So this is me, Willem. Hi 👋

I am (officially) a cultural historian and a city person who became an allround web development professional living in the countryside. I created my first website twenty years ago and since then, I have worked on websites for small cultural organizations and large global corporations – and everything in between.

Early in my career, I worked on various online things related to culture and history, like an interactive application for music education and a community platform for the Amsterdamse School architectural style. For larger projects, I often worked together with designers and developers. After that, I began focusing on building things on my own for all kinds of organizations. Most of the things I have built were based on WordPress, the open-source content management system that still powers >35% of the web. As a result, as a programmer, I feel most comfortable working with PHP, HTML and CSS.

At Syde, the enterprise WordPress agency I worked for until the end of 2024, I have switched from development to project leadership, maintaining client relationships and mentoring new developers in the team. Next to these roles, I have led various internal initiatives for cross-team collaboration, hosted and facilitated workshops during management meetings and company offsites, and supported the marketing efforts as an individual contributor.

But starting January 2025, I am available for a new challenge.

So what’s next?

I am looking for a role in a product-related role in which I can use my broad technical experience, as well as my analytical and communicative skills. Finding out the goals and challenges of users or developers; testing and building new features with their input and collaboration; I am keen to get back to product ownership, developer relations and community engagement.

If you are – or know people who are – currently working on something and could use an extra pair of hands or someone who can write – let me know!

What can you expect when working with me?

My first website was about Dungeons and Dragons and my first character in that game was a bard, a class typically described as the jack-of-all-trades of the fantasy world. In the real world, I am not much different. I am a naturally curious person who easily connects with people and pushes initiatives forward with enthusiasm and perseverance.

I deeply value clear communication, transparent and inclusive processes, and well-written documentation. I thrive in environments where serious writing and joyful banter can go hand in hand. Whether you need a committed individual contributor or a technically versed servant leader, I will bring dedication, versatility and empathy to your team.

If you’re interested in the kind of work have done before, here’s my CV.