Niek Otten

Niek Otten Email and Phone Number

Founder at Far Forward ›› Strategy, Business Design & Facilitation @ Far Forward
Amsterdam, NH, NL
Niek Otten's Location
Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands, Netherlands
Niek Otten's Contact Details

Niek Otten personal email

n/a
About Niek Otten

Niek is a seasoned innovation leader and founder of Far Forward, a studio helping companies, startups, and funds turn complex challenges into actionable strategies and growth roadmaps. With a proven track record in corporate strategy, venture building, and ecosystem-driven innovation, Niek specializes in creating long-term value through strategic alignment and customer-focused innovation.At IKEA, Niek co-founded a global disruptive innovation & venturing capability, developing new business models and piloting ventures that align with IKEA's vision. His work emphasized deep collaborations with startup ecosystems to drive transformative growth. He was based in Copenhagen, Denmark, to immerse himself and his family in a new culture.As a consultant at Business Models Inc., known from the book Business Model Generation, Niek supported both local heroes and global brands like LEGO and Hitachi in building innovation portfolios and fostering continuous innovation. His contributions to the book Business Model Shifts (2021) solidify his reputation as a thought leader in innovation.Previously, Niek co-founded startups such as Storioes and WieHaalt, gaining hands-on experience in product development and business modeling.📩 Do get in touch via hello@farforward.io

Niek Otten's Current Company Details
Far Forward

Far Forward

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Founder at Far Forward ›› Strategy, Business Design & Facilitation
Amsterdam, NH, NL
Employees:
1
Niek Otten Work Experience Details
  • Far Forward
    Far Forward
    Amsterdam, Nh, Nl
  • Foodvalley Nl
    Startup Mentor
    Foodvalley Nl Nov 2024 - Present
    Wageningen, Province Of Gelderland, Nl
    FoodValley's accelerator program Fastlane is a tailored programme for impact-driven Agrifood pioneers to help them overcome the hurdles towards scaling their companies. Ventures receive hands-on support from a multidisciplinary team of experts to work on company specific challenges.
  • Far Forward
    Founder
    Far Forward Aug 2024 - Present
    A small, flexible collective of innovation sidekicks who help companies move fast and go far. We help organizations foster collaborative environments and align on shared goals for impactful transformation. We focus on companies, start-ups, and venture funds that are customer-obsessed, define new growth strategies, and are exploring new business models.
  • Ikea
    Global Venture Leader | Disruptive Innovation
    Ikea Jan 2022 - Oct 2024
    Delft, Zuid-Holland, Nl
    Founding member of a specialized, highly strategic disruptive innovation team within the IKEA Group, led by the head of disruptive innovation & venturing, reporting directly to Group Management.As a Global Venture Leader, I spearhead strategic disruptive innovation within IKEA (Ingka Group), driving the future of our products and services to ensure long-term resilience and success. My role involves crafting groundbreaking innovation opportunities and seamlessly translating visionary ideas into actionable strategies, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and leveraging key external partnerships.- Ingka Xplore can be thought of as IKEA’s equivalent of Google X. While it’s not necessarily about inventing the future, it’s about distributing it evenly.- We operate with the same vision as IKEA: to create a better everyday life for the many people.- Over the past few years, we started four major value spaces from scratch, three of which have been successfully seeded into the organization. They are now being co-developed with the core business, with small in-market pilots launched to accelerate our learning.- We couldn't have done it without creating and leveraging relationships from our external (startup) eco-system - Taking the time to reflect, Ingka Xplore is being adapted and is set to grow exponentially.
  • Ikea
    Global Innovation Leader
    Ikea Jun 2021 - Jan 2022
    Delft, Zuid-Holland, Nl
    Part of Global Strategy Development & Innovation, tasked to "Envision & Enable the Ingka of Tomorrow."
  • Business Models Inc.
    Business Designer, Manager & Global Transformation Lead
    Business Models Inc. Jun 2017 - May 2021
    Amsterdam, North Holland, Nl
    BMI is a global strategy & innovation firm with offices in Europe, US and APAC. BMI is most known by producing the book Business Model Generation (birth of the Business Model Canvas) and pioneering Business Model Innovation. At BMI I helped organizations (trans)form a continuous innovation capability & culture across Europe and the USA. Accounts I have been (co-)leading included national and international businesses like IKEA, LEGO, Hitachi, Heineken, T-Mobile, as well as different start-ups and scale-ups.Much of the work consisted of coaching and facilitating C-level, management teams and innovation teams to:- Define vision and strategy through innovation (and vice versa)- Develop and managing innovation portfolios with corresponding investment strategy- Define innovation accounting / metrics- Develop and facilitate countless of strategy off-sites, accelerators and business model innovation trainings, ranging from 1,5 hour to 3 full days, from 3 people to 300 people.- Support in running innovation projects, from discovery to product-market fitMy most passionate work at BMI as a thought leader involved the idea, development and launch of a new BMI value proposition. It allowed us to transcend ad-hoc innovation projects and help organizations structure and implement a more foundational innovation capability and culture. This was adopted by all BMI offices and has been a key contributor to BMI's fast growth.Because of my work to level-up our global organizational innovation capability and innovation portfolio building, I have been the key contributor to the chapters "Innovation portfolio management" and "Creating the right ecosystem to shift" in the newest book Business Model Shifts (2021).
  • Canon Production Printing
    Design & New Business Development
    Canon Production Printing May 2015 - Jun 2017
    Venlo, Limburg, Nl
    Design and New Business Development in a high tech R&D environment. I've led different projects to redesign the UI and UX of globally distributed print systems. - Collaborating with teams across Japan, France, Romania and Germany. - Responsible for concept development, user stories and translation into UI concepts. - Significant contribution in setting up an internal business accelerator. - First inventor on 1 patent and co-inventor on another patent.Responsible for early concept and business development of new business area in Printed Electronics comprising cross company stakeholder management. - Co-led different in-depth strategic product-market research on emerging technologies and customer-centric applications to inform General Management on timing, strategic direction and immediate next steps- Moved a high-tech technology to a customer application and market validated concept & prototype development with high customer interest- Informing and influencing Sr. Management in both Sales, R&D and Corporate Strategy about the strategic opportunity and timing for this technology.Canon Production Printing is formerly known as Océ.
  • Canon Production Printing
    President Of Young Océ United
    Canon Production Printing Nov 2014 - Dec 2016
    Venlo, Limburg, Nl
    Young Professionals organisation of Océ with 300 members. - Responsible for strategy, finance and communication.- Redefined the vision and mission of the YP organization to increase engagement through purpose- Attained 20% increase of our annual budget.- Developed and led partnerships with other young professional organizations in the high-tech industry- Lead in the realisation of many events ranging from 5 to 180 participants. - Successfully arranged additional sponsoring from both internal and external stakeholders for bigger events and put the YP organisation on Corporate HR and recruitment plans. Formerly known as Océ.
  • Canon Production Printing
    Innovation Manager
    Canon Production Printing Nov 2012 - May 2015
    Venlo, Limburg, Nl
    R&D in software department of high tech international company. Connecting Customer, Business and Technology. Visited many customers and did an internship at a print provider for ethnographic research. This helped in understanding - and designing for a new customer segment. Contribution as lead technologist in putting new concepts on high equity product roadmaps and ambassador of intrapreneurship. Collaboration with Creteil, France.Formerly known as Océ.
  • Storioes
    Co-Founder
    Storioes Nov 2011 - Nov 2012
    Co-founder of company of 5. Storioes’ goal was to get children to actively explore the world through interactive Augmented Reality experiences. Storioes was designed to be a media platform for third party AR content. Responsible for the company strategy and to build a professional network, resulting in a global lead customer. Supported UX design and programming for 2 iOS apps that we published: KeepAR and Color Hunt. KeepAR ranked top 10 free apps. We ran out of cash and, in hindsight, the timing of such a platform was not the best. Another great rollercoaster ride though!
  • Wiehaalt
    Co-Owner & Creative Lead
    Wiehaalt Apr 2011 - Nov 2012
    Co-owner, involved with the start-up process of this new company. WieHaalt ("who will pickup my kid") was a mobile app for busy parents to let their trusted network (friends & family) pick up their children from daycare in case of need Responsible for UX and key support in creating the business plan. Finalist A2 challenge, competition for business plans. After a (too) long lead time, we never got the product launched. Many key lessons learned.
  • Erp & Otten
    Co-Founder
    Erp & Otten 2010 - Oct 2012
    A creative company with a professional focus on (mobile) user interface design, user experience and graphics. User driven through our bottom-up approach that led to highly satisfied customers. Clients like EIT ICT Labs, Stichting UCB and Studio diip. Technical support in Beijing, China and Lille, France.This company was primarily used as a wedge to bootstrap different startups.
  • For Different Studios & Agencies
    Design Side-Hustles
    For Different Studios & Agencies Mar 2007 - May 2011
    2011 - Student Assistent at LaQuSo. Analyzed the UI of a groupware application and corresponding documentation. Responsible for the idea generation and concept development of a well-received idea to enhance user experience and productivity.2008 - Exhibition Design at Studio AnnaMariaCornelia.Support in exhibition Design and Communication at DMY Berlin 2008.2007 - Concept developer (internship) at Panton - Design for Healthcare. Co-responsible for the concept development of an innovative product inside a car.2007 - Concept developer (internship) at WATdesign.Involved in the concept development of a lighting object, idea to working prototype on the Salone del Mobile, Milan. Supported communication on the Salone del Mobile

Niek Otten Skills

Concept Development Design Thinking Entrepreneurship Creative Problem Solving New Business Development Innovation Management Customer Experience Design Innovation Business Strategy Strategic Vision Strategy Business Model Innovation Lean Startup Intrapreneurship Innovation Portfolio Management Consulting Change Management Innovation Funnel Management Leadership User Experience Interaction Design User Interface Design Industrial Design Product Design User Centered Design Graphic Design User Interface Mobile Applications Start Ups

Niek Otten Education Details

  • Eindhoven University Of Technology
    Eindhoven University Of Technology
    Innovation Management
  • Eindhoven University Of Technology
    Eindhoven University Of Technology
    Industrial Design
  • Eindhoven University Of Technology
    Eindhoven University Of Technology
    Industrial Design

Frequently Asked Questions about Niek Otten

What company does Niek Otten work for?

Niek Otten works for Far Forward

What is Niek Otten's role at the current company?

Niek Otten's current role is Founder at Far Forward ›› Strategy, Business Design & Facilitation.

What is Niek Otten's email address?

Niek Otten's email address is in****@****tten.nl

What schools did Niek Otten attend?

Niek Otten attended Eindhoven University Of Technology, Eindhoven University Of Technology, Eindhoven University Of Technology.

What skills is Niek Otten known for?

Niek Otten has skills like Concept Development, Design Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Creative Problem Solving, New Business Development, Innovation Management, Customer Experience Design, Innovation, Business Strategy, Strategic Vision, Strategy, Business Model Innovation.

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