Fortino CEO Summit 2024: Empowering leaders to build resilient, impactful businesses

Grow with Confidence

This year, Fortino’s CEO Summit centred around the theme of “Grow with Confidence,” gathering the founders and CEOs from our portfolio companies and beyond to explore the strategies and mindsets required to build resilient, impactful businesses in today’s dynamic landscape. Across two days, they gained valuable insights through keynotes of inspiring guest speakers and panel discussions, while also enjoying opportunities to network. We are excited to share with you some of our key takeaways from this year’s CEO Summit.

Knowing your starting point

Our Chairman, Duco Sickinghe, shared a fundamental insight in his opening speech: knowing your starting point is essential for deciding where you want to go. This means that business leaders need to have a clear understanding of where their company stands in terms of, amongst others, team abilities, USPs, market dynamics, and technological infrastructure. This awareness extends to having the “right people on the boat” to ensure the team’s capabilities align with the company’s growth ambitions. It also involves fostering self-awareness to recognize strengths and identify areas for improvement.

Building engagement for sustained success

Growing with confidence starts with an engaged employee base. Wolter Smit (Founder and CEO of TOPdesk) highlighted how employee engagement is critical for an organization to thrive. His philosophy? Allow people to work on what excites them and avoid micromanagement. When employees are engaged, they’re more innovative, productive, and loyal, which leads to greater customer satisfaction. This level of commitment starts with hiring: companies should prioritize candidates with a genuine capacity for engagement. The importance of a strong company culture that respects local nuances cannot be overstated, especially as companies expand internationally.

Strategic investment aligned with mission

Scaling a business also requires confident, strategic investment. Sanne Manders (President at Flexport) discussed how choosing the right investors is about alignment with the company’s mission rather than valuation alone. Confidence in growth means finding partners who share your vision and add real value to your journey. Manders advised CEOs to start building these relationships early and to avoid raising too much or waiting too long for funding. When aligned with the right investors, companies are better equipped to attract top talent and take calculated risks, both of which are key elements for scaling with purpose and control.

Embracing AI as a growth driver

The importance of innovation in achieving growth goals was underscored by Dr. Markus Schweier (Business Development Lead GenAI at AWS), who highlighted the transformative power of (generative) AI. AI presents one of the greatest business opportunities of our time, transforming how companies interact with technology and their customers. From enhancing productivity to optimizing business processes, AI provides leaders with tools to simplify operations and open new avenues for customer engagement. Today, businesses are increasingly focused on implementing AI to manage costs and increase accessibility.

Staying focused on core strengths

Growing with confidence also means staying focused on core strengths. Rahul Kejriwal (CEO at Cenosco) and Patrick Van Deven (Operating Partner at Fortino) shared insights on the importance of a product-driven approach, urging companies to resist the lure of custom work that can sidetrack resources and undermine scalability. Successful companies, they noted, often say “no” to custom requests, educating customers on the benefits of standardized, scalable solutions. CEOs who are clear about their company’s identity—whether product- or service-based—can align teams, avoid mission drift, and ultimately build stronger client relationships.

Balancing vision with delegation

As founders look to scale, finding a balance between vision and delegation becomes essential. Perry Oostdam (Co-Founder of Recruitee) and Quintin Schevernels (Former CEO of Funda) reminded leaders that as companies grow, founders need to stay connected to the aspects of the business they love. This passion energizes them and sets the tone for the organization. Growing with confidence also requires careful, patient hiring practices. Bringing in A-level talent from the start sets a high standard and helps create a culture of excellence that endures as the company scales. Founders should take the time to onboard carefully and address misalignments promptly to prevent negative impacts on team morale.

The path forward: leading with confidence and resilience

In his closing statements, our very own CEO, Renaat Berckmoes, recapped the key themes of the CEO Summit 2024, highlighting the importance of people, strategic focus, cultural alignment, and embracing innovation. CEOs should prioritize building engaged teams, aligning with mission-driven investors, and leveraging transformative technologies like (generative) AI to navigate a rapidly changing business landscape. By staying true to their vision while maintaining agility, today’s leaders can confidently tackle challenges, build businesses that thrive sustainably, and truly grow with confidence.