3D printer manufacturer Ultimaker has made a big change at the top, not too long after doing so once before. They’ve got a new CEO, but he’s not exactly new.
There’s a bit of history here. Ultimaker was founded in 2011 by three fellows, who had significant experience with RepRap 3D printers: Martijn Elserman, Erik de Bruijn, and Siert Wijnia. Their first product, the Ultimaker “original”, was a huge hit due to its reliability and performance. This led to a rapidly growing company.
But companies must change their structure and culture if they hope to grow, survive and thrive. To achieve this, Ultimaker hired on veteran CEO Henk van Gils in June 2012, presumably to help them reorganize for growth. In fact, Ultimaker’s internal org chart changed very significantly, in ways that we see position for massive growth.
But it’s a transition that seems to have been completed, as the friendly Mr. van Gils now departs as CEO and is replaced by – none other than co-founder Siert Wijnia.
We think it’s a brilliant move. The founders were wise enough to realize they required professional assistance to reorganize the company, which they then can run themselves.
Expect big things from Ultimaker from now forward.
Via Ultimaker