The Randstad, Netherlands
Large entertainment formats rarely fail because of a lack of ambition. They fail when leadership hesitates, teams lose focus, or the format engine no longer connects with audiences. I am brought in when: · A show is underperforming and needs decisive change · A format is losing relevance · A production must scale rapidly · A complex organisation needs restructuring · Delivery and ratings success cannot be left to chance I have produced some of the biggest formats in Dutch television - including Big Brother, Pop Idol and Ik Hou van Holland, and have worked with every major broadcaster in the Netherlands. I help industry decision-makers take control of complex creative and operational challenges so they can rely on a positive outcome, both financially and editorially. Where I’ve done it: Scaling Organisations at Speed As Creative Director at Talpa Productions and right-hand to John de Mol, I helped lead the company through a period of rapid expansion. Talpa grew from 40 to more than 300 colleagues during my tenure. My focus was maintaining creative standards, driving format quality and motivating programme teams daily while operating at the highest level of television production. Turning Around Underperforming Shows In 2019, Talpa Network had two competing entertainment programmes, 6Inside and Shownieuws, both struggling in the ratings. As Editor-in-Chief, I was tasked with resolving the issue. I merged both shows into a restructured Shownieuws, increasing market share and introducing an "online first" strategy. The show's online reach grew from near zero to a top digital position in the Netherlands, generating millions in new revenue. Reviving a Declining Format When RTL4's Life and Cooking was rapidly losing viewers, I was brought in to relaunch and restructure the format. I refreshed the creative direction, rebuilt the team and restored commercial viability. The result: the show returned to profitability and ran for an additional five years. Delivering High-Exposure Productions Under Pressure In 2005, I joined Big Brother as Executive Producer just three months before filming. The team was incomplete, the set unfinished and casting not yet in place. Working alongside Hummie van der Tonnekreek, founding editor-in-chief of Big Brother, we built the production structure, completed the set and delivered the series to schedule. Across all projects, my approach is consistent: Assess quickly. Decide clearly. Restructure decisively. Deliver results.
My own company, through which I work for broadcasters, production companies, and organisations that need someone who can build, fix, or lead — without the overhead of a permanent hire. Selected work: Boekenbal — the CPNB brought us in to revitalise the Netherlands' most iconic literary event. We relaunched it in 2017 and developed it into a full evening programme with an accompanying theatre show. De tv-beelden — built a television awards brand from scratch. Started with one category in 2013; by 2017 it had grown to 19 categories and had become something people in the industry actively wanted to win. Life4You — editorial and format intervention on the successor to Life & Cooking. Strengthened the format, rebuilt the team and workflow across season two and three. De Tiende van Tijl — developed and produced the first season from a TVLab pilot. Classical music made accessible for a broad audience, with Tijl Beckand as host.
In early 2019, Talpa Network had two entertainment shows running in parallel - the long-running Shownieuws and the newly launched 6Inside. Separate teams, separate budgets, competing for the same news and exclusives. Neither was working. I was brought in to assess both shows and their teams. Within months it was clear that 6Inside couldn't continue. We merged the two operations, overhauled Shownieuws into a panel-based format, sharpened the editorial focus, introduced new faces, new sets, new graphics - and most importantly: online first. The editorial process shifted to producing a continuous stream of entertainment news online, with the evening TV show as the platform to discuss it. Within months, market share rose significantly and the brand entered the NOBO Top 50 - the 50 most-visited sites in the Netherlands. The revenue impact was substantial.
Together with Kim Kruijs, I launched a new brand: Dutch television awards honouring the creators and innovators behind the programmes, not just the talent in front of the camera. Peer recognition, along the lines of the Emmys. We started in 2013 with a single category. By 2017 the awards covered 19 categories. What I'm most proud of: within a few years, winning a tv-beeld had become something people in the industry genuinely wanted. That kind of credibility isn't bought - it's built.
When KRO and NCRV merged into a single public broadcaster, I took on the interim television management during the transition. That meant full responsibility for the entire programming portfolio, all associated teams (300+ people), negotiations with external producers, and the schedule and budget negotiations with NPO. A merger of this scale is never just an organisational challenge - it affects editorial identity, team loyalty, and output quality at the same time. The programmes under management included Boer Zoekt Vrouw, De Slimste Mens, Spoorloos, Man Bijt Hond, and Hello Goodbye.
As Creative Director and right-hand to John de Mol, I was responsible for creative quality and team motivation across all programme teams - daily, hands-on, at scale. During this period Talpa grew from 40 to over 300 people. That kind of growth breaks organisations if nobody is managing the creative coherence while the business is scaling. That was my job. Formats I worked on include The Voice of Holland, Ik Hou van Holland, Daten in het Donker, Bonje met de Buren, Echt Waar?!, Wat vindt Nederland? and Lekker Slim.