With the establishment of the Centre of Excellence, HeadFirst is taking a new step in further professionalising and scaling its services. Arco Elsman (COO) and Thomas Waldman (Director Centre of Excellence) share their vision on ambitions, approach, and the power of collaboration.
International experience as a foundation
With the arrival of Thomas Waldman as Director Centre of Excellence, HeadFirst brings a wealth of international experience in implementation, change management, and process optimisation in-house. Waldman has 20 years of experience in Talent Acquisition and HR services, partly from the supplier side but mainly from the client’s perspective. He played a significant role in establishing and improving TA strategies at organisations such as Shell, Thuisbezorgd.nl, and Action. “I have now worked in more than 25 countries on implementing nearly 40 MSP, RPO, and other intermediary solutions. From system selection and configuration to actual operational execution,” says Waldman.
According to Elsman, that broad experience, from both supplier and client sides, is essential for successfully implementing HR-tech solutions with (new) clients. “Having been responsible for talent acquisition for years, both permanent and temporary hiring, he understands well which themes are at play for clients. It’s not just about controlling costs or compliance, but also about change management and buy-in from the client’s hiring managers, as they are ultimately the users of our services.”
Everything under one roof, without internal barriers
The task is clear: to ensure that both new and existing customers maximise their use of HeadFirst's HR tech solutions. This requires excellent implementations and a continuous drive for improvement. “We want to be future ready as an organisation,” Elsman explains. “This means we continuously develop our services and products, focusing on the automation and robotisation of administrative tasks to free up more time for high-quality personal interaction.”
What further distinguishes the Centre of Excellence is the integrated way of working. Instead of compartmentalisation, there is close cooperation between commerce, operations, implementation and client development. “We have no internal competition, but a joint focus on delivering the best result for the customer,” Waldman adds. “All the necessary expertise is available within one organisation, making us both agile and powerful.”
A consistent approach, applicable worldwide
HeadFirst's international ambitions align seamlessly with Waldman's background. “I know what is involved in global implementations. Every market has its own dynamics, but clients expect a consistent approach. This is exactly what we are building here: a framework that is internationally scalable, without losing sight of the local context.”
HeadFirst works for hundreds of leading (international) clients across diverse sectors. “It's impressive to see how many impactful organisations HeadFirst already counts among its clientele. That speaks volumes about the confidence in the quality of the services and at the same time creates the responsibility to continue to lead the way,” Waldman says.
Looking ahead with a future-oriented mindset
What Waldman finds most appealing in his new role is the energy and expertise within HeadFirst. “My first impression was one of high quality. Here, people with the know-how and a strong drive to really make the most of everything work. That fits perfectly with my ambition not only to optimise but to truly innovate. I am eager to build on the services of tomorrow with this team.”
Elsman adds: “I am pleased that Thomas has joined our team. His broad experience in talent acquisition, implementation and change management is unique in the market. I have every confidence in the value we will add together for our clients.”
