September 20, 2022 — Willow, the leading provider of digital twin solutions for modern, efficient and smart infrastructure and real estate, has appointed former Microsoft executive Bert Van Hoof as President and Chief Operating Officer, effective September 16, 2022.
Prior to joining Willow, Van Hoof led the Smart Spaces and Energy Team, as Partner and Group Product Manager, in Azure IoT at Microsoft. Van Hoof is widely acknowledged as one of the global leaders behind the rise of digital twins and whilst at Microsoft he worked closely with Willow, who continue to be one of their leading digital twin Independent Software Vendors.
Van Hoof’s appointment is part of a wider industry trend, where established technology leaders are signalling to the market that the built world is now on the cusp of a tectonic digital shift, and Bert will continue to be a driving force in this industry transformation at Willow.
As President and Chief Operating Officer, Van Hoof will lead key functions that include Product & Engineering, Marketing and People & Culture. He will report directly to Willow’s Global CEO and Co-Founder Joshua Ridley.
“Willow is at a transformational point in time,” said Ridley. “We are excited to welcome Bert to our leadership team during this pivotal period. With his experience scaling software businesses and his existing familiarity with Willow, Bert is the ideal leader to take on the role.”
“Willow has incredible global technology solutions as well as an amazing team,” said Van Hoof. “I’ve valued their leadership in this emerging technology category, and I’m excited to work directly with their customers to realize the business value that digital twins offer.”
Van Hoof has an established track record of identifying new technology transformation trends and driving them within the industry, demonstrated through his experience with digital imaging, e-health, IoT, and now Digital Twins. Over the past 20 years, Van Hoof has held leadership positions across Microsoft’s major businesses, including Windows, Health Solutions, Office, and Azure. Bert is also a Board Member of the Alliance to Save Energy, Chairman of the Active Efficiency Collaborative, and a member of the Grid Infrastructure Advisory Council which built support in Congress for upgrading America’s Power Infrastructure.
