embrace disruption.”

SUSAN DUINHOVEN

President and CEO of Sanoma, Former CEO of Wegener and Thomas Cook Western Europe

“SparkOptimus played a substantial role in shaping the omnichannel retail landscape we know today.”

DICK BOER

Former CEO of Ahold Delhaize, Member of Nestlé's Board of Directors

“SparkOptimus’ practical view on disruption becomes very apparent in their masterclasses, which offer useful tools to make disruption work for any company.”

FRANCK MOISON

Non-Executive Director of UPS, Somalogic and Hanes Brands Inc., Former Vice Chair of Colgate-Palmolive

Industry focus

Sustainability

Eneco CEO on balancing profit and planet with digital solutions

In the latest episode of our CEO Stories series, co-founder Alexandra Jankovich interviews Eneco's CEO, As Tempelman, about the company's journey towards sustainability. They explore Eneco’s commitment to environmental responsibility, the critical role of digital innovation in driving this transformation, and the company’s vision for a greener future.

Driving growth and ROI through Retail Media

Retail Media has rapidly emerged as a cornerstone of modern marketing strategy. With its potential to unlock new revenue streams, optimize media spend, and enhance brand equity, it’s no wonder that retailers and brands alike are investing heavily in this channel. In this article, through insights from recent client projects and a conversation with Bas van Kesteren, Global Head of eCommerce at Sanofi Consumer Health Care, we’ll share actionable strategies for maximizing Retail Media’s potential.

The future of pensions is personal: Balancing people, technology & customer needs

The pension sector, traditionally characterized by stability and gradual change, is showing early signs of a significant shift as innovative business models and emerging technologies are poised to gradually reshape the landscape. This article explores how providers can prioritize customer needs, implement incremental improvements, strategically balance various initiatives, and empower their people to lead the way.

View all industry focus posts

Digital know-how

Analytics & AI

Top strategies for implementing Generative AI in Consumer Goods

Generative AI is reshaping Consumer Goods, enabling efficiency, personalized experiences, and data-driven decisions. This article is a summary of insights from our benchmark report, based on interviews with over 25 executives from 15 leading companies, outlines strategies top performers use to achieve immediate and lasting impact.

10 must-have criteria for Digital Transformation success

Transforming your business can be daunting amidst skyrocketing customer expectations, intense competition, and rapidly evolving technologies. However, there's a silver lining. Embracing digital transformation isn’t just about keeping pace - it's about unlocking sustainable growth and gaining a lasting competitive edge. It's a strategic overhaul that reshapes everything from customer experiences to internal workflows, ultimately driving long-term value.

10 ways Generative AI is delivering real value to the industrial sector

In the complex world of industrial operations, staying competitive means constantly finding ways to streamline processes, optimize resources, and uncover new opportunities. Generative AI offers a practical path forward, with applications that span the entire value chain. From customer interactions to product development, these ten use cases demonstrate how AI is already delivering real-world results.

View all digital know-how posts

“I was very impressed by the way SparkOptimus was able to translate complex knowledge and diverse insights, captured over a decade of activity, into clear, simple, and easy to implement principles.”

MICHAEL WADE

Professor of Innovation and Strategy at IMD

“The digital expertise and structured, practical approach of the SparkOptimus team have helped us to understand and improve our customer journey. We are now focused on how educators can use Stories that Move to help students feel empathy, be moved, and want in turn to contribute to improving their corner of the world.”

KAREN POLAK

International Coordinator of Stories that move at the Anne Frank House

“SparkOptimus’ combination of an incredibly deep understanding of digital and an ability to extract key insights from thorough industry analyses continues to impress me, and I believe positions them very well as a key strategic partner for digital investing decisions.”

VOLKERT DOEKSEN

Co-Founder of Alpinvest Partners, Senior Adviser of the Carlyle Group

“SparkOptimus has really helped us think through how to practically implement our digital transformation with a strong analytical and pragmatic approach. Their digital knowledge and hands-on experience truly helped us better understand and target our B2B customers.”

MAARTEN STRAMROOD

Managing Director DIGIB B.V. and CDO Brenntag AG

“It’s astonishing to see how well SparkOptimus understands the essence and urgency of digital and the power of data.”

JEROEN VAN DER VEER

Chair of the supervisory board of Philips and Boskalis, former CEO of Shell

“SparkOptimus successfully shared their well-thought through and demystifying view on disruption through a balanced, interactive and highly relevant masterclass.”

HANS WIJERS

Chair of the supervisory board of ING Group, former CEO of Akzonobel, former Minister of Economic Affairs for the Netherlands

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