About
Orchestrating growth across
media, technology and AI.
COMMERCIAL TRANSFORMATION
Candid brought together media agencies, technology, products and emerging AI capabilities. My role increasingly sat across those businesses — connecting commercial strategy, transformation and execution while building new sources of growth.
01 - The complexity
Multiple businesses. Different stages of maturity. New technology. Emerging AI. International ambitions. And an industry and markets that never stand still.
My role was to bring clarity, align priorities and turn this complexity into focused execution across the Group.
My responsibility crossed individual businesses and functions — leading and developing products while driving agency transformation, commercial strategy, international growth and the broader Group proposition.
Operating across the ecosystem.
02 - One role, multiple businesses
Connected capabilities across media, technology, data and AI.
(formerly media agencies
STROOM, M2OC)
Location-based
advertising
Media Trading & Investment
Programmatic media marketplace
AI platform
and applications
Private network
commerce
- Shared strategy and
alignment
- Commercial collaboration NL & UK
- Technology and AI enablement
- New propositions and business models
- Investor story and growth engines
03 - Built growth
Built growth
Scaled product businesses including mJourney and RLVNT and developed new commercial propositions.
Transformed media
Reshaped commercial capability and operations within the media agency business
Embedded AI
Helped move AI from experimentation toward an organisational capability through Candid Platform.
Created new business
Redeveloped and launched propositions including GENRTR and connected technology, media and commercial opportunity
04 - From individual business to connected capability
Scale requires connection, not just expansion
Expanded international propositions and collaboration between the Dutch and UK organisations. Built strategic partnerships and new business models. Contributed to investor presentations and positioned the Product businesses as a primary growth engine in Candid's investment story.
05 - The outcome
Stronger businesses
Product businesses consistently ranked among the Group's strongest-performing and fastest-growing operating units.
Connected growth
Closer alignment between media, products, technology and international opportunities created stronger commercial leverage across the Group.
From individual businesses
to a connected growth engine.
Location- based
advertising
PLATFORM
Programmatic media marketplace
Privat network
commerce
Media trading &
investment
AI-enabled
technology
Together, these businesses and capabilities became an increasingly important part of Candid's commercial proposition and strategic investment story - connecting media, technology, data and AI with new models for growth.
New capabilities
AI, new propositions and technology embedded across the commercial offer and operating model.
06 - Testimonial
Throughout his time at Candid, Auke demonstrated an exceptional ability to transform complex commercial and organisational challenges into scalable business models, sustainable growth opportunities and successful market propositions. He operates at the intersection of strategy, commerce, technology and execution, with a proven track record of taking new ventures from concept to successful market introduction.
Gérard Ghazarian
CEO & Founder | CANDID