Biography Ruud Hendriks | From offshore radio DJ to investor

About Ruud

From pirate radio to the boardroom - and beyond

Ruud Hendriks (born 8 April 1959) is a leading entrepreneur and authority on innovation. He is co-founder of the first commercial radio and TV stations in the Netherlands: Sky Radio, Radio 10, RTL 4 and RTL 5.

In 2011 he decided to reinvent himself and left the media industry to co-found Startupbootcamp - the largest startup accelerator outside the US. Since then, Startupbootcamp has accelerated over 1,800 startups. Ruud is an indirect shareholder in more than 1,200 companies.

He is a member of the supervisory board of Invest-NL and advisory board member of growth hacking agency Sprints and Sneakers.

Previously he served on the supervisory boards of Theodor Gilissen Bankiers, UBF, Radio 538 and het Parool. He was also a member of the advisory board of Rabobank and the board of trustees of the Frans Hals Museum.

As a sought-after speaker, podcaster and author he connects the worlds of tech, media and entrepreneurship. His annual The State of Tech presentation has become an institution. Together with Richard Bross he hosts the popular podcast and vodcast Go Getters!

Ruud is also the executive producer and developer of The State of Tech - the Netherlands' first fully automated, AI-produced tech podcast.

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Key facts

Born: 8 April 1959, Amsterdam
Started as: Club and radio DJ, journalist
Media: Co-founder Sky Radio, Radio 10, RTL 4, RTL 5
1992: President NBC Europe / CNBC Europe, London
1994-2001: Executive board Endemol (€135M → €5.3B)
Now: Chairman Startupbootcamp - 1,800+ startups accelerated
Podcasts: The State of Tech (exec. producer) & Go Getters! (host)
Books: I'm Hungry & Go Getters
Former supervisory boards: Theodor Gilissen Bankiers, UBF, Radio 538, het Parool
Former advisory/trustees: Rabobank, Frans Hals Museum

Career

From pirate radio to the startup world

Start

Journalist, club and radio DJ

After studying journalism, Ruud began his career as a club and radio DJ. He became a radio and TV journalist and built a broad foundation in the media world.

1987

Sky Radio & Radio 10 - Co-founder

Ruud co-founded the first commercial radio stations in the Netherlands: Sky Radio and Radio 10.

1989

RTL 4 & RTL 5 - Co-founder & First Programme Director

Ruud co-founded RTL 4 and RTL 5 and became their first programme director. Under his leadership RTL became the market-leading broadcaster in the Netherlands.

1992

NBC Europe / CNBC Europe - President

Ruud became President of NBC Europe in London and transformed NBC Superchannel into CNBC Europe.

1994-2001

Endemol Entertainment - Executive Board

Ruud joined the executive board of Endemol. By the time he left, Endemol had subsidiaries in 18 countries. Market value grew from €135 million to €5.3 billion. He played a key role in Endemol's IPO and the acquisition by Telefónica.

2011

Startupbootcamp - Co-founder & Chairman

On his 50th birthday Ruud decided to leave everything he had achieved in media behind and co-found Startupbootcamp. The largest startup accelerator outside the US has grown into an international player that has accelerated over 1,800 startups.

2014-now

The State of Tech - Speaker & Authority

Ruud has been presenting The State of Tech since 2014 - a unique and fast-paced overview of developments in AI, electric vehicles, crypto, blockchain, climate and sustainability. He has delivered this presentation in the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain, Dubai, Malaysia, the US and Australia.

Now

The State of Tech - Executive Producer & Developer

Ruud is the executive producer and developer of The State of Tech - the Netherlands' first fully automated, AI-produced tech podcast.

Questions & Answers

Ruud on himself

How do you look back on the course of your career so far?

I have experienced unique highlights such as the launch of RTL 4 and the IPO of Endemol, where I spent 8 years on the executive board. But the collapse of Sport 7 was an absolute low point from which I learned a great deal. I still apply those lessons every day.

In 2011 you made a remarkable career switch?

Yes, on my 50th birthday I had achieved everything I could in the media industry. Netflix and Spotify were growing fast and I realised that if I ever wanted to do something completely different and reinvent myself, this was the moment. I had the skills, the experience and the financial means to start completely fresh. So I co-founded Startupbootcamp - which essentially does what I love most: helping others launch new ventures.

What are your goals? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Professionally I want to continue building Startupbootcamp into an even stronger international player, without becoming as slow and bureaucratic as some of our clients. Personally I just want to enjoy life and meet at least one new person who inspires me every single day.

How do you prepare for a speaking engagement?

Thoroughly. I read everything there is to know about a topic and the audience. Speaking or presenting is easiest for me - I've done it hundreds of times. I spend a lot of time on logistics: how do you handle parallel sessions and how do people get on stage smoothly? Preparation is the crucial element that makes or breaks everything.

Biography