Hoofddorp, the Netherlands, 28 October 2021 – As a result of its strong growth, digital service provider Macaw has decided to split the dual role that Ronald van Es has held for 23 years. As of November 1, 2021, he will focus entirely on employees, corporate culture, talent development and HR strategy as Chief People Officer (CPO). Bart Damstra will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
Before joining Macaw, Damstra was CFO of the IT service provider ilionx. He began his career at Deloitte, where he successfully completed his training as a certified public accountant. After working at the international consulting firm for almost ten years – the last three of them in Sydney, Australia – he pivoted to the fintech industry. At European Merchant Services in Amsterdam, he served as CFO for seven years. He then took over as CEO of Smart2Pay in Laren.
“I am thrilled to be joining Macaw’s executive team. Macaw’s culture of celebrating its employees and fostering their professional growth fits well with my own values. For much of my career, I’ve worked in an international environment, and I hope to leverage that experience to help achieve Macaw’s growth goals.”
Ronald Van Es studied economics at the University of Groningen and Amsterdam and started as CFO at Macaw in 1998. He was not only responsible for Macaw’s financial strategy, but also for human resources. In 2014, he initiated the 20I20 Energy Program with the goal of giving employees the opportunity to work on their own mental, emotional and physical health – both in the office and at home. A few years later, he was nominated for Vitality Manager of the Year.
As Chief People Officer, Van Es is responsible for maintaining and strengthening Macaw’s culture, people strategies, talent development and HR organization. He also focuses on achieving Macaw’s vision as an employer of creating a trusting environment where every team member feels inspired and safe. Maintaining an inclusive work space that allows everyone to grow personally and professionally, where they can be themselves and end their day with satisfaction, is also a part of this vision.
“With Bart’s appointment alongside Ronald’s focus on our employee-centric culture and direct impact on the expansion of our European team, I am confident that we will continue to grow successfully in the coming years – while maintaining our distinctive, unique corporate culture and efficient, employee-centric way of working,” said William van der Pijl, CEO of Macaw.
The expansion of the executive team stems from the strong development of the digital service provider in the past year: In addition to the entry of the investor Avedon Capital Partners, Macaw had acquired the German company netzkern with locations in Hamburg and Wuppertal.
