Head of Customer Experience

2020 has been a tumultuous year for the travel industry. For Sunweb Group, this has led to accelerating their strategic transformation. The new focus is on results, customer centricity, and a more data-driven way of working Head of Customer Experience is a new role, with a mission to make customer experience the key starting point for the entire organization.

Sunweb Group

Sunweb Group is an enterprising tour operator offering holiday packages all over Europe. Combining organic growth and strategic acquisitions have resulted in Sunweb Group’s firmly established top position in the European travel industry. Since December 2018, Swedish PE investor Triton Partners has a majority of shares in Sunweb Group. Most employees are based in Rotterdam, but there are offices in Zurich, Girona, Antwerp, Paris, and Copenhagen as well.

Ever since the Dutch entrepreneur Joost Romeijn founded the company in 1991, the business solely operates as platform that brings supply and demand together, which makes for an ideal business model in volatile times. Scaling up or down is quick and easy. That proved a good choice in 2020.

Sunweb Group operates a wide range of package holidays brands, including Sunweb, Eliza was Here, Primavera, GoGo, Beachmasters, Husk, Bizztravel, X-travel, and Sudtours. These are bundled into three business units, each with its own P&L.

Digital professionalization is at the top of the company’s list of priorities. Their main goal is to anchor a customer-centric, data-driven, and result-oriented way of working while leaving room for exploring new initiatives. Structural projects are underway, but playful new ideas also bring the voice of the customer to life. One of them is the reserved seat for the customer in every coffee corner in the office.

In keeping with the transformation, Sunweb Group is recruiting top talent for key positions to help shape a futureproof travel organization. A good example is the appointment of Brenda van Leeuwen as Chief Digital Officer in February 2020.

“For the customer, their journey begins long before they pack their bags. Weeks, sometimes even months before, and usually online. As Head of Customer Experience, you are responsible for literally the entire customer journey.” – Brenda van Leeuwen, Chief Digital Officer

Vacancy: Head of Customer Experience

This role’s mission is to continuously improve the entire customer journey, from the first online orientation to interaction with local tour guides and – last but not least – booking people’s next adventure. In other words, this role is essential for the future of Sunweb Group.

The Head of Customer Experience ensures that the entire organization and all processes are dedicated to the customer experience. From beach breaks to ski holidays; from online to offline touchpoints; from marketing and sales to customer service; from IT to Finance. The transformation is already underway, the Head of Customer Experience takes this to the next level.

Based on insights into customer data and market developments, the Head of Customer Experience draws up the customer segmentation, the associated personas, and the CX strategy. They also take care of the planning, execution, and evaluation of the strategy. Think of metrics such as customer satisfaction, NPS, and retention. They will have three direct reports (and potentially more in the future) and have the influencing skills to involve other departments in the creation of a seamless customer journey.

This is a role with a lot of exposure throughout the organization. The importance of this role requires a change agent who can build on an impressive track record of having made businesses more customer-centric. Someone who has not only the right skill set but also the drive and guts to make this company-wide mind shift happen.

Sunweb Group works with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy.
Contact Jessica Lim at jessica.lim@topofminds.comfor more information.