Strategic Advisory for CEOs & Growing Businesses
Helping CEOs and founders navigate growth, make better strategic decisions and build stronger organisations.
Start the conversationAbout SEMCOR
Your sparring partner for sustainable growth
Stephan Engelen is a former international technology executive and CEO with 25+ years at Cisco and Philips, and deep involvement in 30+ tech start-ups and scale-ups as executive, advisor and investor.
He works with CEOs and leadership teams on growth acceleration, commercial scaling and the transition from entrepreneurial momentum to structured scale. His expertise spans SaaS, data and AI.
He holds an executive certificate in AI and Business Strategy from MIT Sloan.
Strategic advisory
Where I Help CEOs
I work with CEOs of growing technology companies across the Benelux who need to sharpen their growth strategy and keep organisational complexity under control as the company scales.
Every engagement is shaped around what your business needs. That can be weekly operational follow-up, focused work on strategy or a specific topic, or a sparring partner close by when decisions matter. One condition: as CEO you take an active part in the transition. It starts with you, then your management team, then the rest of the company, both on the operational and the leadership side.
Book your free intro conversationGrowth & Scaling
When every decision still runs through the founder, growth slows down. I help you build an organisation that can decide and scale without waiting for you.
Strategy & Go-to-Market
Assumptions that worked at ten people rarely still work at fifty or more. I pressure-test the strategy and sharpen how you reach and win customers.
Leadership & Organisational Maturity
A leadership team that nods along in the meeting but decides separately afterwards is not a team yet. I work with CEOs on who decides what, until the team can decide without them in the room.
AI & Technology Transformation
AI choices are rarely technical ones; they are strategic. I help you see where AI changes your business and where it is just noise.
Strategic advisory for CEOs of growing technology companies →
Liever in het Nederlands? Strategisch advies voor groeibedrijven en scale-ups in de Benelux →
Strategic AI Advisory
Strategic AI Advisor & Trusted Technology Partner
Bridging experience and innovation to help leaders make confident decisions in an AI-driven world.
Artificial Intelligence is accelerating change, but technology alone does not create advantage, leadership decisions do.
I work with founders, executives and investors as an independent strategic advisor, helping them navigate the AI transition with clarity, focus and sound judgement. My role is not to implement technology, but to help leadership teams decide where AI truly matters and where it does not.
I typically support organisations as a strategic sounding board on AI strategy, growth opportunities, product direction and executive decision making.
With more than 25 years of experience in building and scaling technology companies, I bring a pragmatic perspective that bridges technology, business reality and leadership.
AI Leadership Advisory
Helping technology leaders make the right decisions in the age of AI
Independent strategic advisor to founders, CEOs and investors navigating growth, transformation and AI-driven change.
I help leadership teams cut through AI hype, identify real opportunities and make confident strategic decisions.
Experience that goes beyond technology
With more than 25 years of experience in international technology companies, from scale-ups to global leaders, I bring a pragmatic perspective shaped by real operational responsibility.
Having served as CEO, COO, CCO and board advisor, I understand the realities behind strategic decisions: growth pressure, investor expectations, organisational complexity and execution challenges.
My role today is to act as a trusted strategic partner to leadership teams facing their next technology transition.
How I support leadership teams
AI Strategy & Decision Support
Helping executives define where AI creates real business value and where focus is required.
Growth & Product Positioning
Advising technology companies on how AI impacts product strategy, differentiation and go-to-market.
Executive Sounding Board
Acting as an independent advisor to CEOs and founders navigating complex strategic decisions.
Investor & Board Advisory
Supporting investors and boards in understanding AI opportunities, risks and strategic implications.
Why organisations work with me
Because I have operated inside the environments I now advise.
I understand:
- Growth pressure
- Board dynamics
- Leadership complexity
- Technology decisions
- AI uncertainty
- Execution challenges
Not from theory, but from experience.
My work focuses on helping organisations avoid costly mistakes and accelerate what truly matters.
Get in touch
Let's discuss your next move
Whether you're scaling your commercial operations, preparing for a market launch, or need a strategic sounding board, I'd love to hear from you.