RiskTalk: Risk, collaboration and new ideas at the Summer Meet-Up
At the Risky Summer Meet-up in Amsterdam, colleagues, clients, partners and friends of 3rdRisk shared stories of progress. From Deloitte’s “golden marriage” of teamwork and tech to PostNL’s move from spreadsheets to simplicity. The message was clear: risk management thrives on connection, collaboration and making complexity simple.
Listen to the full Risk Talk episode (in Dutch) here → Risk Talk: Risky Summer Meet-up Special
On a sunny afternoon at Hangar in Amsterdam, overlooking the IJ, risk and compliance professionals gathered for the third edition of the Risky Summer Meet-up, an informal yet inspiring event bringing together clients, partners and friends of 3rdRisk. Hosted by Rudy Nicola and Jelle Groenendaal, our CMO & co-founder, this special episode featured five conversations with people representing the many perspectives that shape our field: a consultant, a customer, a colleague, an investor and the founders of 3rdRisk.
The result? An authentic snapshot of where the world of risk and compliance stands today and where it is heading.
Technology and teamwork: A golden match
The first conversation was with Laura Dolfyn, Director at Deloitte Belgium, who leads their Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) practice. She described how the collaboration between Deloitte, 3rdRisk and one of Belgium’s leading financial institutions turned into what she called “a golden marriage” — combining Deloitte’s expertise with 3rdRisk’s technology to deliver managed TPRM services.
“I don’t believe in Excel spreadsheets anymore,” Laura said. “Technology is essential to make third-party risk management work in practice. Without it, incidents are bound to happen.”
According to Laura, many organisations in the Benelux are still maturing in their approach to TPRM, but the shift towards proactive, technology-enabled risk management is gaining momentum. The key, she said, is to start small but concrete, involve all stakeholders, and adopt a holistic view across risk domains.
From spreadsheets to simplicity: The PostNL story
Next, Ray Esajas, Compliance Officer at PostNL, shared his experience of implementing 3rdRisk to manage the risks associated with thousands of delivery partners.
“We used to work in Excel. Now we have real-time insight into which partners carry higher risks and where we need to pay more attention.”
Transitioning to a new system wasn’t without resistance, Ray admitted. But with clear communication and practical training, his team quickly saw the benefits. For PostNL, third-party risk management is not about bureaucracy — it’s about trust, transparency and making life easier for small delivery partners.
“We’re now even experimenting with AI for suppliers,” added Jelle. “Suppliers can upload their evidence and have large parts of the questionnaire automatically completed. It saves time and improves data quality.”
Our people behind the platform
The third conversation moved inside 3rdRisk itself, with Nedim Bjelić, Customer Experience Manager. He described the company culture as “never boring” and deeply focused on helping customers succeed.
From onboarding and support to creating instructional videos and DORA compliance checklists, Nedim and the team are constantly improving how customers experience the platform.
“The best moment is when a client writes to say: ‘Thanks, this made my job easier.’ That’s why we do it,” Nedim said.
Co-host Jelle added, “We call it the Red Carpet Treatment. Every interaction should make customers feel they’re in good hands.”
Thinking bigger: An investor’s view
What convinced early investor Hans Snel to back 3rdRisk? A clear market need, an exceptional team and a product with global potential.
“The software was already far ahead of its stage. It had international traction and addressed a massive market,” Hans recalled.
He encouraged the founders to “work on the company, not just in the company” — advice that still resonates today. For Hans, the strength of 3rdRisk lies in being a niche champion: focused, specialised and agile compared to the heavy, slow-moving enterprise suites.
“The market for TPRM and supply chain governance deserves a world-class player,” he said. “And 3rdRisk has everything it takes to become one.”
Founders’ reflections: Building a community of trust
To close, Rudy sat down with Bram Ketting, Rick Sollet and Jelle Groenendaal, the founders of 3rdRisk. Surrounded by customers, partners and colleagues, they reflected on how far the community has come.
“Seeing our clients connect with each other, share experiences and even form friendships, that’s what it’s all about,” said Rick.
The founders shared their pride in long-term client relationships, such as Jumbo Supermarkten, which recently extended its contract for another three years. They also offered a glimpse into the future: the growing role of AI in simplifying supplier assessments and helping organisations meet evolving regulations like DORA, NIS-2 and the CSRD.
“Ultimately, our mission is to make risk management human again — simple, transparent and effective,” Jelle concluded.
The Takeaway: Connection, Collaboration and Continuous Improvement
The Risky Summer Meet-up was more than an event. It was a reminder that risk and compliance are not just about frameworks and tools; they’re about people, ideas and shared purpose.
Whether you’re a consultant, compliance officer, or risk manager, the message was clear: start small, think big, and use technology to turn complexity into clarity.
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