About Me
My name is Arnold Ruijter. With over 20 years in complex enterprise environments, my goal is to add experience, perspective, and leadership where and when it adds value.
I aim to leverage & embrace existing capability, rather than replacing it. In other words, strengthen what is already there and provide extra focus where it is needed.
I started in IT without highly relevant studies — just a lot of curiosity. From dissecting Excel macros, to Visual Basic, to enterprise-wide architecture. In all those years, I developed my own vision on what I found are the key elements of business IT.
While much of my career has been at enterprise or strategic level, I am equally at home with domain architecture, cross-sector assignments, or engagements at any scale. The level of the role matters less than the quality of the outcome.
I say what I can and cannot do. I don't maintain "bent truths." That clarity creates trust — and trust creates results.
The first time I led people, I tried to copy my manager — and it didn't work. I learned to lead as myself: caring for wellbeing, starting with trust, and relying on people's willingness and capabilities.
The goal of good leadership is to enable your team to set their own actions and make decisions within agreed boundaries. A team that doesn't need you telling them what to do — that's the target.
Beyond strategic roles, I genuinely enjoy getting closer to the detail. Curiosity and hands-on involvement have always been at the root of how I learn and deliver.
Qualifications