Merijn Klarenbeek, CEO and co-founder of Elitac Wearables, was elected winner of the annual ‘Jong Management VNO-NCW’ (Young Management) Entrepreneur of the Year competition after impressing the jury during the final pitches on 14 October 2020.
Real leadership
Daan Lammers, chairman of Young Management explained what clinched it for Merijn over the other finalists, “He stepped up to the plate and assumed leadership when his company was at a crossroads. He is a CEO who is operationally active, he sets out the strategy and maintains relationships with investors, partners and clients. He is ultimately responsible for everything that happens at Elitac Wearables. That is real leadership”.
Improving quality of life
In a reaction to winning the award, Merijn commented, “This is great news, especially considering the competition, all very impressive entrepreneurs.
“One of my goals for Elitac Wearables is to improve people’s quality of life. At the moment we’re doing this through our BalanceBelt, which helps people with balance disorders regain their mobility.
“In the future, I also see significant growth potential for other types of medical or health wearables that improve quality of life. You could think of wearables that aid the visually impaired, people suffering from Parkinson’s Disease or people who are at risk of falling. Winning this award will spur me on even more to achieve our goal!”
Read an interview with Merijn, in which he explains his vision for the Elitac Wearables and his drive to improve people’s lives through wearables.
