About Simon

I look far ahead and bring people along.

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I tend to see opportunities early. Sometimes before others want to see them. What drives me is not the insight itself but the moment when people around me start to see it too and actually do something with it. That is what leadership means to me.

I invest a lot in the people around me. Not as a management principle, but because I genuinely believe a team that grows achieves more than any tool or technology.

My path ran through Knab, Quint Wellington Redwood, NIBC Bank, the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek cancer institute, my own consultancy Intellify and now HappyNurse. That breadth is no coincidence. It is exactly what allows me to quickly understand what an organisation needs.

Technology is never a goal in itself for me. I am interested in what it makes possible for people and organisations. That is the lens I use.

Simon Janssen
14+years of management experience
5sectors known from the inside
15K+CIOs and CTOs in CIONET
Previously active at
HappyNurseHappyNurse
CIONETCIONET
IntellifyIntellify
Antoni van LeeuwenhoekAntoni van Leeuwenhoek
NIBC BankNIBC Bank
Quint Wellington RedwoodQuint Wellington Redwood
KnabKnab
Leadership

How I lead

Visionary

I quickly see where opportunities lie and which direction makes sense, even when it is not yet visible to everyone. Keeping that perspective sharp and sharing it clearly is what I do as a leader.

Development-focused

I invest in people. By giving responsibility, creating space and being honest about what can be better. A team that grows achieves more than a team with better tools.

Connecting

Change only works when people understand it and want it. I set out a clear vision and bring people along, with energy, trust and a concrete next step.


Career

Roles and organisations

CTO & Board Member

2023–present

As CTO at HappyNurse I work on the company's technological direction, from day-to-day choices to multi-year strategy. A lot of my time goes into AI, cloud and platform development, but just as much into the people who do that work.

Advisory Board Member

2023–present

Europe's largest network of CIOs and CTOs, over 15,000 members. I sit on the Dutch advisory board, contribute to the agenda and speak at sessions on technology, leadership and strategy.

Founder & Managing Director

Intellify
2019–2023

Founded on the belief that data and AI should be accessible to every organisation. Four years of building, grew to twelve people. I learned how to grow a company and develop a team at the same time.

Manager IT Data Center a.i.

2019–2021

Led two specialised IT teams, around thirty people in total, in an environment where downtime is not an option. I learned here how to keep both technology and people moving under pressure.

2016–2018

Led the IT modernisation agenda at the AVL, moving from legacy to modern infrastructure in an environment where people and systems have to trust each other. What I took away: change starts with people, not technology.

Associate Director IT (Operations)

2017–2019

IT operations at a heavily regulated bank. Twenty people, high availability requirements and little room for error. This is where I learned what it means to lead a team that forms the foundation of everything an organisation does.

Senior Consultant Digital Transformation

2016–2019

Advised large organisations on cloud and agile transformations. What I carry with me: technological change only works when you bring the people along. I use that insight every day.

Manager ICT Skilled Helpdesk

2011–2016

My first real leadership role, at a company that proved a bank could be fully digital. As the youngest manager in Aegon Global, I discovered that leadership is not about age but about giving trust.


Network & jury

Involvement beyond HappyNurse

CIONET Nederland β€” Advisory Board

Website β†—

CIONET is Europe's largest network of CIOs and CTOs, over 15,000 members. I sit on the Dutch advisory board, contribute to the agenda and speak at sessions on technology, leadership and strategy.

Recruitment Tech Awards β€” Jury

Website β†—

Each year I serve as a jury member evaluating the most innovative HR-tech solutions of that year. A good way to stay sharp on what is happening outside your own sector.


Speaking

Keynotes and panels

Werf& AI & Talent 2026

Keynote on how AI is changing the work of HR professionals and what that demands of leaders.

26 May 2026
Team EIFFEL Β· Arnhem

CIONET: The Challenges of Realizing Sovereignty

Panel with VandeBron and SURF on cloud sovereignty and European data sovereignty.

February 2026
Haarlem

Recruitment Tech Awards 2025

Speaker at the Recruitment Tech Awards on the role of AI in recruitment and HR technology.

2025
Netherlands

Press & media

Interviews & media

How HappyNurse placed 600% more candidates using AI

Werf& covered the results of Aisha at HappyNurse. From 6% to 41% successful placements, with a candidate satisfaction score of 9.8.

October 2025
Werf&.nl

De Licht bij Donker Podcast, ep. 18

Contagious enthusiasm for AI in your organisation. On digital transformation, building an innovation culture, and how to lead through a fast-changing technology landscape.

2024
Spotify

Get in touch?

Want to have a conversation?

About a keynote, a specific challenge or just to talk through what you are building.

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