Stefan Verstraeten
About Stefan Verstraeten
Stefan Verstraeten is the Head of Finance & Operations, Automotive and Platform Products at TomTom, with extensive experience in finance, operations, and management roles across various companies.
Current Role at TomTom
Stefan Verstraeten holds the position of Head of Finance & Operations for Automotive and Platform Products at TomTom. He has been in this role since 2020. In this capacity, he oversees financial and operational strategies, ensuring the effective management of automotive and platform product divisions. His extensive experience at TomTom positions him as a key leader in driving operational efficiencies and financial planning.
Previous Roles at TomTom
Stefan Verstraeten has held several pivotal roles at TomTom. From 2015 to 2020, he served as the COO for Automotive, based in the Gent Area, Belgium. Before that, he was the VP of Operations & Finance from 2014 to 2015. His responsibilities included operational oversight and financial governance. Moreover, from 2011 to 2013, he was the Vice President of Commercial Governance, and in 2010, he acted as the Global Purchasing Director. These roles collectively highlighted his broad expertise in operations, finance, and governance within the company.
Experience at Procter & Gamble
Before joining TomTom, Stefan Verstraeten worked at Procter & Gamble. From 2004 to 2010, he was the Purchasing Group Manager. Prior to that, he held the roles of Purchasing Manager and Senior Purchasing Manager from 1999 to 2004. His primary responsibilities revolved around managing procurement strategies and overseeing purchasing operations, contributing significantly to the company's supply chain efficiency.
Educational Background
Stefan Verstraeten has a strong educational foundation. He completed the Executive Leadership Program at Cambridge Judge Business School in 2017. He earned a Postgraduate degree in Communication and Applied Languages (Meertalige Bedrijfscommunicatie) from Universiteit Gent in 1995 and holds a degree in Naval Architecture (Civil Engineer) from Ghent University, completed in 1994. Additionally, he attended Vlerick Business School for an Executive Masterclass in Corporate Finance.
Early Career in IT
Stefan Verstraeten’s early career involved roles in IT. He worked at IBM as an IT Architect from 1997 to 1999, focusing on enterprise architecture and IT solutions. Before that, he was an IT Support Engineer at Credit Lyonnais from 1995 to 1997, where he provided technical support and maintained IT infrastructure. These roles helped him develop a strong technical foundation that has complemented his later work in operations and finance.