CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 1 2024 24 When Patrick Verwaijen joined Actavant back in 2008, it was a move that made total sense to him. Both he and the company shared a like-minded passion for sales, and a desire to pass this on to business partners. Even now, almost more than fifteen years later (five under Patrick’s watchful eye), Actavant ties its successes to the collaborations which it has expertly forged. For Patrick, “a genuine partnership is Actavant began life as a training agent in 1999, and before long was the preferred sales training provider to several private banking and accounting firms. Patrick Verwaijen meanwhile was working as a sales manager and finding himself increasingly frustrated with the business around him and was fortunate enough to cross paths with then CEO of Actavant Just Jongeleen, who recognised this frustration and brought Patrick aboard. The rest as they say, is history. Most Influential CEO 2023 – Netherlands (Sales Resulting) awardee Patrick Verwaijen today proudly spearheads the operation and believes that the company is like a second skin. We catch up with Patrick, who provides us with further information about his journey and the successes that have resulted in him being recognised with this award. defined by a shared interest to achieve particular goals and a willingness to be rewarded only upon the demonstration of concrete results.” It is this demonstrably proven proposition that has stood the company in good stead for more than two decades, bolstered by a core team of colleagues and shareholders who remain dedicated to the business’ success and serve as the solid foundations which all subsequent triumphs have been built upon. At the dawn of the New Millenium, Actavant was still an up-and-coming firm, but it would not be long before it had carved out a name for itself in the industry and was trusted by clients in the banking and accounting sectors. Concurrently, the company’s management began to explore additional ways to make an impact, changing course soon after to become the exceptional sales results company it is today. At this time, Patrick was disgruntled in his sales management position, frustrated that many of the training agencies with which he frequently partnered possessed an inability to draw on their own direct experiences throughout the process. As Patrick explains, “I deal[t] with highpaid consultants who use[d] their theoretical knowledge to conjure up elaborate processes, structures, and sales propositions, but who [had] never spent a single day in the trenches.” When Patrick was first introduced to Actavant, he and then CEO Just Jongeleen had a tremendous impact on each other, their shared frustrations served as a primary reason for the company’s decision to become an agency paid based primarily on results. This was a bold promise and serves to represent the company’s unbridled dedication to its customers. Under Patrick’s more than five years in the CEO position so far, Actavant has experienced a host of successes, and following on from its first with ABNAMRO Private Banking, more long-term partnerships were not far behind, with a strong presence apparent in the private banking sector, as well as the leasing and insurance industry, and relationships with many major accountancy and consultancy firms. Even today, the market is rife with consultants who get themselves hired and just provide their opinions without having any obligation to performance, often at incredibly absurd rates, as they are not even prepared to commit to the results of their efforts. In contrast, Actavant serves to embody this very willingness, championing teamwork as the ultimate method to achieving the desired results. Simultaneously, the team are working hard to prepare clients for their exit as soon as they begin, providing the necessary provisions to ensure clients thrive without the company’s help. Determined to provide solutions on a global scale, Actavant’s materials have been made available in all of the main European languages, and international start-ups and scale-ups are also supported, offered the same care and attention to detail. Patrick states, “What strikes me, though, is that in all these years, in all these places we have been and even with the heyday of expensive consultants behind us, we have never come across an agency equally committed to results as we are. We may very well be the only one.” None of this would be possible without Actavant’s extensive support network, and celebrating this, Patrick summarises, “I extend my sincere thanks our business partners and colleagues for their dedication and acknowledgment. I eagerly anticipate achieving many new successes and demonstrable results in our upcoming endeavours.” Contact: Patrick Verwaijen Web Address: actavant.nl No Cure No Pay Sales Resultancy
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUyMDQwMA==