Welcome

I focus on building genuine expertise, establishing a clearly trusted reputation, and creating market authority. This means consistent positioning across the entire stakeholder chain: practical, effective and aligned throughout the organization. I approach marketing with a strong sales and commercial perspective, working broadly across the business with an open mind.

To me, commercial success is about more than just being visible; it is about how you are perceived. It is about influencing both how people think (perception) and how they act (behavior). That is why I emphasize differentiation and the development of a credible, compelling story. I help technical products become easier to understand, make it easier for sales teams to gain traction, and enable customers to build trust in what you do more quickly.

I connect traditional B2B products and systems with the demands of a changing market, adapting to new patterns in buying behavior. In doing so, I focus on themes such as sustainability, circularity, service, trust, and partnership. ESG and circularity are not buzzwords to me, but ways to create tangible value and make a business future-proof. New Business Development and determining strategy and direction play a crucial role in this.

By combining strategy, creativity, and data, I help organizations not only strengthen their position today but also prepare for the challenges of tomorrow. A key part of this is engaging the internal organization, because true brand value starts when employees embrace and carry the story themselves.

I’m a down-to-earth, a natural leader, and i have both feet firmly on the ground. I understand long-term developments and visions and translate them back into practical, short-term actions in a hands-on manner.

What I stand for

I am currently exploring new career opportunities in an inspiring environment and am available to start immediately. My preference is for a permanent position, but I am also open to supporting organizations on a temporary or contract basis. Feel free to get in touch directly or via LinkedIn and we can have a brief conversation to see whether I might be the right fit for your needs.

Driving B2B growth: From strategy to results

In a permanent commercial management role, I aim to contribute to the growth of a B2B organization by creating stronger alignment between marketing, sales, and business development. Not as separate disciplines, but as one integrated commercial approach that directly drives business results.

I translate complex challenges related to sustainability, regulation, market developments, and customer needs into clear strategic choices, compelling value propositions, and new growth opportunities. Operating at the intersection of strategy and execution, I bridge the gap between market insight and positioning on the one hand, and implementation and measurable results on the other.

With more than twenty years of experience in industrial and technical B2B environments, I help organizations strengthen their commercial effectiveness. I connect people, processes, and propositions, build alignment and commitment, and ensure that plans are successfully executed.

My approach starts externally with customers, markets, and stakeholders. Based on these insights, I work with organizations to build sustainable growth, competitive differentiation, and long-term market value, both nationally and internationally.

Product Circularity - positioning & winner Rethink Award

Winner of the Rethink Award for reusable raw materials
Winning the Rethink Award was, for me, a confirmation of my role as a frontrunner in sustainability within the manufacturing industry.
The Rethink Award is a biennial prize presented by Federatie NRK and Plastics Europe to companies whose products and initiatives contribute to sustainability and the circular economy within the rubber and plastics sector. The award celebrates pioneers in sustainable and circular rubber and plastics and rewards innovations based on the principles of Redesign, Reduce, Reuse, Renew, and Recycle.

While this recognition often centers around plastics and packaging, I succeeded in placing rubber—a material rarely highlighted—at the forefront within the Renewable Raw Materials category.
During my pitch to the NRK jury, I already sensed I had something unique: a vision and process that reached beyond the familiar boundaries of the industry. Convincing the association to nominate my projects demonstrated my ability to connect the language of innovation and circularity with the realities of the market.

For me, this award was not an endpoint but rather proof that with courage, strategy, and perseverance, you can move even a traditional industry forward.

Executed concepts and projects

Renovation Proposition - Framing Opportunities

From new construction to renovation: The new reality in construction
The construction sector has been caught in a vacuum for several years: slow decision-making, delayed permits and a shortage of skilled labor are stalling new developments. As a result, building owners are shifting their focus toward renovation and sustainability of existing properties.

In particular, industrial and distribution roofs from the 1990s are urgently in need of replacement. Aging materials, damage and stricter energy standards make renovation inevitable. At the same time, there is a growing desire to preserve existing systems, a choice that generates substantial savings on dismantling and disposal costs.

For manufacturers and suppliers in the building materials industry, this represents a clear opportunity: offering sustainable, compatible system solutions that integrate with existing structures. In this way, renovation becomes not merely a technical necessity but a strategic growth market within the broader energy transition.

Change is not a threat, it’s an opportunity.
Opportunities that I have seized by connecting challenges to new possibilities.

Product Positioning – Tapping into New Channels

Over the past 10 to 15 years, the construction sector has undergone a clear transformation, from employment to self-employment. This shift has been strongly reinforced by foreign professionals. The explosive growth of self-employed contractors has created a new landscape of choice and purchasing behavior, where speed, availability, and convenience are the key drivers.

While traditional roofing contractors tend to work from a position of specialization, the self-employed professional often operates as a versatile all-rounder. This group is not primarily looking for brands, but for solutions, ideally through a single point of contact. As a result, there has been a clear shift from specialized roofing suppliers toward the broader building materials trade, where the one-stop-shop concept has become the new competitive advantage.

From employment to self-employment: A new dynamic in the construction chain

® Logodesign

Benno is a down-to-earth and creative professional who gives his absolute best, a rare combination of qualities. We worked together wonderfully, and the company, then still Hertalan, flourished during a challenging period.

Gé Morssink - Managing Director
Hertalan Rubber Products

If you’re looking for an experienced marketer, you simply can’t overlook Benno. Driven and passionate about his craft best describe his way of working — always with a broad strategic perspective and a keen eye for detail.

Bart van Beek - Managing Director
Van Beek EPDM

Contact

Also visit my UK profile on LinkedIn or request my CV in Dutch, English, or German.

benno.nijenhuis@outlook.com

+31 6 18724238

© 2025. Benno Nijenhuis

linkedin.com/in/benno-nijenhuis