Ruud van den Heuvel

General Manager North America at Ridder | Commercial Director | International B2B | P&L | Go-to-Market & Growth

Greater Cleveland

About

Commercial and general management leader with a track record of driving growth, P&L performance, and go-to-market strategy across international B2B markets. As General Manager North America at Ridder, I lead all regional operations across the U.S. and Canada, including sales, business development, marketing, service, and project delivery. Working with our teams in Cleveland (Ohio) and Leamington (Ontario), I strengthen dealer and customer partnerships and expand Ridder's footprint, helping growers scale sustainably through advanced automation, climate, and labor solutions that raise productivity and reduce operating costs. Earlier in my career I held commercial leadership roles at 2theloo, FrieslandCampina, and Decathlon, with international experience spanning Europe, Asia, and Africa. Across these roles I built and led teams, carried full commercial P&L responsibility, and delivered growth.

Experience

  • Ridder (Ohio, United States · On-site)
    • General Manager North America
      Feb 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 5 mos

    • Business Development Manager
      Sep 2023 - Mar 2024 · 7 mos

  • Commercial Director at 2theloo
    Apr 2021 - Sep 2023 · 2 yrs 6 mos

    Commercial Director for 2theloo, the European market leader in premium toilet and retail concepts, with 175+ locations across 10 countries. Leading a team of 3 across business development, key account management, and marketing, I carried full responsibility for the commercial strategy and P&L, representing EUR 17 million in annual revenue. I owned the full B2B partnership portfolio, negotiating long-term location deals with retailers and major fuel networks including Shell and TotalEnergies, and won the NMBS (Belgian Railways) tender under my leadership. Alongside this, I developed new business models and positioned 2theloo for the growing EV charging market.

  • Sales Director at FrieslandCampina
    Mar 2020 - Mar 2021 · 1 yr 1 mo

    Sales Director, Cheese B2B at FrieslandCampina, one of the world's largest dairy companies. I led B2B cheese sales across emerging markets in Asia and Africa, serving foodservice and QSR customers as well as traders and distributors. I led the commercial strategy and (key) account relationships in these markets, building partnerships with international chains and trading partners, growing the cheese portfolio across fast developing regions.

  • Sales Director B2B at Decathlon
    May 2015 - Feb 2020 · 4 yrs 10 mos

    Founded and built Decathlon Zakelijk, the company's B2B division, from the ground up. Leading a team of 12, I developed an omni-channel organization that sold sporting goods to business customers such as schools, government bodies, and sports clubs, both online and through Decathlon's physical stores. Built the commercial strategy, the go-to-market model, and the integration between online and in store sales, growing Decathlon Zakelijk into an established B2B channel and supporting its rollout to other Decathlon entities (e.g. Ghana, UK, and Portugal) internationally.

  • Stakeholder Manager at Boskalis
    Feb 2012 - Apr 2015 · 3 yrs 3 mos

    Stakeholder Manager at Boskalis, the Dutch global marine and offshore contractor, responsible for maintaining relationships with clients and stakeholders across complex projects. I started in SHE-Q before moving into a full stakeholder management role.