Dirk-Jan Middelkoop

Transforming the way we power our world | Fluence🔋

The Randstad, Netherlands

About

With over 20 years of experience in the energy sector, I am a passionate and driven sales leader with a mission to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and resilient energy system. I have a strong background in business economics, marketing, and expansion strategies, and I currently lead the sales operations for Benelux and Nordics at Fluence, a global leader in energy storage and digital solutions. In my previous role as International Partnerships Director at Sympower, I developed and managed new strategic relationships with partners across Europe, identifying new use cases and business directions that drove growth and innovation. I also spearheaded the expansion efforts into new markets, overseeing successful launches in Norway, Israel, Spain, and Greece. I worked closely with Sympower's Strategy, Commercial, Product Engineering, and Operations teams, contributing to the company's vision of unlocking the full potential of clean energy. Some of the skills that I leveraged and developed in this role include new business development, marketing communications, and expansion strategies.

Experience

  • Sales Director BeNeLux-France & Nordics-Baltics at Fluence
    Jan 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 7 mos

    -Responsible for sales across Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, and the Baltic countries, enhancing regional market presence. -Established and managed cross-functional deal teams to drive complex sales initiatives. -Served as the primary strategic contact for key customers, fostering relationships that support long-term business growth.

  • Sympower (Full-time · 3 yrs 11 mos)
    • International Partnerships Director
      Nov 2022 - Dec 2023 · 1 yr 2 mos

      -Built and managed strategic partnerships across Europe, driving new business opportunities and market growth. -Identified new use cases and aligned initiatives with Strategy, Commercial, Product, and Operations teams.

    • Head of Sales & Expansion
      Feb 2020 - Oct 2022 · 2 yrs 9 mos

      -Led commercial operations, scaling controllable capacity from 220 MW to 900 MW. -Drove market expansion into Norway, Spain, Czechia and Greece. -Established a Marketing & Communications team, delivering a full company rebrand and national campaigns. -Launched innovative projects in solar, storage, and smart charging.

  • Manager Business Development at Peeeks
    Nov 2018 - Jan 2020 · 1 yr 3 mos

    Peeeks (subsidiary of Eneco) offers Home Energy Management Systems. -Enabled clients in heating, solar, storage, e-mobility, and VPPs. -Drove new business initiatives and partner negotiations. -Collaborated with marketing to strengthen brand visibility.

  • Eneco (17 yrs)
    • Commercial lead Solar & Storage, Eneco Smart Energy
      Jun 2015 - Oct 2018 · 3 yrs 5 mos

      -Led business development and marketing initiatives for CrowdNett, Eneco’s Virtual Power Plant integrating home battery storage systems. -Designed and launched service programs for solar PV owners across Belgium and the Netherlands, enhancing customer engagement and retention. -Built and managed a strategic partner network, identifying and onboarding innovative technologies and services. -Initiated and developed key partnerships — including SolarEdge and Tesla (as their first non-US Powerwall distributor) — driving Eneco’s leadership in distributed energy solutions.

    • Manager Innovation, Eneco Consumer Division
      Jun 2012 - May 2015 · 3 yrs

      In charge of all innovation at Eneco’s Customer Division. Including: »launch and product management of the wifi-connected thermostat Toon (>300k sales) »structured the partnering of Zon-IQ (third-party sales for solar pv) and energy communities. »set up of pilots team for several Eneco initiatives (e.g. Jedlix smart charging).

    • Manager Sales, Eneco Consumer Divison
      Aug 2010 - Jul 2012 · 2 yrs

      Responsible for Eneco sales of all energy contracts in the Dutch residential market.

  • Business Consultant Utilities at PriceWaterhouseCoopers CMS/ IBM
    May 2000 - Oct 2001 · 1 yr 6 mos

    Business consultant in the utility sector. Multiple optimization and strategy projects for energy companies.