As an entrepreneur behind a company in the intersection of media, digital, and communication I have certain thoughts regarding leadership, culture, organisation and customer success parameters. These come from the founding days of the company in 2002, although my co-founder and I never originally plan them as our ‘values.’

We have created an organisational culture where our people are in the centre. Our primary annual target is based on how happy our individuals are at all times. This is something we follow-up on monthly. Next in line would be how successful we are in keeping our customers happy. Only third is a financial target, as our philosophy is based on the fact that a financially healthy organisation is derived from happy people and loyal customers.

Mynewsdesk has a clearly defined purpose, which is “We believe that true enthusiasm for a brand can only be earned and never bought. We are here to help organisations reach out to and earn that respect from those that matter most to them.”  

At the beginning of 2014 I wanted to go back to our origins. The challenge I want to solve is how I can not only maintain, but also create a stronger connection between us and our customers. I believe that all communication from people behind a brand should strive to be as personal as possible. The basics for good communication are the ability to transfer one’s own passion and thoughts to others. I wanted to re-connect our brand, and our values to creativity, and innovation. Several projects were launched with this purpose in mind.

I managed to recruit Harrie Rademaekers to be responsible for Mynewsdesks first art project. Over the years we have done several creative, and crazy PR stunts, but this is the first time we are going down a more unknown path with limited possibilities to know where it is taking us.

Shortly afterwards we found out about Artworks challenge to name this role the Chief Arts Officer, and we’re proud to challenge others to think in these terms. Having a person in a position where their main objective is to constantly challenge all parts of the organisation to think in new ways is very refreshing.

Currently this is quite confusing, but there is an appreciation that we are trying out new things, leaving conformity behind, and daring to challenge our own perspectives.

I am confident that a passionate connection to the arts and all kinds of new ways to express our thoughts and feelings will benefit not only us but also everybody around us. I am looking forward to evaluating my Chief Arts Officer on how much enthusiasm, respect, and loyalty he manages to create amongst the 150 members of our team, and our 4000 customers who we enjoy working with every day.

Including the arts in our organisation will lead to a better working environment, and engagement from the people that matter most to us. By implementing a Chief Arts Officer I hope to inspire great things going forward.

Watch the interview with Harrie here: Chief Arts Officer

See more from Mynewsdesk here