Post by Thierry De Ridder

Over the past 8 months, I have fully embraced a role that goes beyond MD alone — a role defined by building bridges. Within Golazo Brands Netherlands, I have been committed to connecting people, disciplines, and countries, ensuring that our collective strength extends far beyond a single market. What truly sets Golazo Group apart in the Dutch landscape is our unique position: we are both a powerful local creative force in Eindhoven and part of a wider international Sport/ecosystem. With expert teams in Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland to Africa, we can combine local agility with global scale, experience, and execution power. A perfect example of this cross-border strength is the UCI Gravel World Championships, hosted in the Netherlands. The event became a major international success thanks to seamless collaboration between Golazo Events NL, Golazo Group with our Golazo Brands NL team playing the leading role in project management and communications. Together, we elevated not just the event, but the overall experience for partners, fans and media. To ensure a strong and future-proof continuation, Erik and myself have put in place a dedicated 3-week handover period — complemented by the onboarding of new talent to boost our capabilities and serve our clients with more strength, creativity and impact than ever before. This is what Golazo stands for: one network, one culture of collaboration, and one shared ambition — to move people through sport and create meaningful impact. In doing so, we bring our mission to life every day: A healthier and happier society. With Erik Poel stepping in as Managing Director of Golazo Brands Netherlands, local leadership is in strong hands. From my strategic and communication role, I will continue to drive cross-border collaboration, unlock creative and operational synergies, and strengthen Golazo’s position as a truly international movement creator — today, tomorrow, and across border. The future looks bright. See you soon. Thierry