Written by: Laura van der Burgt
When René van Wijk said ‘yes’ about a year and a half ago to the question of whether he would become the new CEO of Sioux Technologies, it looked like he would be stepping onto a moving train. But since taking up the role in January 2025, the world that train is travelling through has been changing constantly. Still, he refuses to be rattled, as becomes clear when we look back on his first six months. ‘I’m not particularly prone to stress; I always sleep well. Every new situation offers opportunities, even this one – some truly great ones.’
His arrival at Sioux Assembly some six years ago was something of a culture shock, René van Wijk admits. He had already spent about twenty years in the high-tech industry when he made the move. ‘When Erik (van Rijswijk, co-founder of Sioux) invited me over to his house to discuss the role, and he hobbled off to the kitchen with a broken hip to make me coffee, I thought: this is something special. This is a company I want to be part of. At my previous employers, everything revolved around targets and hard KPIs, but at Sioux, people were at the heart of it all. That was a totally different focus for me. I would come to a progress meeting with Leon (Giesen, René’s predecessor) with a presentation full of data, and he would ask: “But how are you doing, really?” That took a lot of getting used to. “All this hugging… I’m not sure it’s for me,” I said to my wife as we drove to Spain in the summer of 2019. But after a year I’d found my feet, and I’ve really come to appreciate the openness and team spirit.’
Horse and cart
René spent six months shadowing Leon before fully taking over in January 2025. ‘The great thing about this role is that as CEO I can influence everything, and I certainly do. I get more involved in day-to-day operations than my predecessors did, I think. Together with the Eagle Team (the highest management team), we’ve set a new strategy: we’re going to transform Sioux from a company that has everything in-house into one that is the best in the world in specific technologies.’
René decided to go on a road tour to all the sites to explain why this change of course is necessary. ‘If we keep doing what other countries will be able to do more cheaply in the future, we’ll price ourselves out of the market. We’re going to focus more on uniqueness, with technology solutions as the driver.’ His decision to further automate the internal organization was also on the agenda during the road tour. ‘We develop the most groundbreaking innovations for customers, yet for some things we’re still using horse and cart. It really can be more efficient. I think it’s important to talk about this directly with employees, because it could affect their work. Everything can be said, any question can be asked.’
That the world in which Sioux operates is anything but standing still is an understatement – the future has rarely been so unpredictable. The import tariffs imposed by President Trump, tough competition from China, the war in Ukraine and the growing threat to Europe, the fall of the Dutch government… it all influences the economy, society, and therefore Sioux as well. Still, René refuses to be fazed. ‘I was reminded recently of my student days, when I took a course on globalization with former prime minister Ruud Lubbers. That ideal still seemed a long way off then, but now it sometimes feels like we’re heading back in the opposite direction. Who would have thought?’ Even so, he believes we shouldn’t let ourselves be led by the whims of the day. ‘We remain focused on the long term. We know where we want to go, and we’re working towards it. And every new situation offers opportunities, even this one. Perhaps Europe will now take up technological initiatives that were previously unthinkable. That’s something I’d like Sioux and the Brainport region to be part of.’
Driven
Looking back on his first six months, René feels he’s well into the game. His work weeks are full and highly productive. But at the weekend, he switches off without a problem. ‘It’s like I have an on–off switch: at the weekend I hardly think about work, I focus on my wife and three daughters. I also sleep brilliantly: when I close my eyes, I’m asleep. It’s a trait that really helps me, because it means I can dedicate myself fully during the day. I’m very driven. I don’t just want to take part; I want to win.’
That’s also why we won’t be seeing René playing competitive padel matches at the weekend anytime soon, he says with a grin. ‘I really enjoy the game, but I don’t think I’m good enough yet, and I still take losing badly.’ That drive to win and to keep improving is something René brings to work at Sioux every day. ‘Just like in my many years of soccer (in the first team at Drunense RKDVC), it’s all about teamwork at Sioux. You’re only as good as the quality of the team. Winning is something you do together, never alone!’
