Too many ideas never make it past the slide deck. That’s too bad. I bring Head of Product leadership to turn ideas into real products customers use and to help products grow beyond their plateau.
I work end to end, from strategy to execution, with a focus on measurable outcomes, commercial viability and team performance. I make sure we build what matters, what works in the market and what contributes to growth.
With over 13 years in product management, product development and business design, and 8 years leading teams at RTL, HEMA and several agencies, I bring clarity, make hard product decisions and drive delivery with real focus.
Direction, focus and real growth for digital products.
How I can help.
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Organisations work with me to grow and improve their digital products through a mix of product strategy, customer insight and disciplined execution. The core idea is simple, products grow when business, tech and (UX) design move in the same direction.
I make sure digital products are not only built, but also achieve sustainable growth and stay relevant in the market.
It starts with a clear position, a validated customer need and a sharp understanding of what the business is trying to achieve. I uncover what users truly need and align this with the company’s goals. I use service design methods to achieve this.
I translate insights and vision into a realistic product strategy and roadmap. What we build, why we build it and which outcomes we want to drive. I keep the balance between speed, quality and business impact.
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The best products come from teams that understand why they build what they build, challenge each other to raise the bar and stay sharp in how they work.
With more than eight years of leading multidisciplinary teams at RTL, HEMA and several agencies, I know how to bring structure, focus and momentum. I work alongside teams in real time, helping them prioritise, make clearer decisions and create a smoother collaboration between strategy, design, business and development.
Leadership for me is hands on. I do not sit on the sidelines. I step into service design, product strategy and validation work so the team not only delivers output, but grows in quality, confidence and impact.
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Before investing serious time and budget, I pressure test the concept. The goal is to understand whether it solves the real problem, fits the market and has the potential to scale.
Validation starts with the fundamentals, a clear problem definition, the right target audience and the outcomes the business needs. From there, we test the riskiest assumptions with real users and real behaviour, using prototypes or other lightweight experiments only when they add value.
This approach reduces risk, brings clarity to the decision and shows whether the concept is worth building. It is not about creating deliverables, but about making a confident, evidence based go or no go call.
Case highlights.
Turning childcare into a scalable B2B product for Kindergarden
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For many parents, balancing work and family life is a constant struggle. Employers increasingly look for ways to support their workforce, especially in a tight labour market. Kindergarden wanted to respond to the rising demand for standout employee benefits.
With the WorkFamily Solutions proposition, companies can guarantee employees a childcare spot, even with irregular schedules. This makes employers more attractive, boosts productivity, reduces absenteeism and increases loyalty.
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I helped Kindergarden shape and launch this new B2B proposition from the ground up. We designed a simple, user friendly platform that required no complex integrations, giving both employers and employees easy access to childcare services.
To open up a completely new market, we created and executed a content strategy based on Google’s 3H model, increasing brand awareness and generating qualified leads. Data insights, CRM analysis and direct validation interviews with HR managers helped us refine the proposition continuously.
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The work opened the door to a new B2B revenue stream and strengthened Kindergarden’s market position. Within months, the first companies were actively using WorkFamily Solutions, turning a concept on paper into measurable business results.
A structure and framework for digital innovation at Unilever
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Unilever wanted to accelerate and professionalise its digital innovation efforts. The core question was how to create efficiency, consistency and long term value in a landscape where innovation often becomes a one off experiment. They needed a clear Digital Innovation Framework that defined the governance, roles and guardrails required for innovation to scale and genuinely contribute to the business.
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I worked with Unilever’s Digital Innovation Managers and C level leaders to define a clear and actionable Digital Innovation Framework that fits their organisation and guides day to day decision making. I provided direction, structured the process and ensured the framework became a practical tool, not a theoretical model. We then applied it directly to new B2B and B2C digital platforms and innovation initiatives, proving its value in real product development.
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A completely new innovation structure for Unilever Benelux, built on strong strategic foundations and designed for real world application. I shaped the governance, decision making and ways of working, and ensured the framework was not just defined on paper but applied directly to new B2B and B2C digital initiatives.
The Cutimed® Wound Navigator App: from downloads to daily use
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The Cutimed® Wound Navigator App helps healthcare professionals such as GPs and community nurses choose the right wound care products in a few simple steps. Although the app was being downloaded, actual daily use remained low.
Essity, the company behind Cutimed® (and known in the Netherlands for brands like Edet and Tempo), wanted deeper insight into the needs of its target users to make the app more relevant, more intuitive and more valuable in day to day practice.
I took on the assignment to uncover what blocked adoption, validate new directions and help shape the next phase of the product.
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To understand what healthcare professionals truly needed, we combined quantitative insights with twenty in depth interviews with GPs and community nurses. This mix of qualitative and quantitative research uncovered new patterns, validated key assumptions and created a clear foundation for advancing the product.
This enabled us to:
✅ Define which features would deliver real value in daily practice
✅ Improve the app so it becomes more intuitive and effective
✅ Give Essity the confidence that their investment is grounded in evidence and aligned with user needs
✅ Move forward with targeted product enhancements based on clear, validated priorities
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Thanks to a strategic yet hands on approach, the Cutimed Wound Navigator App became both more intuitive and more effective. The product now delivers clearer value to healthcare professionals, which translates into higher engagement and stronger support during wound care decision making.
For Essity, this means a measurable return on investment and the confidence that their innovation is making real impact in daily care practice. The insights and improvements directly strengthened product adoption and set the foundation for ongoing development.
ABN AMRO
Defined and launched a scalable beyond-banking platform for ABN AMRO, and led its further development.
RTL
Defined, developed and launched a new omni channel product proposition for RTL Z to expand audience reach and engagement.
SAMSUNG
Mapped and optimised the end to end buying journey on Samsung.com to increase conversion.
HEMA
Led the New Services department, driving the creation of B2B products and platforms that open up new revenue opportunities.
APG
Designed a strategy for personalised user interactions to strengthen the relationship between pension participants and their fund.
Doctors Without Borders
Identified strategic digital growth opportunities to activate and engage a younger audience.
Why call me?
Because you want to make real progress with your digital product or innovation, whether it is a platform, an app or a new business model, but you see that strategy and execution are not fully aligned. Because you need more pace, sharper priorities and someone who can bring clarity where things feel scattered. Or because you want a leader who guides teams with substance, energy and focus, and helps build products and services that actually work.
Interested? Send me a message via email or LinkedIn and let us explore how to move your product forward.
Email:
casper@cdl-businessdesign.nl
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/casperdeleeuw
Kantoor
Oudezijds Voorburgwal 129-1,
1012 EP Amsterdam