HeadFirst Group accelerates growth ambitions with revamped board

As of February 1, 2025 Willem Verhaagen started as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at HR-tech service provider HeadFirst Group. He succeeds Marjolein Slappendel and brings with him extensive financial and strategic experience in the HR and recruitment sector. According to Marion van Happen, CEO of HeadFirst Group, Verhaagen is thus well positioned to support further growth and international expansion. "His international track record as CFO make him a valuable addition to our executive team. Together we will take the next step in our growth ambitions."

Verhaagen's return to the HR sector
With extensive experience in finance and the HR sector, Willem Verhaagen brings valuable expertise. He began his career at Randstad in 2007 as Manager of Finance & Control. Then, between 2012 and 2022, Verhaagen held various CFO positions at Randstad, both in the Netherlands and internationally. Since 2023, he was CFO of EyeCare Group. "With my start at HeadFirst Group, I return to the HR and recruitment sector, a sector that is constantly on the move. The dynamics and energy that this sector and HeadFirst Group bring with it, appeal to me a lot," Verhaagen said.

Strategic vision and renewed board
Verhaagen forms the management board of HeadFirst Group together with CEO Marion van Happen, CCO Renger Lammers and COO Arco Elsman. In this structure, the responsibilities for finance, commerce and operations are group-wide invested in the board. This facilitates cooperation and ensures that the entire organization is aligned with the common mission: a transparent and balanced labor market, without bias, in which organizations and talent are perfectly connected. For example, the operational teams of all labels, including the Belgian ProUnity, fall under COO Arco Elsman. This has laid a solid foundation for sustainable growth, with a focus on further internationalization and strengthening HR-tech services.

Van Happen says, "We are proud to share important updates that mark the beginning of a new chapter for our organization. These are important in our journey to position HeadFirst Group as a market leader in HR tech. In recent months, we have simplified and streamlined our organizational model. This allows us to respond faster to market dynamics and collectively achieve our ambitious goals."

Appointment Edzard Overbeek Group CEO HeadFirst Global
In addition, HeadFirst Global, the combination of HeadFirst Group and Impellam Group, recently announced the appointment of Edzard Overbeek as Group CEO. With Overbeek at the helm, the organization underscores its ambition to deliver leading HR tech solutions globally, driven by innovative technology and data and the largest network of STEM talent and partners. Overbeek's leadership strengthens HeadFirst Global's position as a leading HR-tech ecosystem and sets the company on course for further growth and internationalization.