Richard Lagrand
Rijswijk
Summary
I’m a business-oriented professional with a passion for tech and innovation. Since the start of my career, I’ve been drawn to products and services that enhance people’s lives while delivering measurable business impact—such as contributing to €166 million in revenue growth for KPN in 2006.
I’ve worked with corporations, startups, and even launched my own ventures, gaining diverse experience across telecommunications, fintech, software development, e-commerce, and cleantech. The common thread throughout my journey has been a commitment to driving innovation, whether through physical or digital products and services.
I’m a lifelong learner, sector-agnostic, and thrive on adapting to new challenges. Recently, I embarked on a transformative journey, combining a master’s in Informatics with an intensive full-stack software engineering program to bridge my business expertise with deep technical skills.
My dedication to learning also extends to teaching, where I contribute as a part-time lecturer at Esade Business School, guiding full-time MBA students in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This role reinforces my passion for empowering teams and driving impactful solutions.
My goal is to bring value in a head of product role, leveraging my unique blend of business vision and technical expertise to lead teams in creating meaningful products that benefit customers and drive business success.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
Work History
Associate Professor Innovation
Esade
09.2017 - Current
- Company Overview: ESADE is #9 MBA in Europe according to Financial Times (2022)
- Lecture on Innovation & business models in Digital Companies
- Course: Innovation & Business models in Digital companies
- Program: Master in Business Analytics & Full-time MBA
- Department: Operations, Innovation, and Data sciences
- Satisfaction rate: 91.7% satisfaction rating
- ESADE is #9 MBA in Europe according to Financial Times (2022)
Head of Innovation
Galp
03.2020 - 01.2023
- Company Overview: Led the innovation team (13 fte) to accelerate the company's efforts in the clean energy & e-mobility space at Galp in Lisbon under the brand of Upcoming Energies towards a lower carbon world, working on new, human-centered, energy solutions that can be economical, environmentally sustainable, and socially responsible
Serial Startup Founder
Self-employed
01.2007 - 02.2020
Started out as Freelancer for interim positions helping organizations with their digital strategies, and later (Co)founded multiple startups:
FOUNDED STARTUPS
- 2017 - 2021 Koduz Online Interior Design concept for €99 per space using AI to leverage efficiency.
- 2014 - 2016 Muzze DIY audio guide for museums at 10% of the cost of regular audio guides for temporary exhibitions.
- 2011 - 2014 Iddiz Lead Generation software for mortgages via third party agents (12 FTE) .
- 2009 - 2010 Brands2C Online volume sales & marketing concept for former flagship phones (9 FTE) .
FREELANCE WORK
- 2007 - 2023 Freelance Ad interim management consultant positions in Digital Sales & Marketing for DTG, Ziggo, Banco Sabadell, Coinrule, Travel Electric, and Noba Ventures.
Program Director
Startupbootcamp
07.2016 - 07.2019
- Company Overview: Startupbootcamp is a global accelerator of 17 industry-focused programs that support startups with direct access to an international network of the most relevant mentors, partners, investors to help them scale globally. I led the Barcelona IoT & Data tech program(9 FTE)
Manager E-business
KPN
07.1996 - 01.2007
- Company Overview: 10 years of corporate experience in the telecoms sector in various consecutive positions in: account management, senior channel manager E-commerce, and Manager E-business for the consumer branch in the Netherlands (35 FTE)
- 10 years of corporate experience in the telecoms sector in various consecutive positions in: account management, senior channel manager E-commerce, and Manager E-business for the consumer branch in the Netherlands (35 FTE)
- Managed and motivated employees to be productive and engaged in work.
Education
Full Stack Software Engineer - Software Engineering
ArolDev
Barcelona02-2025
Bachelor of Science - Informatics and Information technology
Open University of The Netherlands
Netherlands12.2023
Finance For Executives - Finance for Executives
TIAS School For Business And Society
Tilburg, Netherlands09.2008
Bachelor of Business Administration - Business Administration
Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
Rotterdam, Netherlands07.1995
Skills
Languages: Dutch (Native) English (Professional) Spanish (Professional)
Programming languages: Javascript, Typescript, HTML5, CSS, SQL (MySQL), NoSQL (MongoDB)
Frameworks & Tools: Node, Next, Vue, Express, React, Vite, React Native, React Hooks, Prisma, Mocha, Chai, Jest, Firebase, Turborepo, RESTful API
Design and UI/UX Tools: Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Tailwind, DaisyUi, AntDesign, ShadCN, Framer-Motion, Excalidraw, Mermaid Diagrams, Canva, Figma, Photoshop
Cloud Services: Digital Ocean, Amazon Web Services (AWS), AWS Lambda, Yarn, Docker, Google Cloud Platform, SDK
Process: Agile Methodology, Scrum Product Owner, GitHub, GitHub Actions, VS Code, Warp, Linear, ChatGPT, Postman, Notion
Languages
Dutch
English
Spanish
Awards
Heureka 2015 award, Berlin, GERMANY, Startup competition award from Berlin (Gründerszene) where selected finalists pitch to a jury of venture capital investors. Participated with Muzze.
Timeline
Head of Innovation
Galp
03.2020 - 01.2023
Associate Professor Innovation
Esade
09.2017 - Current
Program Director
Startupbootcamp
07.2016 - 07.2019
Serial Startup Founder
Self-employed
01.2007 - 02.2020
Manager E-business
KPN
07.1996 - 01.2007
Full Stack Software Engineer - Software Engineering
ArolDev
Bachelor of Science - Informatics and Information technology
Open University of The Netherlands
Finance For Executives - Finance for Executives
TIAS School For Business And Society
Bachelor of Business Administration - Business Administration
Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
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