VEENDEM, The Netherlands—Entrepreneur Eric Idema, founder of ONE-DC and EasyToys, has announced that he will step down as CEO of parent company EQOM Group as of July 1.
The company has experienced rapid growth in recent years, thus entering a new phase that Idema expressed "requires different expertise than mine."
Idema will remain involved with the EQOM Group as a shareholder and as a member of the advisory board. He will be succeeded by Marc van Boven, a veteran of international retail and e-commerce companies such as Weleda, Omega Pharma and Reckitt Benckiser (producer of, among others, Strepsils, Clearasil and Durex).
"I am stepping aside to make way for a new CEO," Idema said. “I am extremely proud of all the employees and our business partners. When I started, I never expected that I and EasyToys would come this far. I had to think about it for a long time, but I think it's wise to leave at the peak. The company is entering a new phase and this requires different expertise.”
Idema has been responsible for guiding EasyToys to milestone achievements including becoming the much-discussed main sponsor of FC Emmen, and signing a collaboration deal with the Dutch department store HEMA, as well as various branches of Jumbo, thereby placing the company at the forefront of making sex toys available on supermarket shelves. "Breaking those taboos is what I am most proud of," Idema said.
Commented van Boven, "Leading EQOM will be a great new challenge. Eric Idema has laid a fantastic foundation for the further expansion of the company. He has completely transformed the sexual wellness market. I am excited to now work on the further expansion of EQOM as a market leader and this market in general, which affects us all.”
Idema will remain active as an investor and wants to use his expertise to advise e-commerce companies. He also looks forward to sharing his knowledge and continuing to give lectures, with the proceeds going to support good causes.
For more information on ONE-DC and EasyToys, visit www.one-dc.com.
