Coaching story

Browzwear finds a CRO that fits like a glove

According to Statista, the fashion industry generated 1.7 trillion dollars worldwide in 2023. To capture a significant share of this growing market, companies must be au courant, not passe¢. And designs must be right—right from the start.

So, how do today’s fashion designers and manufacturers ensure that their creations are as cutting edge and as fashionable as they can be?

The answer? Browzwear.

Browzwear has revolutionized the apparel industry by bringing the digital age to design. With Browzwear, fashion professionals can view their creations digitally in 3D before committing to fabric and fabrication.

Is the hemline too long or short? What colors and accents work best? Should collars or shoulders be bigger or smaller? Browzwear reveals the answers to these and countless other design and production questions allowing for iterations to be seen on screen before the final creation is seen in stores.

The result? Fewer samples and faster decisions for more than 1,000 fashion and apparel companies including the likes of lululemon, Nike, Under Armour, and Target.

Even successful companies need a refresh

With more than two decades of experience and offices around the globe, one might think that Browzwear is well-situated as the industry’s #1 apparel 3D software resource. However, just as apparel companies can’t rest on their laurels, Browzwear felt it needed to make a bold statement within its own doors.

Enter Stijn Hendrikse.

Stijn is the author of T2D3: How some software startups scale where many fail. It’s considered the playbook for driving exponential growth for companies after they reach product-market fit.

Stijn works with searchers during diligence and post-acquisition, including as an interim Chief Marketing Officer. He’s served as CMO and CEO for multiple B2B SaaS companies such as MightyCall and Acumatica.

In short, just what Browzwear needed.

Bringing “elevated operating rigor” to Browzwear

“We were introduced to Stijn,” said Browzwear board member Weston Gaddy, “when our portfolio company was seeking an experienced Growth Executive to complement a historically bootstrapped and globally distributed founding team.” 

Mr. Gaddy invested in Browzwear as a partner in the venture capital firm, Radian, and was instrumental in bringing Stijn aboard as a fractional Chief Revenue Officer, a position he held for 18 months.

By way of background, Stijn led Global SMB Marketing and B2B Product Marketing for Office at Microsoft, including the launch of Office 365. From this experience, he co-founded Kalungi, a marketing agency specializing in growing small to mid-range B2B software companies by developing and executing their Go-to-Market strategies.

“With over 60% of our customer base in the U.S and Europe,” continued Mr. Gaddy, “Stijn had the experience we needed to organize around our customers’ global needs and give our team the professional rigor required at this important inflection point in our company’s growth.”

“Stijn consistently fostered a collaborative and innovative work culture within the team,” added Browzwear CEO Sharon Lim. “His open communication style encouraged the free flow of ideas, making everyone feel valued and motivated. This undoubtedly contributed to our team’s cohesion and efficiency in a time when we were scaling up.” 

Leading the leadership team

As for what Stijn contributed to Browzwear, here’s what other members of the leadership team had to say:

“Stijn demonstrated adeptness in bringing order to startup chaos, rebuilding sales and marketing organizations, and establishing a robust customer success division from the ground up. Notably, his discernment in locating and hiring exceptional leaders greatly contributed to the team’s success.”

—Guy Shalev, Vice President of Product Management

“Stijn spearheaded the refinement of our business rhythm and methodologies. His strategic thinking and meticulous approach to planning, forecasting, tracking metrics, and problem solving were instrumental in ensuring the success of our projects and improving our overall efficiency.

—Cara Babcock, Global Training and Support Director

“Stijn has a very wide knowledge on how to scale businesses from early stage to later stages. His extensive knowledge on all parameters needed for a successful high growth is key and quite inspirational. I would definitely recommend Stijn.”

—Renaud Delcroix, Vice President Europe

“Stijn’s wealth of experience and proven methodologies became the backbone upon which we refined our key growth drivers and operations. His leadership sets the right balance of driving business growth while fostering a culture of trust and empowerment.”

—Kristen Ohlsson, Head of Strategic Consulting

“At this stage of my career, I rarely comment on learning something new and impactful from a manager or colleague. That changed when I started working with Stijn. I learned something new and valuable in every 1 on 1 meeting. Stijn brought structure to Browzwear that it absolutely needed for growth. He valued the input of the management team while challenging all of us to be better. Thank you Stijn.”

—Enrico Zamarra, Regional Sales Director, Americas

Let Stijn help your company flourish

“Stijn's leadership was felt immediately,” explained Mr. Gaddy. “He quickly wrapped his arms around a fragmented and regionally designed go-to-market team, while globalizing and simplifying our brand positioning. We appreciated his ability to bring an elevated operating rigor from the customer to the team and to the board room.”

“Working with Stijn’s leadership has been an enriching experience,” concluded Ms. Lim. “His combination of strategic marketing acumen, adaptability, and commitment to fostering a positive work environment makes him an asset to any leadership team.”

See what Stijn can do for your company at T2D3. Don’t worry, he won’t run your company, but he will help it run better.