In Motion with Arjan: Freedom to Be Real 

When Arjan van Bekkum first met with Xebia, he didn’t expect it to change his professional life. It was just coffee with Marcel (de Vries, Global CTO and MD Xebia Microsoft Services), a friendly conversation after a project had ended. 
But something clicked. 

“Marcel told me about the people-first mindset, the freedom to grow, to pick your own training, your own car, your own projects,” Arjan recalls. “It honestly sounded too good to be true. But I thought — even if only half of it is real, it’s still better than what I’m doing now.” 

Arjan van Bekkum

That was more than six years ago. And Arjan is still here — still moving, still growing. 

Freedom That’s Real, Not Rhetoric

For Arjan, movement starts with freedom. Not the abstract kind that looks good in a brochure, but the kind that actually shows up in daily work. 

“What I love most is that I can be honest,” he says. “No politics, no pretending. If you think something can be done better, you just go and do it. Marcel once told me, ‘This is your company too.’ That stuck with me. That kind of trust changes how you work.” 

At Xebia, that mindset turns into action. 

When Arjan saw a gap in communication and culture, he didn’t wait for approval — he picked it up.He revived the company magazine, helped organize social events, even rented out a cinema once just for colleagues and clients.

Nobody said, ‘You can’t do that.’ That’s the beauty of it — there’s room to create, to experiment.” 

A Culture That Moves Together

Movement at Xebia also means connection. 
Every Tuesday evening, the office comes alive for knowledge sharing. Not because anyone is required to be there, but because everyone wants to.

“People finish their day at the client, jump in the car, and still come back to the office,” Arjan says. “It’s not mandatory, it’s movement. It’s where you learn, where you laugh, where you reconnect.” 

Those sessions aren’t just about code or cloud solutions. They’re about people showing up as themselves, sharing ideas, tackling problems together, or just catching up. 

“Sometimes someone just opens their laptop and says, ‘Okay, I’ve been trying this new thing — what do you think?’ It’s raw, it’s real, and you leave feeling smarter and closer.” 

Finding What Drives You 

Arjan started out as a software engineer, focused on delivering code and solving technical problems. But over time, he discovered something deeper about what moves him. 

“I realized I get energy from building teams,” he says. “It took some coaching and reflection to figure that out. I used to think productivity meant producing something tangible. Now I know my impact is in helping others grow.” 

Xebia supported that discovery with coaching and space to explore new directions. 

“I had a coach through Mind & Health — someone who helped me look at what gives me energy. Every two weeks we’d go for a walk and talk. It helped me see that leadership isn’t about control; it’s about trust, connection, and helping people thrive.” 

People First — For Real 

What surprised Arjan most was how deeply the people-first mindset runs, beyond the workplace. 

“When I suddenly had to fly to the U.S. with Marcel, the next day there was a big bouquet of flowers at home for my partner. Just because it had been unexpected. And every year, the company sends birthday cards to kids and partners. Small things, but they mean a lot.” 

That attention to detail, to life beyond work, makes a difference. 
It’s the quiet kind of care that builds loyalty and pride. 

“The world moves fast. AI, cloud, business, everything’s changing. But what really matters doesn’t change: feeling seen, trusted, valued. That’s what keeps people moving forward.” 

Join the Movement 

Today, Arjan leads teams, supports others in their growth, and continues to build the kind of culture that first drew him in. He’s still honest, still curious, still in motion. 

“Being a Xebian means working with motivated people who care — about their craft, about each other, about making things better,” he says. “That’s what moves me.” 
 
So we’ll leave you with the same question we ask everyone here: 

 
What moves you?