Our diverse team brings a rich mix of

Curious to learn a bit more about our Uniques? Click on the images below:

Backgrounds
Experience
Knowledge
Regional Expertise
Machiel Kunst

Machiel Kunst

Founder & CEO

Marc Hellingman

Marc Hellingman

Senior Recruitment consultant

Elvin Kingma

Elvin Kingma

Country Manager

Tim Huijbens

Tim Huijbens

Senior Recruitment Consultant

Frans Veldhuizen

Frans Veldhuizen

Recruitment Consultant

Lydia Gommans

Lydia Gommans

Recruitment Consultant

Bas Oostenbrink

Bas Oostenbrink

Principal Recruitment Consultant

Siliën Sprenkels

Siliën Sprenkels

Senior Recruitment Consultant

Geke Kunst

Geke Kunst

Office Manager

Dennis van Valderen

Dennis van Valderen

Managing Partner IT & Dev

Lars van der Velde

Lars van der Velde

Recruitment Consultant

James Bergl

James Bergl

Managing Partner APAC

Caroline van Schaik

Caroline van Schaik

Recruitment Consultant

Johan Andersson

Johan Andersson

Recruitment Consultant

Jacob Smith

Jacob Smith

Recruitment Consultant

Christopher Georgiades

Christopher Georgiades

Recruitment Consultant

Pontus Koivisto

Pontus Koivisto

Recruitment Consultant

Hector Rubin

Hector Rubin

Recruitment Consultant

Machiel Kunst

Founder & CEO

Machiel spent 9 years at SolarWinds MSP playing a pivotal role in their growth from $6mio to $250mio ARR. He hired, trained and groomed the EMEA sales team consisting of 45 people. At FastSpring he hired a sales team of 15 people within a year and built the region from $0 to $3mio. High integrity, quality and conscientiousness are at the core of his approach.

SolarWinds MSP

SolarWinds MSP

Sales Director

2009

FastSpring

FastSpring

Head of Sales

2018

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Founder & CEO

2020

Q&A

What is your previous SaaS experience?

I started my career as an SDR at N-able, which was later acquired by SolarWinds. Within this company I grew into a leadership position and played a pivotal role in SolarWinds MSP’s growth from $6mio to $250mio ARR. I hired 40+ sales people during my tenure at this company. After that journey, I built FastSpring’s EMEA team from the ground up, hiring 12 people and growing it from $0 to $3mio ARR within a year.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

Fun fact, my brother, who is a VP Sales in the SaaS world, recommended me to pivot into recruitment, because he thought that as a former SaaS professional I’d be capable of delivering more value than traditional recruitment agencies. I think it’s safe to say that he was right. 😉

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

I have an altruistic approach to building Unique, which has allowed me to attract incredible people to the company. I consider talent attraction to be my superpower.

What achievement are you the most proud of?

Unique! I’m so proud of the fact that I’ve been able to bring together such a talented and genuinely kind group of people.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

As a hiring manager, I simply wanted the best people, fast. The fact that we only hire SaaS professionals that fill positions that they have actually had themselves, allows us to get in contact with the right people more easily and we are capable of actually qualifying them well. This means we can typically introduce a set of great people within a week.

What is your best advice for jobseekers?

Treat your search for a new opportunity as a regular job. Invest time and proactively apply to opportunities. Sending a short email to the hiring manager, highlighting with specific examples why you would be a great fit seems to work very well.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

I am a huge fan of coaching. I believe that professional and personal development go hand in hand. Creating a safe space within the company, being allowed by people to confront them with their blind spots and thereafter guide them to improve themselves is what I love.

What do you like to do in your personal time?

Spending time with my favorite person in the world, my fiance. Other than that, I enjoy playing tennis, hiking and reading.

Marc Hellingman

Senior Recruitment consultant

Marc started his career as a Digital Marketeer and later became the Marketing Manager for a large tech company in Amsterdam. After successfully hiring and training a team of SDR’s he moved into sales himself. He joined SolarWinds as an SDR, where his drive and performance landed him a promotion to AE in only 3 months. Thereafter he made Presidents Club multiple times, landed one of the biggest deals in the region and helped to scale the EMEA partner channel. Marc is known for his strong work ethic, for being reliable and a genuine desire to help others.

Proact

Proact

Digital Marketeer > Head of Marketing

2013

Solarwinds

Solarwinds

SDR > Channel Sales Executive > Enterprise Sales Executive

2016

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Senior Recruitment Consultant

2020

Q&A

 Describe yourself in 5 words:

Passionate, hardworking, diligent, adventurous, competitive.

What is your previous SaaS experience?

Started out as a digital marketeer in B2B Tech. I led a rebrand, built a marketing org from scratch, leading to an acquisition. I moved into SaaS sales with a Cybersecurity scale-up where I worked as a BDR, AE, AM and in Partner Sales.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

My former sales manager (and close friend) Machiel started Unique. It was a no-brainer for me to join a few months later.

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

10+ years mix of SaaS Sales & Marketing.

What achievement are you the most proud of?

Building out Unique’s Marketing presence from scratch.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

Unique is the only agency with first-hand experience in both the roles we recruit for and within B2B SaaS. This team includes the most knowledgeable, genuine, capable, committed and hardworking people that I know.

What is your best advice for jobseekers?

Always keep track of your results, they are your trophies. Look for a mentor figure, someone who can coach and inspire you. Always look for personal development opportunities – money and success will eventually follow.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

I get to work with the founders and marketing leaders of some of the most exciting companies in the world to build their marketing teams.

What do you like to do in your personal time?

My girlfriend and I love to travel, enjoy great food and wine. I also love cycling and running. Always trying to combine all of the above.

Elvin Kingma

Country Manager

Elvin has worked at a couple of early stage, hyper-growth SaaS companies. He’s been an Account Executive focused on new business, selling 5- to 6-figure deals. Elvin was trained on MEDDICC & Challenger sales. At Impraise he assisted in the development of GTM strategies. He was a coach for the BDRs and other AEs.
Elvin has been with Unique since the year of the company’s inception. He built the DACH market from scratch, which he now leads as a Country Manager. Elvin played a pivotal role in building Unique’s culture.

Impraise

Impraise

Senior Account Executive

2016

FastSpring

FastSpring

Senior Account Executive

2020

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Country Manager

2021

Q&A

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Driven, positive, stoic, caring, consistent.

What is your previous SaaS experience?

Worked as a MEDDICC-trained, value-selling SDR & hunting AE across all segments at 2 SaaS companies for several years selling into EMEA and the US, in HR Tech and Fintech/eCommerce. Joined one seed company as the first sales hire and helped build out their GTM, sales process, rigor, and sales department.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

Having worked with recruitment agencies from a hiring perspective and candidate perspective, I missed actual consultancy, and a lack of industry (SaaS) expertise. I felt that with my background in SaaS sales, I could fill that gap in the market. Additionally, it happened to be an undiscovered passion.

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

I believe it’s a recipe of everlasting positive energy, combined with a high form of integrity and tons of industry SaaS experience.

What achievement are you the most proud of?

Saying I would tackle the DACH market 3 years ago, and now having made it our biggest market at Unique, leading a team of 5 fantastic Uniques.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

In a saturated market with a lot of noise and subpar quality, Unique stands out as a consultative thought leader who genuinely gets nuances in the SaaS landscape, delivers high-quality work fast, and is the best pick to represent your brand.

What is your best advice for job seekers?

If you are in a performance-driven role, let this reflect on your profile and CV. It’s what every hiring manager looks at, and so do we.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

I love talking to salespeople/leaders and helping outstanding people and SaaS companies grow. Doing #1 with a group of warm, fun, sharp, and like-minded people.

What do you like to do in your personal time?

Travel and explore with my partner, make music (produce and record rap songs), work on my personal development (mentally & physically), and be with loved ones enjoying good food and wine.

Tim Huijbens

Senior Recruitment Consultant

Tim started out as the first EMEA BDR for Bullhorn, a recruitment technology firm. In the 3,5 years Tim spent at Bullhorn, Tim occupied the positions of BDR, AE, Senior AE, AM, basically the entire sales role spectrum. Tim knows what it takes to be successful in a corporate environment, has in-depth knowledge of both the SaaS industry as the recruitment landscape , and is keen to help others through a similar successful progression story.

Bullhorn

Bullhorn

BDR

2018

Bullhorn

Bullhorn

Account Executive

2019

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Senior Recruitment Consultant

2022

Q&A

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Passionately helping everyone, always, ever.

What is your previous SaaS experience?

4 years selling recruitment technology.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

I’ve sold software to Unique, and been in contact with them ever since.

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

I always try to combine transparency, humour and speed in any recruitment process.

What achievement are you the most proud of?

The relationships I’ve built over the years.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

Experience in the roles they are recruiting for is such a key element in finding, qualifying and matching top-tier candidates.

What is your best advice for job seekers?

Compare the process to purchasing a house. Do your research, ask for expert opinions, and take your time to find the best possible match.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

Really helping someone and making a massive personal impact in people’s lives.

What do you like to do in your personal time?

Anything sporty or social, I’m down.

Frans Veldhuizen

Recruitment Consultant

Frans started his career in the logistics industry at UPS and moved up the ranks from Inside sales representative to Enterprise Account Executive working with the largest E-commerce companies in Europe. After his corporate experience he joined a Logistics Tech SaaS start-up company Ontruck. He hired, trained and scaled the EMEA sales team from 0 to 15 people in 1 year. He’s experienced with developing sales playbooks and GTM strategies.

UPS

UPS

Inside Sales > Account Executive > Enterprise AE

2015

Ontruck NL

Ontruck NL

Sales director

2019

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Recruitment Consultant

2022

Q&A

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Energized, disciplined, loyal, authentic, determined.

What is your previous SaaS experience?

I began my career in corporate sales at UPS, where I climbed the ladder from inside sales to Enterprise Sales. Later, I joined the logistics SaaS company Ontruck as the first sales hire in the Benelux market. I set up all the GTM strategies, and hired and trained the SDR and AE teams. During my time at Ontruck, I experienced the journey from seed stage to Series B.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

Haha, it was never my plan to step into recruitment! After spending 2.5 years at Ontruck, I was ready for a new challenge in SaaS sales. I reached out to Machiel, the founder of Unique, whom I had already connected with. Following a few insightful conversations, Machiel invited me to lunch, where I had the chance to meet the incredible team behind Unique. This experience completely changed my perspective on recruitment. I have always believed in joining the right people, not just the right company, and after meeting the Unique team, it was an easy decision to step into the world of recruitment.

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

I bring a unique blend of fun, energy, humor, and authenticity to the table.

What achievement are you the most proud of?

I’m actually most proud of the diverse journeys I’ve had with the three companies I’ve worked for. Whether it was climbing the corporate ladder at UPS, building a sales organization from scratch at Ontruck, or now helping senior salespeople and sales leaders make the next step in their careers, each experience has been incredibly rewarding and has shaped who I am today.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

This is a no-brainer! Former top-performing Account Executives and Sales Leaders are now recruiters at Unique. This means you’re not just having a conversation with recruiters, but with a truly unique team of consultants who genuinely understand the industry and can support you in your next step. Their firsthand experience and expertise make them exceptionally equipped to find and develop top talent.

What is your best advice for jobseekers?

My best advice for jobseekers is to be humble and friendly to everyone you meet in your career. You never know who will open that door for you. Building genuine connections and treating everyone with respect can lead to unexpected opportunities and invaluable support along your career journey.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

The most exciting part of my job is literally changing someone’s life! Whether it’s helping someone secure a remote job or guiding them to the next step in their career, I find immense joy in getting someone closer to the life they want to live. Knowing that my support can make a real difference in their personal and professional growth is incredibly rewarding.

What do you like to do in your personal time?

In my personal time, I enjoy activities that enhance both my physical and mental state. This includes eating healthy food, going to the gym, reading great books about mindset, or going out with friends for a great night. I also have a passion for snowboarding.

Lydia Gommans

Recruitment Consultant

After running a startup incubator for Maastricht University Lydia became excited about SaaS and looked for a Business Development role. She landed at Mendix and after a year she was managing a team of 9 SDRs covering the UK, Ireland, and International Markets. She was eventually responsible for Partner Sales across the UK. Whether startups, SDRs, partners, or talent, Lydia gets energy out of supporting others in their journey and making sure they’re having fun in the process.

Mendix

Mendix

SDR > SDR Manager

2017

Mendix

Mendix

Partner Manager/Channel AE

2020

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Recruitment Consultant

2022

Q&A

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Adventurous, authentic, ambitious, analytical, a-Kiwi.

What is your previous SaaS experience?

At Maastricht University I was involved in the ideation of many SaaS models, a fun experience that triggered me to join something more established. I was lucky to land at Mendix, a low code development platform that we sold to both business and IT buyers. It was always an engaging and complex enterprise/MEDDPICC enabled sales process.
I joined when it was a 350 person global team and over 4.5 years saw the company grow to 1300 + an acquisition by Siemens. I got to have the experience of working for a scaleup and a big corporate in one!

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

I accepted a call with a recruiter named Machiel 😉
My intention was to move to an AE role at an early stage company but the value proposition behind Unique stuck with me. After meeting the team, the clients and seeing the success of the model it didn’t take much. I signed and enjoyed my onboarding week in Cape Town a month later.

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

I’ve always been a strong generalist, I bring fun and open energy, a global network and a willingness to take on new roles and regions.

What achievement are you the most proud of?

I made the decision to leave a comfortable life in New Zealand and move to the other side of the world, where I didn’t know anyone, just to see what I could build from scratch. I know 22 year old me would be proud to see where we are today.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

So many reasons! Mainly because I care about the people I work with above all and we have a stellar team, quality conversations, honest feedback and a laugh. Plus, time is money, so Unique is cheaper than other agencies 😉

What is your best advice for jobseekers?

Be authentic, about your motivations and experience, about what you know and don’t know and transparent about your expectations. That’s when we can really help and match you to the right role and team.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

The feeling when you know you have just made a perfect introduction and you get to watch the match unfold over time.

What do you like to do in your personal time?

I love to spend time with an eclectic group of friends but you can find me doing that everywhere, I love to travel, visit restaurants, climb mountains, snowboard down them, go to Crossfit, festivals and try new experiences. Always open for suggestions!

Bas Oostenbrink

Principal Recruitment Consultant

Bas started his software sales career at a Dutch SaaS start-up where he was hired as one of the first salespeople. He quickly climbed the ranks from Account Executive, to Sr. Account Executive + Teamlead, and later their Head of Sales. He has built out a team of 12 Account Executives, and played a crucial role in scaling the company from €250K ARR to €5mio ARR. He’s built out sales playbooks, processes and was actively involved in the international expansion of the company. In Bas, you will find someone who’s inspiring, passionate, and ambitious.

Piggy

Piggy

Account Executive

2017

Piggy

Piggy

Senior Account Executive + Team Lead

2018

Piggy

Piggy

Head of Sales

2021

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Principal Recruitment Consultant

2022

Q&A

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Passionate, energized, optimistic, humorous.

What is your previous SaaS experience?

I joined a Dutch start-up as one of the first saleshires, and started in a full cycle AE role, grew to a teamlead/player coach role and later head up the sales team as a Head of Sales, for a team of 12 account executives.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

Got a message from Machiel, we had a fantastic call, and the day after he drove to my house for lunch and the rest is history.

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

Insatiable passion and energy.

What achievement are you the most proud of?

Hitting 2 promotions within 22 months, being top performer.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

I’d love to work with someone who has first hand experience in the job they’re recruiting for, and that can be an extension of the hiring manager.

What is your best advice for jobseekers?

Treat the job search as a sales cycle.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

Speaking to dozens of different people every week, and building real connections.

What do you like to do in your personal time?

I love personal development. I’m a big fan of silence retreats, Tony Robbins’ events, and other avenues that lead to personal growth. Also, I love playing Padel and spending time with my family.

Siliën Sprenkels

Senior Recruitment Consultant

Silien started his sales career as a BDR in MarTech at Foleon – a fast growing tech company in Amsterdam. Silien was one of the first sales hires after their series A. He played an important role in helping Foleon cross the 10M ARR barrier and beyond. He was one of the first to be promoted into a Senior BDR role and soon after became an Account Executive. Overachieving in his first year as an AE, he was then promoted to senior and became responsible for the Mid-Market+ segment, where he became the top-performing AE globally. Entrepreneurship and continuous learning is in his nature.

Foleon

Foleon

SDR > Senior SDR

2018

Foleon

Foleon

Account Executive > Senior Account Executive

2019

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Senior Recruitment Consultant

2022

Q&A

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Uninhibited, sympathetic, humorous, ambitious, loyal.

What is your previous SaaS experience?

Business development up to corporate / enterprise sales & account management in 5 years.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

While looking for a new role in SaaS sales, I was triggered to join by the people at Unique and the company mission. The ability to interact with sales people on a daily basis and consult them clicked with me.

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

I can quickly step into someone else’s shoes, provide tangible advice, but also have the perspective to challenge them if necessary.

What achievement are you the most proud of?

If I reflect at 5 years ago and where I at that time wanted to be in 5 years, I can confidently say that in many aspects of life, I’ve achieved that goal.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

It’s fantastic to link with people who’ve already done the job and have a strong sense of what an employer or future employee needs to be successful. It makes things that much easier.

What is your best advice for jobseekers?

Make sure you stand out from the crowd. Treat your interview processes like you would treat a large account that you’ve been looking to break into. The same skills that make you a successful sales person are also quintessential to landing your desired role.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

Helping people navigate their next step and then seeing them progress through the interview stages. I also feel the emotion stemming from the interactions that happen throughout the process. It can be an exciting rollercoaster ride.

What do you like to do in your personal time?

I used to be an avid tennis player and have recently picked up my passion for it again. Next to that, any event that connects people together for a good time is where I can also be found.

Geke Kunst

Office Manager

Having previously worked in marketing and communication within the interior industry, Geke felt the need for a change. Transitioning to the role of Office Manager at a recruitment agency for SaaS companies might seem like a 180-degree turn. However, at Unique, she is driven by a strong determination to help shape the company’s brand identity while also providing dedicated support to the team.

Old BASICS

Old BASICS

Communication Employee > Team Lead

2014

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Office Manager

2023

Q&A

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Loyal, honest, natural, resilient, perfectionist.

What is your previous SaaS experience?

No experience at all. Both my brothers ventured into the world of SaaS – one as a VP of Sales and the other as the founder of Unique. As for me, I made a 180-degree turn from Communication & Marketing in interior design to dive into SaaS recruitment as an Office Manager.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

Machiel, the founder of Unique, happens to be my brother. He was looking for someone trustworthy who could support the team so they could focus on what they do best.

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

A fresh perspective because I don’t come from the industry. In addition, I aim to be an extra pair of brains, so the team doesn’t have to think about trivial matters.

What achievement are you most proud of?

I’m proud that I was able to become an integral part of the team within a short amount of time, despite taking on a role different from the rest.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

Working with driven industry experts, short lines of communication, fast and qualitative results.

What is your best advice for job seekers?

Try to glimpse behind the scenes—does the company culture and the people resonate with you? Are you genuinely excited about their product? And most importantly, do your values align with theirs?

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

I enjoy the versatility of it, and I like being valuable to the team.

Where can we find you when you’re not working?

You can probably catch me outdoors training my horse or hanging out with friends or family. In winter time, I love to go skiing.

Dennis van Valderen

Managing Partner IT & Dev

Dennis began his software engineering career while still a student, working with diverse tech stacks such as PHP, Laravel, JavaScript, Angular, and React. He later joined codecentric as a consultant and developed accreditation software for Mojo Concerts, utilizing a serverless architecture on GCP integrated with AWS services.

Following this, Dennis worked with various clients, focusing on Angular and Java on the AWS cloud platform. At Alphabet Lease, he led a team of 10 frontend engineers, made key architectural decisions including the introduction of a monorepo for frontend applications, and chaired weekly frontend meetings.

Multiple companies

Multiple companies

Software Engineer

2015

codecentric / MOJO

codecentric / MOJO

Full stack developer

2018

Multiple companies

Multiple companies

Full stack developer

2020

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Managing Partner IT

2023

Q&A

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Energetic, committed, happy, quality, spontaneous.

What is your previous experience as a Software Engineer?

With more than eight years in software engineering, I started with PHP and progressed to roles in larger corporate environments, finishing my hands-on development work with a focus on Angular (TypeScript) and Java. My experience spans from major corporations to small product-led companies.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

I love connecting with new people and learning about their exciting experiences in engineering. Beyond that, I aim to revolutionise the recruitment field and am committed to my goal. While contemplating to move away from coding, I discovered Unique and took the opportunity to build the IT department from the ground up, which has been incredibly fulfilling.

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

My unique advantage is my background in technology and a genuine understanding of a developer’s experiences and challenges. This firsthand knowledge sets me apart.

What achievement are you the most proud of?

My first assignment at Unique was an executive search for a Director of Platform Engineering which became a successful placement.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

No-brainer. Unlike any other recruitment firm, we employ software engineers to handle the hiring of other software engineers.

What is your best advice for jobseekers?

I recommend keeping in touch with top-quality recruiters; you’ll be surprised at how much they can help you land your dream job. Naturally, the best recruiters are found at Unique. 😉

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

The most exciting part of my job is learning about people’s stories – understanding how they got into tech, their family backgrounds, and what they enjoy doing in their spare time. I find it incredibly rewarding to connect personally in my work.

What do you like to do in your personal time?

In my personal time, I’m training for a marathon, so running is a big part of my routine. Additionally, I’m passionate about entrepreneurship, so I often find myself brainstorming ways to enhance our business and services.

Lars van der Velde

Recruitment Consultant

Lars started his sales career in the banking industry, where he worked for four years. After that, he moved into tech sales and became the first sales hire at Healthy Workers, helping the founders with the GTM strategy. He then joined Cargoplot, where he structured sales processes, created playbooks, grew the partnership network, and built an outsourced SDR team, while also serving as an individual contributor. He is experienced in early-stage pre-seed start-ups with little structure and many challenges. He now helps people navigate the broad SaaS landscape, from pre-seed to series D firms, in a genuine and enthusiastic way.

Healthy Workers

Healthy Workers

Pioneer Account Executive (first sales hire)

2019

Cargoplot

Cargoplot

Pioneer Account Executive (first sales hire)

2022

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Recruitment Consultant

2024

Q&A

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Energetic, curious, adventurous, impatient and sportive.

What is your previous SaaS experience?

I started my sales career in banking, various commercial roles. Moved to the start-up scene first at Healthy Workers as a first sales hire and later towards Cargoplot as a first sales hire. My experience lies in chaotic, dynamic and unstructured start-ups and helping them create a data-driven, measureable, efficient and revenue generating sales machine.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

I was never impressed by recruiters. While I worked with multiple agencies, all experiences were bad. I didn’t had the feeling that they understood our business and needs well. Besides, I have also experienced some bad hires and saw how challenging it actually is to find suitable people for the right role and how do you assess them? Through time, I spoke to Machiel twice a year to discuss the sales landscape and my career and he pitched me Unique. My first reaction was no! But now we’re here, recognizing the need for a change in recruitment, working in a great team environment and with inspiring SaaS companies and people made the final push.

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

A bit uncomfortable to say about myself, but what I often get back is my different approach and view on things, a fresh wind and unique insights. I also tend to be a quick learner and entrepreneurial in spirit.

What achievement are you the most proud of?

Survived in Norway on a solo surivival trip for two weeks with a satellite tracker following me. Biked from Valencia to Malaga through the mountains only on unpaved roads and sleeping in a hammock. Helped multiple SaaS companies as an employee and as a consultant in improving their sales. My (Joint) MSc in business (entrepreneurship). Made presidents club in my first quarter at Unique.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

That’s a no brainer, working and speaking directly with people that have industry experience. We really do speak the same language when it comes to SaaS and sales. I have spoken to many sales people and companies and the calibre of the people that work at Unique is impressive and therefore able to help you as no other agency.

What is your best advice for jobseekers?

Why not? Worst case is a nice chat, some great advice and perhaps a new opportunity in the future? And best case? Your dream job with a great paycheck within a week.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

The excitement of speaking to someone that you know is going to fit perfectly within a company that you work with.

What do you like to do in your personal time?

Anything away from a computer. I enjoy exploring the great outdoors. Doing mountainbike trips, trailruns, survival runs, hiking trips, kayak trips and skiing, pretty much everything in the mountains. While in Amsterdam, I enjoy going for a run or hitting the gym. When I’m not moving, I enjoy reading books or some quality time with the people close to me.

James Bergl

Managing Partner APAC

James graduated from uni in 2008 and joined SAP’s sales grad program. From there, he found his love for velocity solution sales in the IT channel with Autotask. He got transferred to Australia from the UK with N-able in 2013 and in 2015 had his career win in launching Datto as their founding AE in 2015. Within 6 years, they’d grown the business to $40m in turnover and 130 staff. Most recently, he helped to launch Pax8, a cloud distributor in APAC in 2022 and within 2 years they’d grown to 2000+ partners and 160 staff across APAC. In March 2024, he came on board with Unique as Managing Partner for APAC where he hopes to help other emerging SaaS vendors identify and hire top talent.

SAP

SAP

Sales Associate

2008

Autotask

Autotask

Account Executive

2010

N-able

N-able

Account Executive > RSM

2012

Datto

Datto

RVP

2020

Pax8

Pax8

VP Business Development

2022

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Managing Partner APAC

2024

Q&A

 Describe yourself in 5 words:

Driven, Competitive, Larger than life!

What is your previous SaaS experience?

I graduated from uni in 2008 and joined SAP’s sales grad program. From there, I found my love for velocity solution sales in the IT channel with Autotask. I got transferred to Australia from the UK with N-able in 2013 and in 2015 had my career win in launching Datto as their founding AE. Within 6 years, we’d grown the business to $40m in turnover and 130 staff. Most recently, I helped to launch Pax8, a cloud distributor in APAC.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

Machiel’s persistent charm.

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

My strength is people leadership and getting the most out of my team. I love the hustle of sales, I love disruption and I love being a part of high performing teams that win!

What achievement are you the most proud of?

After building Datto, there were 4 sales team and a RSM that ran each one. Each RSM had grown from an individual contributor into the role. Today, all 4 of them have gone on to by head of sales, sales director and VP of sales at other scale-up SaaS companies – and they’ve all been incredibly successful.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

When I got asked that when I first joined Unique, I didn’t have an authentic answer. 3 months in – and having interviewed 000’s of candidates, my value which is Unique’s value is that we have domain expertise in the field we’re hiring for. I find it ‘easy’ to identify the right SaaS sales talent for the right sort of organisation at the appropriate stage. It’s easy, because I have hired and built very similar sales teams multiple times over the past 10 years and know what is most likely to work. There are never guarantees in hiring, but if a hiring manager can lean on an expert in their field, why wouldn’t they?

What is your best advice for jobseekers?

Know your metrics and numbers, include them on your Linkedin and CV. If you have short stints or gaps, that’s OK – But come prepared to discuss why. Turn up with amazing energy. People won’t necessarily remember what you said, but they remember how you made them feel!

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

The excitement on a candidates face when they get their dream job & the excitement in hiring managers, when they get their dream employee! It’s such a good feeling.

What do you like to do in your personal time?

I have 2 young kids under 3 that consume a lot of time, but I enjoy walking to the beach with Ziggy our Red Groodle – and I love cooking/BBQing/smoking meat. My favourite meal is a smoked, reverse seared rib-eye on the bone!

Caroline van Schaik

Recruitment Consultant

Caroline began her career in Recruitment for 7 years before transitioning to the SaaS industry. She started as a BDR at Relay42, grew into a leading role before naturally moving to a closing role as an Account Executive. Where she sold the platform to 13 different countries and got to travel the world.
The last 3.5 years of her SaaS career, Caroline spent at Freshworks – opening up the Dutch market in the mid market & enterprise space. Went through the amazing experience of an IPO there and contributed to building a foundation for growth.

Today, Caroline uses this extensive background to connect SaaS companies with top talent.

Continu

Continu

Recruiter

2012

Relay42

Relay42

SDR > Team Lead > Account Executive

2018

Freshworks

Freshworks

Lead Account Executive

2020

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Recruitment Consultant

2024

Q&A

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Energetic, enthusiastic, dedicated, driven, honest.

What is your previous SaaS experience?

I kickstarted my SaaS career as a BDR at Relay42, quickly transitioned to a closing position before moving to Freshworks as an Account Executive. I was honored to open up the Dutch enterprise market for our ITSM product and played a pivotal role during the scale up of the company and expanding our enterprise customer portfolio. During my last 6 months there, I turned to the Nordics for a more high velocity sales role before joining Unique.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

Ha, funny story – back in the day, my first job after college was in recruitment. After 7 years, I consciously made the switch to SaaS sales. When I connected with Unique after another 7 years in SaaS, it felt like the perfect blend of my experiences, leading me back to recruitment with a fresh perspective.

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

A candid and experienced viewpoint. A soundboard that thinks along and can relate.

What achievement are you the most proud of?

Staying authentic and true to myself that led me to join such an incredible & talented team at Unique.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

Because I would expect to work with dedicated people that speak the same language, know what they are talking about. And most importantly – deliver!

What is your best advice for jobseekers?

Communicate, seek advice and always be genuine and open.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

Supporting talented individuals in the process of taking big, life changing decisions. It’s a privilege to be a part of such a significant journey.

What do you like to do in your personal time?

I teach rhythm cycling twice a week at our local gym in Huizen, which I am really passionate about. Besides that, my husband and I have two little boys that we love to spend time with.

Johan Andersson

Recruitment Consultant

With a background in international sales and marketing Johan started out as an Admissions Manager for an organisation that provided executive leadership development programs and executive summits, here he quickly found his passion within sales and people. His first SaaS-sales journey was with GetAccept, a Swedish Y-combinator startup as one of the first salespeople and grew with them to 100+ employees. Thereafter he did Enterprise sales for Freshworks and also acted as interim sales manager for the Nordics before entering the world of recruitment.

Presidents Institute

Presidents Institute

Admissions manager

2015

Lernia

Lernia

Account manager

2017

GetAccept

GetAccept

AE > Senior AE > International Senior AE

2018

Freshworks

Freshworks

Enterprise AE > Sales Manager

2022

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Recruitment Consultant

2024

Q&A

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Humble, humoristic, compassionate, genuine and witty!

What is your previous SaaS experience?

Swedish Startup GetAccept, Indian-American scaleup Freshworks.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

I was inspired by the amazing team at Unique – if someone would’ve told me that I’d be a recruiter in the future I would have laughed. But here I am!

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

I have a unique “fingerspitzgefühl” in regards to people and a great gut feeling – I know a little, about a lot of things.

What achievement are you the most proud of?

I’ve been known as a last minute closer through my whole career (I’m aware its not optimal, but it usually ended like this anyway) and managed to save the day multiple times by pure grit. At one of my old workplaces it is commonly known as “doing a Johan”.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

The people at Unique can put themselves in your candidates shoes, we have all walked the walk and talked the talk and are all old top performers. We know a top performer when we see one and can help you finding these people.

What is your best advice for jobseekers?

Read into the organisation, bring your energy and just be curious!

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

I get to talk with so many interesting people on a daily basis. People give me energy!

What do you like to do in your personal time?

I like hitting the gym as often as I can, but still enjoy a nice terrace beer in good company. My biggest passion in life is skiing.

Jacob Smith

Recruitment Consultant

Jacob started in SaaS about 25 years ago during the blog craze; from there, he’s helped build an internet and the web to facilitate his hopscotch around the world (Canada, America, and now Europe). He’s now a core collaborator of Node.js and a TC39 (internet standards body) delegate. Jacob loves connecting with people and helping them get where they’re going.

LiveJournal

LiveJournal

Support & Developer

2000

Column

Column

Service Assurance Consultant

2010

Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts

Software Engineer II

2014

Charitable Impact

Charitable Impact

Senior Software Engineer

2016

Orbiit

Orbiit

Principal Software Engineer

2022

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Recruitment Consultant

2024

Q&A

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Collaborative, curious, earnest, observant, 5-minutes-late.

What is your previous SaaS experience?

My very first software engineering work was in OSS SaaS actually: LiveJournal back in ~2000. They were very encouraging and supportive, and I had a lot of agency, so it made a really good impression.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

I got poached whilst interviewing for an engineering job.

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

As my friend put it: “A tech genius with social skills”.

What achievement are you the most proud of?

I tutored a QA guy over lunch for like a year to be a software engineer (school wasn’t much of an option for him). At the end, I worked with my boss who got him an interview in another department. We kept in touch, and he told me like a year later I changed his life.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

Nobody knows a duck better than a duck.

What is your best advice for jobseekers?

Publish on GitHub. Nothing says “I can do this” like when everybody can see you’ve already done it. FOSS contribution is also a great way to improve your skills for free.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

That moment in the conversation when you realise this is an ace candidate.

What do you like to do in your personal time?

Spot kitties, travel, and wine.

Christopher Georgiades

Recruitment Consultant

Chris spent 5 years with Datto. As the 4th hire in region, he played a pivotal role in Datto’s early growth as a top performer, surpassing quota year after year. In addition to this, he was responsible for coaching and enabling the new generation of starters who came through the ranks. At Planhat, Chris was the first AE in region, and was responsible for growing Planhat’s regional ARR from $0- $900k whilst growing the foundational team. Chris is resilient, patient and always searching for innovative ways to improve process and efficiency.

Datto

Datto

SDR > Account Executive > Channel Sales Manager

2016

Planhat

Planhat

Founding AE

2021

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Recruitment Consultant

2024

Q&A

 Describe yourself in 5 words:

Passionate, patient, caring, goofy, hungry.

What is your previous SaaS experience?

Spent 5 years working as an ANZ founding member for a US business continuity provider, Datto as an SDR, AE and Channel Sales Manager. 3 years as a founding AE for Planhat, a modern customer success platform provider, building the foundational team, and growing market share in APAC.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

I was placed by Unique founder Machiel, in my previous role with Planhat. During my tenure at Planhat, I kept my eyes on Machiels journey, and loved what he was doing for the SaaS community. Expecting nothing, 3 years later, my mentor James Bergl reached out to me with an opportunity to help him expand Unique into APAC. Believing I can add tremendous value to the community, and aid Machiel and James with expansion. I decided to take the leap, and have enjoyed every moment since.

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

Passion.

What achievement are you the most proud of?

Buying my first property in Sydney, with my fiancee…or climbing MT Batur in Bali with Bali Belly. That was tough.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

I choose to work with Unique for the phenomenal Leadership, and core principles that align with mine. The leadership team has a clear vision, shared through transparency, and integrity. Everyone is treated as an equal, and having fun is encouraged. You are made to feel like you are part of the journey, not watching from the sidelines. You are enabled, and when you speak, the entire team listens. Creating a feedback loop of growth.

What is your best advice for jobseekers?

Be super prepared. Understand the company’s value proposition, and the challenges they may be facing. Create a hypothesis as to how you can help them solve these challenges. This will set you apart from other candidates.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

Helping our clients find top talent they may not have found otherwise, and helping top talent find that next step that will elevate their career.

What do you like to do in your personal time?

I spend time with family, play football and soccer with friends, and try to read as much as I can. I also enjoy traveling to secluded places with my fiancee to zen out, and relax.

Pontus Koivisto

Recruitment Consultant

Pontus…

Howspace

Howspace

Market Analyst

2016

Finnish Military Service

Finnish Military Service

2017

Berry College LifeWorks

Berry College LifeWorks

Consultant

2018

Vainu

Vainu

SDR > Data Analyst > Sales Engineer

2019

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Recruitment Consultant

2024

Q&A

 Describe yourself in 5 words:

Social, Efficient, Speedy, Relaxed, Clever.

What is your previous SaaS experience?

SDR > Data analyst > Sales Engineer at Vainu which is a B2B SaaS company.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

A wonderful lady, now a colleague of mine, reached out regarding a SE role opening. She sold me the Unique value prop and I felt a calling to try my wings in a new field, however within the familiar and exciting SaaS industry.

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

The sales+tech combo and some weird Finnish techno.

What achievement are you the most proud of?

Buying and restoring my first wooden sailboat, Irene <3.

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

We know where you come from and can relate to your needs better than you’d ever think.

What is your best advice for jobseekers?

Always be authentic and open. Employers value honesty and integrity, and these qualities will help you (and us) find a role that truly suits you.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

See the combo of an excited new employee and employer sign a contract! Also the crazy company outings.

What do you like to do in your personal time?

Work on lowering my golf handicap (often unsuccessfully). Also sail, ski, play tennis, padel, swim, bike, climb…. you name it!

Hector Rubin

Recruitment Consultant

Hector has a background in Entrepreneurship and has held a variety of different roles in the past – being a bike courier, bartender and even a librarian. Despite this varied background, Hector has always maintained a passion for SaaS, as well as sales. This eventually led him to Omnia retail, where he began his career as a Junior consultant / SDR. Quickly catching on, he found himself as an Account Executive, responsible for developing the midmarket core for the company. Human connection is what brought him to Unique and the recruitment industry. Helping others find their ideal job gives him energy and motivation.

Omnia retail

Omnia retail

Junior consultant

2022

Omnia retail

Omnia retail

Account Executive

2023

Unique Recruitments

Unique Recruitments

Recruitment Consultant

2024

Q&A

 Describe yourself in 5 words:

Energetic, Outgoing, Empathetic, Understanding, Communicative.

What is your previous SaaS experience?

I’ve been interested in SaaS since I was in high school – I remember hearing about SaaS just as it started to become a phenomenon. With SaaS in the back of my head, I was glad to start my career at Omnia retail, a SaaS Scale-up that empowers e-commerce retailers and brands with dynamic pricing for their webshops – giving them superpowers as it comes to pricing. There, I worked in the capacity of a Junior consultant and eventually as well as an Account Executive, where I was responsible for SMB and Mid-size deals in the Benelux market.

How did you end up in the wild world of recruiting?

As much as I enjoyed working in SaaS sales, I found that the high level of technicality didn’t align with my personal values and ideas for myself as much as I had initially anticipated. It only occurred to me much later, but recruiting was always ‘near’ to me – I had initially turned down an offer to join a different agency in favor of working at Omnia. I also kept in touch with recruiters and was curious about joining – perhaps it was also always in the back of my head! When I eventually took a call with Lydia, she offered me the opportunity to interview for Unique – I thought ‘why not?’ and here we are :).

What unique ingredient do you bring to the table?

I think my experience growing up in Canada but living in the Netherlands since I was 17 gives me a unique perspective on both cultures and expertise on interacting across very, very different groups of people. Besides that, I’m likely one of very few Canadians who speak both Dutch and German – always helps break the ice!

What achievement are you the most proud of?

Outside of graduating from my Masters programme with a cum laude distinction (special to me as I was never a good student, and failed out of my first bachelor’s degree), I recently ran my first half-marathon in a terrific time of 1:29:32. I trained for months and even went fully sober – sometimes running up to 80km in a week. It was a huge sacrifice that paid off!

If you were looking for new talent, why would you choose to work with Unique?

Simply put, Unique is a company of A-players that ‘know one when they see one’ – working with Unique is an easy choice, knowing that every recruiter has experience with the roles that they’re recruiting for.

What is your best advice for jobseekers?

Be authentic about yourself, about what you’re looking for in your career – even if you don’t know exactly. Be honest with your recruiter as well; we’re here to help you, and create a win-win situation for you as well as your new company!

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

I enjoy speaking with new candidates, feeling out their energy and getting to know them personally as well. It’s always thrilling to find someone that you connect with, and even more so when you’re able to successfully help them find a new position!

What do you like to do in your personal time?

In my free time, I’m a DJ playing all sorts of music around Utrecht and Amsterdam. Outside of running, I’m up for almost all sports; and enjoy learning languages, drawing and writing. I try to be creative where I can and really value time to simply relax and just ‘do nothing’.

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