Ruud van der Knaap has been appointed as Feyenoord’s new chief commercial officer (CCO). Van der Knaap, currently a member of the board of directors of sports marketing agency Triple Double, will assume his new role on August 1, 2023.
Van der Knaap (46), the successor of former CCO Joris van Dijk, who left Feyenoord earlier this year, has spent nearly his whole working life on the business side of football. For the last 13,5 years he worked for Triple Double, one of The Netherlands’ leading sports marketing agencies.
s senior sports marketeer and manager football as well as in his most recent role as a member of Triple Double’s board of directors, Van der Knaap was the driving force behind the launch of multiple major partnerships and activations for various clubs and sports federations.
Prior to joining Triple Double, Van der Knaap also worked for Eredivisie CV (ECV), the industry association of the 18 clubs represented in the top tier of Dutch football. At ECV, Van der Knaap oversaw all dossiers related to commercial rights and media rights operations.
‘It is a fantastic honour to be joining Feyenoord, my boyhood club, after having spent nearly 20 years in sports marketing and football’, Van der Knaap says. ‘The club’s football foundations have proven to be rock solid given last season’s enormous success, so it feels like the perfect opportunity to get on board in order to help solidify the commercial side of things. I firmly believe that my extensive experience and network can contribute to realising our goals and I look forward to assuming my new role in August.’
CEO Dennis te Kloese is pleased that Van der Knaap is joining Feyenoord’s board of directors. ‘After winning the league title and having been without a chief commercial officer for several months, both Feyenoord and Ruud have plenty of opportunities to grasp and challenges to tackle.’
‘Based on his track record and the in-depth meetings that we have had, I am convinced that in Ruud we have found someone who fits in our organisation well, knows what football is all about and last but certainly not least: football also knows him. I expect that commercially he will be able to push Feyenoord in the right direction.’
The appointment of Ruud van der Knaap as Feyenoord’s CCO means that Feyenoord’s board of directors from August 1, 2023, onwards will be constituted as follows: Dennis te Kloese (CEO), Pieter Smorenburg (CFO), Ruud van der Knaap (CCO).