Ahold Delhaize announces changes in the bol.com Management Board

Zaandam, September 6, 2021 - After more than 20 years at bol.com, Huub Vermeulen has decided to retire from the company. Huub has been involved with the company since the start of bol.com in 1999, the last four years as Brand President. The proposed successor as of November 1, 2021, is management board colleague Margaret Versteden – van Duijn. Margaret has been working at bol.com since 2015 and in her current role as Chief Platform Officer (CPO) she is responsible for the platform activities of bol.com.

Margaret Versteden - van Duijn (45) has held various management board positions within bol.com. She started 6 years ago as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), after which she managed the commercial department as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). Last year she took on the new management board position of Chief Platform Officer, where she became ultimately responsible for bol.com’s platform activities. Before Margaret joined bol.com, she worked for Bain & Company, Nike and BCG, among others. Margaret grew up in Australia and has been living in the Netherlands since 2000, together with her husband and kids.

Margaret Versteden – van Duijn: “I consider it an honor and a fantastic opportunity to take over the leadership of this great organization. In 22 years, bol.com has grown from the first online bookstore in Europe into a platform where 47,000 sales partners sell millions of articles to our customers, more than 12.5 million Dutch and Belgians. This development was made possible thanks to a strong and driven bol.com team that has grown to 2,500 people today. The coming years will also revolve around growth and the further development of our platform.”

20 years of bol.com

Huub Vermeulen (57) got involved with bol.com in 1999 as Managing Director of fulfilment company Docdata (now Ingram Micro), with which bol.com has worked ever since. In 2001, Huub joined bol.com as Director Operations & Fulfillment (COO) and he became Brand President four years ago.

Huub Vermeulen: “The decision to leave bol.com was not an easy one. But after 20 years at bol.com, I feel the need for a better work-life balance. In addition, I want to create the opportunity to assist other entrepreneurs in a non-executive role. Now feels like the right time to take this step, knowing that I will leave behind a great company and a great team. From the very first day that I got to know bol.com as an organization, I was captivated by the enormous drive, innovative spirit and ambitious mission of the people there. It has been an unforgettable adventure to be part of this company practically from the start. I want to express my gratitude to the people at bol.com for the inspiration and energy they have given me each day again, and to the Ahold Delhaize colleagues for their trust and collaboration.”

European Leadership Team

Wouter Kolk, CEO Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia: “It is with great confidence that we can announce this step within bol.com. Huub was an outstanding Brand President, with a clear vision and always focused on moving bol.com and with it Ahold Delhaize forward. I am proud that we can nominate Margaret as his successor. With her knowledge and experience at bol.com, she is a natural and ambitious successor. Upon approval, Margaret will also become part of my European Leadership Team, where she will have a key role part in accelerating further cooperation within the European brands. I would like to thank Huub for his dedication and give a warm welcome to Margaret in her new role!”

Management board bol.com

As of November 1, 2021, the bol.com management board consists of Margaret Versteden – van Duijn (Brand President), Boukje Taphoorn (Chief Marketing Officer), Ellen Coopmans (Chief People Officer), Gert-Jan Janssen (Chief Financial Officer), Jurrie van Rooijen (Chief Technology Officer), Oscar Hundman (Chief Commercial Officer) and Vincent Weijers (Chief Operational Officer). For the current role of Margaret, Chief Platform Officer, a successor will be sought.

Margaret’s appointment as Brand President of bol.com is subject to the advice of bol.com’s workers council. Huub will remain with bol.com in an advisory role in the background until the end of 2021.

About bol.com

In 1999 bol.com was founded in the Netherlands from a construction site in Vianen. It was Europe's first online bookstore. More than 20 years later, bol.com is the largest online retail platform in the Benelux, and has expanded the range of books to millions of products in dozens of product categories, with a focus on non-food. From the very beginning, bol.com has had the ambition to improve retail every day. They now do this together with 47,000 local entrepreneurs who sell via bol.com to their customers, more than 12.5 million Dutch and Belgians. Bol.com believes in the power of collaboration, because only together with partners they can offer our customers the best shopping (experience). As a 'shop for all of us', everyone should be able to turn to bol.com. The company understands its customers and are there for them, wherever and whenever. They always offer convenience, reliability and choice. This is how bol.com changes retail together to make everyday life easier.

Bol.com employs 2,500 people who work at the head office in Utrecht, The Netherlands, and at an office in Antwerp, Belgium. Since 2012, bol.com is part of Ahold Delhaize.

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