Employee in the Spotlight: Quirijn van der Haven

As 2020 draws to an end, it’s time to put the spotlight on our final employee of the year, Quirijn van der Haven. Don’t worry, we’ll continue the series in 2021 as there are many more employees we still want to introduce. You see… here at Mopinion we consider our people the backbone of our business. They are what makes it possible for us to create and deliver an innovative software that guarantees great value for our customers. That is why we started the Employee in the Spotlight series in the first place. So let’s keep it going…

Meet Quirijn. Quirijn joined the Mopinion team this past November as our Marketing Team Lead. With big plans for the department this coming year and an infectious enthusiasm, we’re very excited to jumpstart the new year with him on the team! In addition to his focus on further improving our marketing efforts, Quirijn has his hands full as a father, runner and cyclist, dog lover and car enthusiast.



So what does Quirijn think about working at Mopinion? Let’s find out.

What does your position at Mopinion entail?

“As the Marketing Team Lead, I am responsible for guiding and managing a very ambitious and talented team in getting global awareness for Mopinion. We want the world to know what the added value of customer feedback is, how to harvest it and how to apply it. And that takes structured and targeted communication, strategies and advertisements.”

What initially drew you to Mopinion?

“Having a marketing background, I really like the product. As a marketer you do a lot to optimize conversion, based on a lot of data, but also assumptions. A tool like Mopinion opens up the conversation, so you get the story behind the data and can improve faster and more effectively.”

What does a typical work day look like for you?

“At the moment, I’m a remote-worker due to COVID-19, based in Gouda. The workday I hope to have is like this: Wake up around 6.30, drink a coffee, walk the dog, eat breakfast, go for a 30 minute run, hit the shower, sit behind the laptop around 8.30. Once the laptop is running, I check my email and calendar to plan my day. When I don’t go for a run I will bring my kid to the daycare.

During the day I have some video meetings with colleagues that need help or inspiration, and if there are new innovations that we need to look into. Often I (digitally) sit together with Sales and Customer Success, to discuss the marketing planning, if there are any opportunities we are missing and if we can help each other out.

And then around 5:30 in the afternoon, I’ll pick up my kid from the daycare or start prepping dinner.”

What is your favorite part about working at Mopinion?

It’s maybe cliche, but I really like the people. Starting right in the middle of the COVID-19-lockdown hasn’t been easy, but I really feel at home at Mopinion, even if I haven’t seen the office in real life.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your job?

“Mopinion is a well-known company in The Netherlands, and is getting nice traction in countries like France and the USA. But there is still a lot to win! And it is still a young company. So sometimes the data one would want is not available. Also, we are growing very fast. And that means that we have to adapt quite often. It’s something that I really like, because it keeps me focused, but it is also a very big challenge.”

What is your proudest moment at Mopinion?

“I am really happy how we work in the team, and I am sort of proud how we have become more data-savvy.”

And now for some fun questions…

What do you like to do in your free time?

“I like to run and cycle long distances. Also, I have a little son and he takes up a lot of time. Additionally, I love to go to the zoo and to do some city trips.”

What is your guilty pleasure?

“As it turns out, I really like to play with my kid’s Duplo legos. I’m also kind of a fan of some upbeat South African hip hop music. It’s really interesting to hear the similarities between Dutch and Afrikaans.”

Who inspires you?

“I really like DEEWEE, a music label from 2 Belgium brothers. They really like to do things differently. I also like Elon Musk and Netflix’s Black Mirror series. It’s really interesting to see how they think about the future.”

What is one thing you can’t live without?

“A challenge”, he tells us.

“Without a challenge I get distracted and bored. So I need to have ambitious goals, for work, but also in my personal life.”

What is your favorite quote?

“You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”

What is your biggest fear?

“There was once a snake in our hall, and I’ve never felt more scared in my life. So bright colored hissing snakes that are not behind glass.”

Looks like Quirijn isn’t the only one at Mopinion afraid of snakes!

Where do you see yourself in five years?

“I hope that I can grow together with Mopinion. It’s such a nice company with so much learning potential. So in five years, I hope to be on top of the Marketing game, and hopefully be able to teach Marketing 1 or 2 days a week to students.”

What is something that not many people know about you?

“I think I know 90% of all the cars in the world… Don’t ask me why, I just do!”

And that’s a wrap for 2020!

We hope you’ve enjoyed the Employee Spotlight series thus far! For a recap of this past year’s stories, click here. And stay tuned for our January spotlight…