Expert Board
Our Expert Board ensures the quality, practical impact, and continuous improvement of everything we deliver, including courses, handouts, and user cases.
- Content Overview & Quality Assurance
The experienced trainers on our Expert Board periodically review, update, and validate our learning materials to ensure their accuracy and relevance. They ensure that all programs are academically sound and aligned with real-world purchasing challenges. - Practicality
With years of hands-on experience across multiple industries, our board members help translate theory into practical tools, strategies, and case studies that learners can apply immediately. - Continuous Improvement
Serving as our sounding board for new courses, certifications, and learning formats, the board ensures that Purchasing Academy continues to meet the needs of today’s professionals and organizations.
In addition, our Expert Board members serve as personal coaches, offering our Gold Members monthly one-on-one sessions for tailored guidance.
Fred Wittmaekers
CEO & Founding Father of Purchasing Academy
- Technical University (BSc) Oil/Gas
- Marketing & Advertising education.
- Visionary in applying behavioral science to purchasing and its positioning though influencing and communication
- Pioneer of business-focused purchasing, successfully introducing Simon Sinek’s “Golden Circle” to the field
- Extensive experience as Purchasing manager, Purchasing Consultant and trainer, moderator, facilitator, motivator and inspirer across profit and not-for-profit sectors
- Highly creative and communicative
- Relevant experience: oil & gas, B2B, management & consultancy, education
Mike de Jongh
COO & Founding Father of Purchasing Academy
- Business Administration (MSc)
- Change leader in Purchasing Management
- Master in translating purchasing theory & models into working methodology to ensure tangible results
- Extensive experience as purchasing director, program manager and leader of complex projects
- Strategic thinker, connecting the dots, creating business models
- Relevant experience: healthcare, management & consultancy, temp labor, grid companies
Marieke van Veelen
Purchasing Academy Expert
- Purchasing Academy Expert
- Corporate Social Responsibility (BSc)
- Trainer in Initial Purchasing, Category Management, ContractManagement and Purchasing Management
- Extensive experience in guiding purchasing teams, structuring functions, and translating strategic intent into purchasing challenges
- Great listener and communicator
- Focused on process improvement while connecting people and balancing social values
- Combining hard work, dedication, and discipline with creativity and openness to achieve (sustainable) ambitions
- Relevant experience: healthcare, education, B2C
Els Ruiter
Purchasing Academy Expert
- Lecturer in Applied Psychology
- Trainer with focus on behavior science in purchasing (licensed Neuro-Linguistic Programming professional, combining heart & hard, leadership & communication)
- Creating dynamic and safe working environments
- Connecting people across all organizational levels
- Relevant experience: commercial services, non-profit, management & consultancy, education
Fred Kemper
Purchasing Academy Expert
- Industrial Engineering & Management (BSc)
- Trainer in Purchasing Management
- Extensive experience in setting up, leading, and developing purchasing teams and professionals towards greater job satisfaction and more effective collaboration
- Successfully positioning purchasing across multiple industries
- Highly skilled at assessing stakeholders’ interests, building connections, and influencing for successful collaboration
- Creative in finding solutions and mediating conflicts while bringing fun
- Relevant experience: construction, infrastructure, grid companies, metal, high-tech, and consumer electronics
Sander Heerbaart
Purchasing Academy Expert
- Business Administration (BSc) & Economics (BSc)
- Trainer in Contract Management
- Extensive experience in the public sector, developing purchasing functions from boardroom to work floor, with a strong focus on its positioning and strategic contribution.
- Decisive and result-oriented leader, committed to coaching professionals, personal development, effective collaboration, and team success
- Former Royal Netherlands Marine Corps
- Relevant experience: commercial services, universities, housing corporations, temp labor
Marc Janssen
Purchasing Academy Expert
- Industrial Engineering and Management (MSc)
- Seasoned Executive in the field of procurement, supply chain, contracting, strategy and business operations
- Quick, connecting, sales-oriented leader.
- Relevant experience: commercial services, technical production, grid & energy companies, management & consultancy, temp labor, consumer electronics
