SparkOptimus

🎙️🌟 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀! In this exciting chapter, our co-founder Alexandra Jankovich sits down with As Tempelman, CEO of Eneco for an inspiring conversation about balancing profit and planet through digital innovation 🌍💡 Discover how Eneco is leading the way towards a sustainable future by leveraging data and digital solutions to transform the energy landscape. From smart meters to real-time data analysis, learn how Eneco is making strides to become climate neutral by 2035, all while fostering a robust digital-first culture. 🎧 Tune in to this insightful conversation on the transformative power of digital solutions in driving environmental responsibility and operational efficiency. 𝗜𝗻 𝗮 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵? 🏃 Watch the summary of the interview here: https://lnkd.in/eAMECwva 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲? 🙋♀️ Click your way here for the full interview: https://ow.ly/PU9m50To4h3

🎉 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁! Last Thursday, we filled the room with young PE professionals for an interactive deep dive into how #GenerativeAI is transforming Private Equity. Together with Matti van Engelen, Benedikt Lahninger, and Simon van Heijst, we explored key topics, including: 🔹 Breaking down complexities in Generative AI with real, practical examples 🔹 How Gen AI disrupts portfolio and target assessments 🔹 How to practically kickstart #GenAI at portfolio companies The audience was quick to engage, with questions on leveraging Gen AI in the near term. We shared practical, actionable tips on how to get started and make the most of readily available tools—showing how small changes can lead to meaningful results. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀: 💡 For any potential investment, it’s critical to assess the disruption risk posed by Generative AI on core business models. 💡 Once you’ve acquired a target, implementing Gen AI can be more straightforward than expected, with accessible tools and quick-start applications to accelerate value creation. 💡 Even partial automation of repetitive, low-value tasks can contribute to substantial gains in efficiency and ROI. A huge thank you to everyone who attended! We’re excited to see how this community will put Gen AI to work in shaping the future of #PrivateEquity! 🚀

𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 📩 Get the Gen AI in Consumer Goods Benchmark Report 💡 Case study: A technology due diligence on a Gen AI disruptor 🌱 Eneco CEO on balancing profit and planet with digital solutions 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞: https://ow.ly/BPje50TLC0h

“𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘀.” 🤖 During the recent #AIConnect event, hosted by Google and Techleap, one of the panelists in the discussion on "𝗔𝗜 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲" expressed frustration that the conversation around AI still often centres on chatbots, while there’s so much more potential already being realized. We couldn’t agree more. The message was clear among the leaders, founders, and #AI experts: 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 to realize AI’s significant potential. Europe - and especially the Netherlands - risks falling behind in the global AI race. To fully leverage AI’s economic benefits, we need a collective effort to adopt and integrate these technologies meaningfully. As Constantijn Van Oranje-Nassau highlighted, the biggest challenge businesses face today is real adoption. At SparkOptimus, we’re committed to playing our part in this necessary transformation. With an end-to-end approach shaped by over 1,000 digital transformation projects, we’ve learned how to bridge the adoption gap and deliver value that truly matters. What sets us apart is our broader perspective - viewing #GenAI as one of many tools to solve problems for businesses that are at their core. It’s time to move beyond the 𝘄𝗼𝘄 of Gen AI and focus on the 𝗵𝗼𝘄. Let’s partner to shape the future of AI and make real progress together. 💡

🌍 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 🌍 At the Blue Earth Summit in London, our co-founder Alexandra Jankovich joined an impressive panel with Mark Jankovich, Geoff van Sonsbeeck, Sophie Lambin 🪁 and host Carine de Meyere, to discuss the critical role of leadership in sustainability. 🚀 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 💡 Make sustainability a core strategy: Leaders must embed sustainability into their operating models, with clear objectives, KPIs, and roadmaps that drive action and collaboration. 💡 Leverage AI for smart ESG reporting: Companies should optimize reporting by utilizing AI and existing processes – as currently 43% more is spent on reporting than on sustainability innovation (IBM). 💡 Start now, don’t wait: Preparing early for new legislation such as CSDDD and ESPR will help avoid costly delays. Start small, test, integrate, and scale. 💡 Embrace technology: Digital tools and AI are key to collecting and analyzing data, optimizing supply and demand, and communicating more effectively. Looking to integrate sustainability into your strategy? We can help you get started, step by step. 🌱 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁!

🚀📊 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲! In our recent webinar, our Sector Lead Consumer Goods Michiel Bos shared game-changing insights on how data and #GenAI are set to transform field sales. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵: 💡 Sales Reps will evolve into Business Advisors, using AI to optimize customer visits based on real growth potential, rather than following routine routes. 💡 Gen AI will craft tailored pitches for each customer, helping even less tech-savvy reps deliver high-impact conversations with ease. 💡 The shift from traditional, manual processes to automated, predictive analytics-driven approaches will unlock higher revenue at lower cost-to-serve. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗜? Request a copy our new Gen AI for Consumer Goods benchmark report for actionable strategies and real-world examples here 👉 https://ow.ly/blEQ50TKz1f

🚀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗥 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿? 🌟 We’re looking for a proactive 𝗛𝗥 & 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 to join our vibrant Talent team at SparkOptimus in Amsterdam! In this role, you'll play a key part in recruitment and HR operations, helping us create positive candidate experiences and supporting our team's success. If you're organized, eager to learn, and excited about creating a great workplace, we want to hear from you! 💬 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 & 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘄 👉 https://lnkd.in/eg2aqmuw

🚀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗜 We're excited to announce the release of our #GenAI Consumer Goods Benchmark Report. Essential reading for industry leaders, this report provides essential insights into how frontrunning companies are harnessing the power of #GenerativeAI to boost efficiency, streamline operations, and enhance customer experiences across the value chain. 🔍 Here's what you'll discover: 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀: From automated guided selling to internal support chatbots, find out how Gen AI is driving business value. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀: Learn how 30% of companies are already realizing cost savings and increased productivity. 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: See how frontrunners are preparing their organizations for larger-scale AI transformations. Transform your #ConsumerGoods business with actionable insights. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 👉 https://ow.ly/U6hU50TFsxl

𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗲𝘀! 🎉 On Friday, we celebrated the well-deserved promotions of six outstanding colleagues: Niki Boelens, Kars-Jan Giesen, Pieter Vriens, Valérie de Vlam, Benedikt Lahninger, and Gaius Hugenholtz. These talented Sparkies have reached another milestone in their careers at SparkOptimus, and we couldn’t be more proud of their achievements! We’re looking forward to seeing them continue their incredible work within our teams and alongside our clients. Here's to their continued success and growth! 🥂

🌍 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆: 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁 Last Friday, we hosted a Sustainability Leaders Breakfast with Marjon Stamsnijder, Global Head of Sustainability at Henkel Consumer Brands, and Michiel Bos (Senior Partner at SparkOptimus) as moderators. With sustainability leaders from companies like IKEA, LIPTON Teas and Infusions, Nike, and Action, we explored how to truly integrate sustainability into the core of business strategy. Some insights that came out of our conversations: 📚 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝘁: While regulations will accelerate sustainability efforts, there's a risk they become a distraction from making a real-world impact. 🚀 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴: Most companies understand 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 needs to change to achieve their sustainability ambitions, yet the exact 𝘩𝘰𝘸 often remains ambiguous. Don’t let this be an excuse to delay the journey: Keep moving and learn & adjust along the way. 📊 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Incorporating sustainability KPIs in incentive schemes and factoring sustainability costs into P&Ls are powerful tools, but managing complexity is key. Don't let details overwhelm progress. 🌍 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲: The ultimate goal is to make sustainability so embedded in business that the central function becomes redundant—but this won’t happen overnight. Patience & persistence is key as we embark on this long journey. Are you ready to embed sustainability into the core of your business? 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁! 🌱