Roy Frijters has had a dynamic career spanning multiple countries, industries, and roles within IT and business development. With a background in technology and leadership, Roy has combined his experience from privately owned, family-owned, publicly listed companies, as well as his own ventures, to drive change and transformation projects. Born in the Netherlands and now living in Sweden, he recently completed an assignment as interim CIO at Rexel. We sat down with him to talk about his career, insights, and what motivates him.
How did your leadership journey begin?
“I grew up in the Netherlands and was always active in community organizations—I was a swimming coach, chess instructor, and scout leader in the Sea Scouts. Scouting and swimming had a big impact on my leadership style, especially lifesaving, which is a major sport in the Netherlands. In lifesaving, you compete as a team to handle simulated accidents. That taught me crisis management, communication, and collaboration – skills I still rely on today.”
What did you choose to study and why?
“I dreamed of becoming an architect but ended up studying Technical Informatics – a very technically oriented program. It was 1997, and the internet was still new. I quickly saw the potential of IT in business and specialized in Business System Engineering, completing my master’s degree by age 21. My thesis focused on how to make public information more easily accessible to citizens by using internet-based maps – a concept that was ahead of its time, way before Google Maps. Looking back, I sometimes wonder why I didn’t start a business based on that idea!”
How did your professional career start?
“After my studies, I was hired at Statistics Netherlands. I was part of an internal transformation project in a highly hierarchical organization with over 500 managers. I built the technical foundation to promote a more unified, process-oriented way of working. After three years, I was ready for something more commercial and moved on to an e-learning company, followed by a travel company. It was an exciting time when businesses were starting to shift their models to be more internet-based.
I later joined Accenture as a consultant within strategic IT effectiveness. That was an intense but enlightening phase in my life—but I hit a kind of early mid-life crisis. I had worked hard for years and wanted something else. So, I sold my house and took a sabbatical year full of sailing competitions and coaching different sailing teams. It was both liberating and inspiring.”
How did you end up in Sweden?
“When I ended my sailing year, I didn’t have a place to live, so I moved in with my Swedish girlfriend. I barely had any money and had to borrow a pair of shoes for a job interview. But I quickly learned Swedish and got a job at Connecta (now CGI) as Head of Strategic IT Practice. After six months, I became part of the management team for the management consulting division.”
You’ve worked with major players like Nordea, Thomas Cook, and ICA. What did those assignments involve?
“After Connecta, I received a three-year assignment at Nordea thanks to my network. That was the beginning of my career as an Interim Manager. I really value the flexibility of interim roles – you’re fully committed but not permanently tied down.
Then, I joined Thomas Cook as a product developer and later IT manager. Then I moved to Fenix Outdoor where I led the implementation of an entirely new retail platform. I often step in during critical transformations and I’m driven by getting things done – whether or not I have prior experience in a particular area.
During the pandemic, I worked on ICA’s e-commerce initiative. That required a massive shift both technically and organizationally. We pushed hard for early learning by building the new solution in tight collaboration with a pilot store – which turned out to be very successful.
I also co-founded a company with people from the sailing world. Skipperi started as an Airbnb for boats, and later we added a subscription service allowing users to go boating as much as they wanted around the world. We built the business from the ground up and collaborated with insurance companies, growing rapidly. The company was eventually sold to Yamaha. I chose to step away when the focus shifted too heavily toward daily operations—I prefer to work with strategy and product development.”
You recently completed an assignment as interim CIO at Rexel. Can you tell us about that?
“It was a demanding but very rewarding journey. When I came in, the organization was under stress, IT wasn’t functioning well, and trust in the IT function was low. Rexel is a large company with €7 billion in revenue but had an IT department of barely 10 people. That wasn’t sustainable.
We had to rebuild the entire structure, recruit the right talent, and clarify roles. It took about six months to create a stable foundation, and today the IT department has grown to almost 30 people. IT has moved from being undervalued to a more integrated and effective part of the business. We reduced costs, improved support levels, and introduced new ways of working. The cultural work was key – I spent nearly half my time developing collaboration and building trust.”
What are your most important takeaways as an Interim Manager?
“Listen first, then act. You have to quickly understand the current situation, analyze opportunities, and get people on board. As an interim, you need to be both humble and decisive. Sometimes, the assignment is more about culture than technology.”
What’s next?
“Right now, I’m enjoying some time off and demolishing a sauna in our yard – a project very different in scale from the work I usually take on. This past year, I also became a certified ICF leadership coach to better support individuals and teams in the future.”
Roy Frijters is a strong example of how technical expertise combined with leadership and organizational thinking can drive long-term change. With adaptability, strategic insight, and a clear focus on people, he continues to be a powerful force in Swedish and global transformation journeys.