Arnout Mostert studied Political Science at Leiden University in The Netherlands and subsequently joined Shell where he worked from 1994 until 2002 in four global Marketing & Communications roles, mostly based in London. In 2003 he obtained an MBA from INSEAD, after which he worked in Singapore in regional business development roles for Interbrand (brand consulting) and Fallon (advertising). In 2006, he co-founded Conference Bay, an online platform that made buying conference tickets more efficient and profitable. Conference Bay did not take off as planned and in 2009 he and his co-founder decided to start a new venture, AccelerAsia, a company that helps B2B technology scaleups with business development & sales in the rapidly expanding Southeast Asian and Australian markets. He also helped create a Singapore-based investment fund aimed at promising technology companies in the region. After moving back to the Netherlands Arnout joined De Vroedt & Thierry, combining his networking, coaching, and business development skills as a partner for practices like Digital & Tech, Food & Agri, and Retail/FMCG.

Arnout’s vision
‘I believe it is better to have an A team with a B product or service than the other way around. Identifying A players is crucial for organisations and over the years I have worked with a wide variety of organisations and witnessed how they do so. I have also learned a lot from hiring a very diverse group of people for my own companies. The selection, however, is only part of the story. Leaders also need to know when to get out of the way and let talent achieve stellar results. Especially in today’s rapidly changing environment.’