Paul Ramakers: "I want to be visible and approachable"

24 March 2022 - Recently, Paul Ramakers, Chief Executive Officer of Exact, was interviewed by opinion magazine EW. In a personal conversation with journalist Nicolette van den Hout, Paul talks about his passion for business software, his management style and what he does to clear his mind.

"I have always had an interest in technology. When I was eighteen, I moved from Geldrop, a small town in the south of the Netherlands to Amsterdam to study economics. Quite a difficult choice. A lot of relatives studied mechanical engineering in Eindhoven and I always found that very interesting. In the end, I followed my heart and choose to study economics. I did so with the idea that this was a broader choice, which would offer many opportunities. In my current job, my interest in technology and economics comes together. Hence the passion for business software. With our technological technical solutions, we can help all kinds of entrepreneurs to optimise their business."

"As a leader, I find it important that I am visible and approachable. I am a real team player and I believe it is of great importance that there is a safe atmosphere, where open discussions can take place. I think that if you create a safe working environment, you get the best out of people. I also highly value the opportunity for people to develop. I've been working for Exact for over 26 years, but it doesn’t feel like that, because I've had the opportunity to fulfill many different positions and work in various disciplines within the organisation. I wish that for everyone, it contributes enormously to your development.

"Relaxation is definitely part of a healthy working week. I get a lot of energy through exercising, I go crossfitting once or twice a week. I like to be exhausted for an hour. And I go mountain biking occasionally. Since a few years, we - my wife and I, with our three children - have been living in Eindhoven, a city in the south of the Netherlands, close to the woods. When I'm cycling through the heath with a friend on a Saturday morning, I feel great."