Newly Elected President of European Chapter Board

by Suzanne Kaminski

At the 2008 Technology Services Europe (TSE) conference, Dick Ruijsenberg, managing director and co-owner of M.S.O.- Multi Micro Service Organisatie, was elected as the new President of the European Chapter Board for AFSMI, as Martin Gilday, former vice president and general manager of operations, Unisys Global Outsourcing and Infrastructure Services Europe, stepped down from the helm officially on June 1.

The European region holds an important position in the services spectrum; given the geographical factors and the tremendous change that’s taken place over the last decade and a half. According to JB Wood, AFSMI CEO, “Because AFSMI headquarters is based in the United States, we felt it was important to add an additional resource for our international members and chapter presidents. The President of the European Chapter Board is in an optimal position to support AFSMI in expanding the growth of AFSMI Corporate and Individual Membership and to help build strong chapters within the European regions.”

I was pleased to have had the opportunity to speak with both Martin and Dick about their histories (both professional and with AFSMI), their outlook on services in Europe, and their experiences and goals with regard to the charter of the role of President of the European Chapter Board.

Martin Gilday
Former Vice President and General Manager of Operations
Unisys Global Outsourcing and Infrastructure Services Europe

Martin has worked in the high-tech/IT services industry for over 25 years. He started out in a manufacturing environment for Tektronix, producing high-end electronic measuring equipment, and then moved on into IT services while working for Burroughs Computers and Unisys. He has held positions in many areas of IT services, from customer service and project management, through account management, business development, and into country and regional leadership positions. Most recently he was vice president and general manager for operations for Unisys Global Outsourcing and Infrastructure Services in Europe.

Martin has been a member of AFSMI since 1997 and became a member of the EMEA Board of Directors in 2002. He then joined the AFSMI International Board of Directors in 2003, representing the EMEA region and holding the Secretary position for the Board.

When I asked Martin what benefits he received from his role as President of the European Chapter Board, he said that he considered serving in this capacity to be an honor: “Representing the European region and serving on the European Chapter Board has been a privilege, and with the growing importance of global services, I was pleased to be able to raise the profile of the European service landscape and work with many of my colleagues and peers in the development of s-business. The European region is a key geography in the global services environment, and capitalizing on the rich diversity of the region is vital for the success of any global enterprise. AFSMI is ideally positioned to play a leadership role in facilitating this development, and the European chapter teams have established a strong foundation. I wish Dick the very best in all of his future endeavors…I know that with his great experience and passion for the business, he will do very well indeed in setting and achieving goals for the European region.”

Dick Ruijsenberg
Managing Director and Co-owner of M.S.O.- Multi Micro Service Organisatie

Dick began working in 1961 as a professional in the firefighting industry. He lived in Amsterdam and in 1969 earned a degree in mechanical engineering. He obtained a position with sales and marketing responsibility at AJAX Firefighting Equipment, where he was responsible for international services on stationary, rolling, and electronic firefighting equipment. Dick held this position until 1972. After this, he was with Océ van der Grinten for eight years, where he was involved in service management for printing/copying equipment. In 1988, he became general manager of service and logistics at Canon Business Machines Netherlands. Today, Dick is managing director and co-owner of M.S.O.- Multi Micro Service Organisatie, an independent service provider in The Netherlands, which boasts 130 employees and an annual turnover of €10 million. MSO delivers a wide array of smart technical and logistic services in IT, telecom, retail, cash processing, and AV markets. They are honored to include such industry leaders as HP, IBM, Canon, Ricoh, and Fujitsu in their customer roster.

Dick began his affiliation with AFSMI in 1989 as a member of the The Netherlands Chapter. He became a member of the chapter’s board of directors in 1991, and in 1995 he moved up the ranks to arrive at his current role as vice president of the chapter’s board. Together with the other board members, Dick helps to organize many of the The Netherlands Chapter meetings, activities, and events. In addition to this, Dick is responsible for maintaining a listing of all of AFSMI’s international contacts. Dick is proud to be able to say that since 1989, he has visited nearly all European and U.S. chapters of AFSMI—quite an achievement, and we are especially proud of Dick’s accomplishment in this area..

In 2006, Dick became a member of the esteemed AFSMI President’s Club, and in 2007, he was elected to the AFSMI Advisory Board. And now, with the new election that took place at TSE in April, his new role as President of the European Chapter Board takes effect on June 1, when he will take over the reigns from Martin.

When I asked Dick what he hopes to gain from his new role as President of the European Chapter Board, he had one main goal in mind: helping AFSMI to revitalize in Europe and to become the largest and most important worldwide association for services executives and their organizations. “AFSMI is positioned to be the best-quality source of information relating to the services industry and the best practices of today and into the future,” he said. “AFSMI will help services executives and their organizations to use the most valuable information, to implement the best available practices in the world, and to be optimally prepared for changes that the future will bring.”

In closing, I’d like to thank both Martin and Dick for their time in speaking with me. And of course I wish them both well in all of their endeavors. Should you have any questions or would like to get in touch with Dick regarding the European Chapter Board, you may reach him at DRuijsenberg@MSO.com.

Suzanne Kaminski
Editor-in-Chief
AFSMI Newsline

Newly Elected President of European Chapter Board

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