Meet Alex

Even after arriving in the Netherlands, his childhood remained turbulent. Not only did he struggle to cope with the traumatic experiences he had experienced during the war, he also became a victim of domestic violence. Alex found his escape in gaming; a hobby he later turned into his profession. After years of working as a game developer, Alex decided to take the gamble and started his own company: Enliven. 

Enliven is the first Dutch company to use virtual reality entirely for a social purpose. The mission? To make a change and create a safer, more inclusive world. It is precisely his personal experience that makes Alex so successful as an impact-driven entrepreneur. ''At Enliven, we use VR technology to change the understanding of and response to domestic violence, discrimination and bullying. In this way, we hope to prevent people from having to endure the pain of societal challenges that I have faced.''

Since the launch in 2014, his company has experienced tremendous growth: they have worked with Google and the Ministry of Justice, among others.  

Until early 2023, Alex was CEO himself. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that he still preferred to focus on his passion: game development and creating beautiful solutions. Therefore, he chose to continue in the role of CPO, Chief Product Officer. ''The challenge then was to find someone for the role of CEO who complemented me well,'' Alex tells himself here. ''We wanted not only someone with sufficient knowledge and experience, but also someone who recognises himself in our mission. Someone who not only focuses on turnover and results, but also on social impact.'' 

On the recommendation of his investors, he ended up with Madelon Strijbos of Robert Walters. ''It clicked right away. Madelon handled the process very expertly and understood exactly what I needed.''  

Alex and Madelon were left with two suitable candidates for the role. One experienced CEO and someone with no executive experience, but with a proven track record in other senior positions in business. ''Initially, I was leaning towards the more experienced candidate,'' Alex says. ''However, a conversation with Madelon opened my eyes. She emphasised that the second candidate indeed had less experience, but was a perfect fit for our organisation. The candidate in question embodied everything Enliven stands for: empathy, passion, human values.'' In the end, it turned out to be a golden match. ''Without Madelon and Robert Walters, I would never have been able to find a CEO who fit so well with me and Enliven. I could not have wished for a better person than Madelon to assist me in such an important journey.''