During this Vision Dinner, Michiel Boots, Director-General for Economy and Digitalisation at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, will discuss how the Netherlands and Europe can strengthen their digital resilience and competitiveness in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. How can governments and businesses work together to build a digital ecosystem based on trust that promotes innovation, invests in digital infrastructure, and enhances technological resilience? What role should the private sector play in strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, and what conditions are needed to unlock investment in the technologies of the future?
Chief Executive Officers and Board Members
5:30 PM | Program starts (including presentation, discussion, and 3-course dinner)
8:30 PM | End of formal program, opportunity for informal networking
Salesforce Headquarters, Amsterdam
Director-General for Economy and Digitalization
Michiel Boots has served as Director-General for Economy and Digitalisation at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy since April 2022. Prior to this, he was Director of General Economic Policy and Chief Economist at the Ministry. Earlier in his career, he served as Policy Adviser to Prime Minister Mark Rutte at the Ministry of General Affairs and held several positions at the Ministry of Finance, including Head of Financial Stability and Deputy Director of Financial Markets.
Michiel studied Dutch Law at Leiden University and earned a Master of Studies in Legal Research from the University of Oxford. With more than twenty years of experience in the Dutch central government, he has extensive expertise in economics, finance, digitalisation, and strategic policymaking.
CEO
Paul Timmers is a leading European expert in digital strategy, cybersecurity, and technology policy. Having held the position of Director for Digital Society, Trust & Cybersecurity at the European Commission (DG CONNECT), he was instrumental in developing European policy on cybersecurity, digital privacy, and the digital economy. Currently, he advises governments, enterprises, and international organizations on digital innovation, strategic autonomy, AI, cybersecurity, and the geopolitical impact of technology. Additionally, he serves as an entrepreneur, researcher, and visiting professor at various European universities. His expertise centers on the future of the digital economy, European digital sovereignty, and Europe’s strategic positioning within a shifting geopolitical landscape.
SVP & Country Leader the Netherlands
Since January 2025, Remko has served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Country Leader for Salesforce Netherlands. In this role, he leads the Dutch sales organization, focusing on delivering AI agents and innovative technologies to customers and partners throughout the Netherlands.
With over 25 years of experience in technology and digital transformation, Remko began his career in 1997 at an HP spin-off. He subsequently spent nearly two decades at Capgemini, where he led the global Digital Customer Experience organization. Since joining Salesforce in 2017, he has headed Professional Services for Northern Europe and the EMEA Practices organization, driving strategic implementations across various growth markets.
Digital sovereignty has become one of the most pressing strategic challenges facing the Netherlands and Europe. Technology, artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, and data not only drive economic growth but also underpin our autonomy, security, and competitiveness. At the same time, Europe faces the challenge of leveraging global technological innovations while ensuring that autonomy, security, and local regulations are safeguarded. Therefore, the development of a stronger European digital ecosystem in which technology companies and local organizations collaborate constructively is increasingly high on the political and economic agenda.
During this Vision Dinner, Michiel Boots, Director-General for Economy and Digitalisation at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, will discuss how the Netherlands and Europe can strengthen their digital resilience and competitiveness in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. How can governments and businesses work together to build a digital ecosystem based on trust that promotes innovation, invests in digital infrastructure, and enhances technological resilience? What role should the private sector play in strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, and what conditions are needed to unlock investment in the technologies of the future?
The urgency is clear. As other major economic powers make substantial investments in digital infrastructure and technology ecosystems, Europe faces the challenge of combining openness with greater strategic autonomy. The central question is: how can governments and businesses work together to build a digital ecosystem that strengthens economic opportunity, safeguards public values, and advances digital sovereignty, thereby securing the long-term prosperity and strategic position of the Netherlands and Europe?
You are warmly invited to join this crucial dialogue at the Salesforce office in Amsterdam.
