Marketing Leader
EMBA · Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
I build marketing strategies that turn creative ideas into measurable business growth across brand, digital, partnerships, and emerging markets.
Janique Smeets
Signature Achievements
Building Flume Europe from the Ground Up
Expansion to Benelux
Experience Timeline
Account Director
First European hire for a South African digital marketing agency, brought on to build the EU market from scratch.
- Managed European client portfolio across the Netherlands, UK, Germany, and Switzerland — coordinating delivery with a cross-functional, multicultural team in South Africa spanning multiple disciplines (strategy, creative, tech, and more)
- Built the EU new business pipeline from the ground up, prospecting 100+ potential clients in the Netherlands and coordinating proposals with local companies
- Led PR and brand awareness efforts to establish Flume's visibility across Europe, including press coverage and targeted campaigns in the Netherlands
Team Leader, Online Marketing
Grew from Project Manager to Senior Team Leader over 9 years, driving online marketing operations and leading international expansion across the Benelux.
- Progressed from managing national digital projects to leading teams and accounts across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg — spanning new business development, online strategy consulting, operations, recruitment, and data analysis
- Spearheaded international expansion into Belgium and Luxembourg, growing the client base from single digits to 100+
- Secured a landmark contract with the Municipality of Antwerp covering 15+ clients, with 20+ additional clients acquired within the first 3 years
- Google Ads & Google Analytics certified — brought a data-driven foundation to online marketing strategy across all markets
Visiting Lecturer
Taught several online marketing classes to students of the minor Cultural Entrepreneurship in Amsterdam.
How I Lead
Data-Informed Creativity
I combine analytical rigor with creative boldness. Every campaign is grounded in data, but powered by human insight and storytelling that resonates.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Marketing doesn't exist in a silo. I build bridges across sales, product, and operations to ensure alignment and shared ownership of growth.
Commercial Mindset
Every marketing investment must tie back to revenue. I obsess over pipeline quality, conversion rates, and customer lifetime value—not vanity metrics.
Scalable Systems
I build marketing engines, not one-off campaigns. Repeatable frameworks, documented processes, and clear metrics that outlast individual initiatives.
Team Empowerment
Great marketing comes from great teams. I hire for potential, coach for growth, and create environments where creativity and ownership thrive.
Growth Thinking
I'm energized by zero-to-one challenges: new markets, new products, new categories. Where others see constraints, I see creative opportunity.
Beyond the Resume
What Energizes Me
Building things from scratch. Whether it's a new European market, a client portfolio, or a brand presence, I thrive on going from zero to something real. I've done it at INTK across the Benelux and again at Flume across Europe, and that challenge never gets old.
Industries I Love
Digital marketing is my home. I love the craft of it: strategy, data, creativity and how it all drives real results. I started in the cultural sector, but over time moved into working with companies across all industries. What drives me is not the sector. It is the impact.
Leadership Style
I'm cross-cultural by nature, having managed teams across the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and South Africa. I lead with empathy and accountability, giving people ownership, clear expectations, and the support to do their best work. High standards, high trust, high growth.
Executive MBA
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (2021 to 2022). The program deepened my strategic thinking across business analytics, financial management, operations, and leadership, giving me the commercial foundation to lead not just marketing, but the whole business.
Let's Build Something Great
I'm open to Director/VP Marketing roles in Amsterdam (hybrid) and leadership opportunities where strategy, creativity, and growth intersect.