Our Experts
Anaezi Modu
She brings the best intersection of art and science resulting from degrees in architecture and design to BUILDPLAY. Her experience includes creating and delivering educational workshops for executives at Harvard University, SVP role in brand strategy and information architecture at Bank of America, speaking presentations at international conferences, and running her own architecture and interiors consulting firm.
Anaezi holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and Urban Planning from Princeton University, and a Master of Architecture and Design from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, incorporating studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
marc cloosterman
Marc Cloosterman is CEO, VIM Group and Author, Future-Proof Your Brand: Data-Driven Insights to Implement, Manage, and Optimise Your Brand Performance
As an experienced and passionate consultant to the boardroom, Marc founded VIM Group to develop the discipline of brand implementation and management with a focus on improving marketplace valuation. While being trained at KPMG and INSEAD, he ‘lost his way’ and started working in marketing, branding and communication.
Marc has personally advised and worked with an extensive list of leading brands, including Airbus Group, Merck, ABB, BMW, TUI Travel, Deloitte, Nordea, Deutsche Telekom, Medtronic, Skoda, and Air Liquide.
Since 2004, he has been a non-executive director of Brand Finance, the world’s leading independent brand valuation consultancy. Marc speaks three languages (Dutch, English, and German), and he regularly gives talks to practitioners and academics. He has written extensively about brand implementation and management.
Seyi Fabode
Seyi Fabode is founder of Asha Labs and co-founder of Varuna. He has more than 16 years of experience developing, deploying, and investing in technology solutions for the utility industry. Prior to founding Varuna, Seyi spent several years consulting with leading utilities in the US and emerging markets on technology strategy and product development. This came after founding, raising venture capital, hiring an amazing team for and eventually selling Power2Switch, the leading retail energy marketplace technology company.
Living, studying and working on three continents give Seyi a unique lens through which he identifies global trends, opportunities and risks. This background helped him to drive success for a venture-capital-backed energy technology company in the US.
Seyi was named a Linkedin Global Top Voice in Technology for two years. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an MSc in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from Warwick University in the UK. He is the author of 40 Semi-Obvious Startup Lessons and writes well-received and often-quoted articles on innovation, technology, and global trends.
Laurens Hoekstra
Laurens Hoekstra is CSO, VIM Group and Author, Future-Proof Your Brand: Data-Driven Insights to Implement, Manage, and Optimise Your Brand Performance
Laurens is cofounder and chief strategy officer of VIM Group. He is an accomplished expert in logistics, supply chain management, brand implementation and management; supporting the boardroom and executive leadership. That support includes his frequent role as an active part of client steering committees.
Laurens has worked with leading international companies such as ING Group, SkyTeam, KPN, IKEA, Air France–KLM, Renewi, and Wolters Kluwer. As a result of his invaluable body of knowledge on brand performance, he often delivers lectures about brand implementation and management. He was trained at Kuehne & Nagel and INSEAD.
