Sebastiaan Verhaar
Current Position
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Sana Commerce since February 2023.
Professional Background
Sebastiaan Verhaar brings over 16 years of commercial leadership experience with a well-documented track record of transforming teams to scale growth across various industries. He has previously held strategic leadership positions at multinational corporations, including Google and Equinix. His expertise spans across strategic areas such as:
- Business Development
- Partnerships
- Channel & Enterprise Sales
- Customer Service
- Application Engineering
- Strategy
- Attracting & Leading Talent
- Driving Transformational Change
Sebastiaan has successfully developed and scaled new categories, ecosystems, and penetrated new markets globally. He has been involved in disrupting and transforming traditional industries through new technologies, including telecommunications, enterprise IT, manufacturing, and IoT.
Notable Achievements and Focus
As the CEO of Sana Commerce, Sebastiaan is focused on scaling the company's growth and further developing its ERP-integrated B2B e-commerce solutions. Under his leadership, the company's vision is to prioritize relationships over transactions, emphasizing the importance of understanding the customers of their customers. This approach aims to help manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers improve their relationships through ERP integration.
Sebastiaan has emphasized that he has experienced the value of Sana Commerce firsthand as a former client, which provides him with unique insights into the customer experience. He is dedicated to building upon the strong foundation laid by his predecessor, Michiel Schipperus, who led Sana Commerce through significant growth and transformation from a startup to a multinational scale-up.
Professional Skills and Languages
Sebastiaan is multilingual, being fluent in Dutch, English, and Spanish and proficient in French. His professional skills include:
- New Market Expansion
- Go-To-Market Strategies
- Sales Leadership
- New Business Development
- Strategic Forecasting & Planning
- Scaling Growth
Key Insights from Public Engagements
Sebastiaan Verhaar has publicly shared insights on several platforms, emphasizing Sana Commerce's role in facilitating smoother and more automated processes for B2B enterprises and improving customer experiences. The following are some notable publications and commentary:
1. How AI Will Be A Powerful Enabler In B2B E-Commerce (April 15, 2024) – Discusses the role of AI in enhancing B2B operations by making them faster, more personalized, and real-time.
2. Public Commentaries on LinkedIn – Regularly shares updates and insights about Sana Commerce’s initiatives, customer successes, and industry trends.
Company Information: Sana Commerce
Industry: Computer Software
Company Size: 501 - 1,000 employees
Sana Commerce specializes in providing a ready-to-use commerce platform engineered for B2B markets. It integrates deeply with ERP systems to facilitate streamlined, automated processes that enhance both customer and user experiences. The platform focuses on providing a supportive, personalized, and easy buying experience for customers while unburdening teams and driving faster value realization.
Conclusion
Given Sebastiaan Verhaar's extensive experience in commercial leadership and his demonstrated ability to scale and transform teams and companies, his role as CEO is anticipated to further drive Sana Commerce's growth and solidify its market position. His hands-on experience with the company's products as a former client adds a unique perspective to his leadership approach, likely benefiting both the company's strategic direction and its client relationships.
