Senior interim Product Management & Ownership for the short term · Amsterdam · Remote EMEA
Interim Product Owner or Product Manager, available now.
Over 11 years in tech, 8 of them in product — from a data platform at Randstad to AI-powered sales tooling at Heineken. I step in as your interim Product Owner or Product Manager and keep your roadmap, team, and stakeholders on track when your permanent hire is temporarily out. Based in the Amsterdam area, working across the Netherlands and remote across EMEA. Less interim theatre, more shipping.
Producten geleverd bij en met
Sound familiar?
- Your Product Owner or PM is going on leave, and you can already feel the roadmap stalling.
- The role has been open for months — the team ships, but without direction and at less than full pace.
- There's a backlog, but no direction: nobody prioritising, nobody willing to say no.
Available
- Bridge — interim Product Owner or Product Manager — cover for leave, sickness, or an unfilled role. I'm operational within days and keep pace and quality up, so you can recruit the right permanent hire without rushing. If you like, I'll even help recruit my own successor. How hiring an interim Product Owner works →
- Accelerate — get a stuck product or team moving again — for a discovery, a launch, or a turnaround that won't get off the ground. I bring focus, clear the blockers, and get the team shipping again.
- Set direction — interim Head of Product work — backlog, roadmap, and stakeholders back on one line. I sharpen the course, make the trade-offs explicit, and give the team something to get behind. Hire direct, no agency in between →
- AI & data platform work — productising AI, ML, and data platforms at enterprise scale. Not an e-commerce generalist: I actually built this at Randstad and Heineken.
Does this sound like what you need?
Let's set up a short call to see if there's a fit — interim, leave or sick cover, or vacancy bridging.
Get in TouchHow I work
- Intro call — a short, no-strings conversation about your situation, the scope, and what actually needs to happen. We only go further if it clicks.
- First week: observe & diagnose — I listen to the team, customer signals, and what's already been tried, before I change anything.
- Get to work — I lead where it's needed and keep the team in the driver's seat where it can be. Decisions get made again, work starts shipping again.
- Warm handover — my goal is to make myself redundant. I don't just deliver a product, but a team that can carry on without me. Still looking for the permanent fill? If you like, I'll help recruit and onboard my own successor.
Who I am
Product leader, strategist and rational optimist. My story, my philosophy and how I use AI as leverage.
What I've done
8+ years of product work at Heineken, Randstad, JobAdder and more — from data platform to AI-powered sales tools.
What people say
Recommendations and testimonials from former colleagues, leaders and partners I have worked with.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can you start?
Right away. Between engagements I deliberately keep my calendar clear, so after a short intro call I can be up and running within days.
What does it cost to hire you?
My hourly rate is around €95–150/hr, depending on scope and duration. (Indicative band — I confirm the final rate per engagement.) I'm happy to be upfront about it: in our intro call I'll lay out a clear proposal, with no surprises afterwards. You hire me directly — see hire a Product Owner directly, no middleman.
Do you cover leave, sickness, or an unfilled role?
Yes. Three typical scenarios: covering maternity, parental, sick or sabbatical leave (defined end date, clean handover); stepping into unexpected absences (operational within days); or bridging until your permanent hire starts (so you stay calm enough to recruit the right person). If you have a defined window, I'm happy to talk through scope and timing.
How long does a typical engagement run?
Anywhere from one to twelve months, depending on the need — three to twelve usually works best: enough time to land properly, build trust with the team, ship something meaningful, and hand over cleanly. Shorter is possible for tightly scoped problems; longer if the fit is right.
Where are you based?
Amsterdam. I work on-site across the Netherlands and remote across EMEA. International travel is fine; my last three roles took me to the UK, Italy, and South Africa.
I'd actually rather hire someone permanent.
Understandable — and the two aren't mutually exclusive. Finding the right permanent hire often takes months. I bridge that gap: I keep pace and quality up so your team doesn't stall and you can recruit the right person calmly. When they start, I hand over warmly.
Are you available for interim or ZZP engagements?
Yes — that's the focus of Venema Consulting & Innovatie. Available now for interim Product Management and Product Ownership across the Netherlands and remote EMEA: covering leave or an unfilled role, leading a specific project, standing up or sunsetting a product, or coaching a PM or PO. I pick engagements where I can add value.
What's the difference between freelance and interim — and what does it mean for you?
In practice I do the same work; the difference is mostly form and duration. "Freelance" or ZZP says something about how I contract (my own business, no employment); "interim" says something about the engagement: a defined period in which I fill a role. For you that means: no permanent contract, no long notice period — but someone who's up and running straight away and hands over cleanly. More on the hire an interim Product Owner page.
Do you work as an independent, and how does this sit with the Dutch DBA rules?
I work through my own business (Venema Consulting & Innovatie, KVK 42066462): outcome-driven, typically for several clients, with my own tools and my own entrepreneurial risk. I'm happy to think through the exact contract form with you and your procurement or legal team, so it's properly arranged for both sides. Read more on the Dutch DBA rules and how we arrange it.
How quickly do you become productive in a new team?
Within the first week I'm onboarded on the basics — codebase, roadmap, stakeholders, customer signals. By week two I'm taking most live decisions. From day one I work on lightweight handover documentation, so continuity doesn't hang on one person — not on your team member, and not on me.
Which sectors do you have experience in?
Energy, HR-tech & talent acquisition, SaaS/PaaS, enterprise data & AI, and FMCG sales. See my career for the full story.
Which company sizes do you work with?
From early-stage startups to global enterprises. I've shipped products inside 90,000-person organisations (Heineken, Randstad) and built things from zero at smaller companies. The work changes; the principles don't.
What languages do you work in?
Dutch (native) and English (full professional proficiency). I've led product teams in both languages and run stakeholder workshops in either.
What's a good first step?
A 30-minute intro call. Get in touch or find me on LinkedIn.
Does this sound like your situation?
Tell me what is going on in 30 minutes. I will be straight about whether I am the right person — and if not, I will think along about who is.
Get in Touch