Former MD of digital agency The Reference Anja Cappelle joins Florence Pérès as Managing Partner at Speakersbase. Together they will further strengthen the speakers agency’s position as the leading one-stop-shop for premium thought leaders that inspire true behavioral change that boosts business and improves society.
Anja Cappelle is enthusiastic about her new challenge: “With the vast curated selection of moderators, trainers, and speakers, Speakersbase offers a smart tailor-made approach that balances keynotes, workshops, trainings, content packages and coaching. It's exciting to be part of this impressive team that moves beacons in business and society.”
Extra sales and management power
Anja Cappelle started her career as a journalist and then joined digital agency The Reference, to become its Managing Director in 2007. Under her leadership, The Reference grew from 30 to 160 experts in Ghent, Antwerp and New York. She created a strong company culture, an agile collaboration style with long-term clients and customer intimacy. Anja also played a key role in opening The Reference’s office in Manhattan in 2017, and the acquisition of US digital agency Karbyn. She now commits herself to using her extensive experience in sales and management to scale up Speakersbase and further diversify its offering.
No strangers
The positive relationship between Speakersbase and Anja already started in 1994, when she was hired by Speakersbase shareholder Jo Caudron, who was CEO of The Reference at the time. Two years later, Florence Pérès joined The Reference and worked closely together with Anja for more than 10 years. This was the start of a friendship now bridging more than 25 years, making this match a natural and happy one.
A matter of chemistry
"I once read an actor’s quote Chemistry can't be created between two people. You either have it or you don't. The script can only enhance it," says Anja Cappelle. "This definitely applies to the collaboration between Florence and me. From day one we have been pushing each other to greater heights. When we meet up something magical happens. Moreover, we create added value while having fun. And that is what we will now also share with the growing family of Speakerbase clients."
The future looks bright
"It is clear the COVID period comes to its end,” adds Florence Pérès. "The demand is increasing fast; with Anja onboard we can meet and exceed our clients expectations. They appreciate our customer-oriented approach and the way we effect real change in organizations. Combine this with our portfolio of top notch speakers, trainers, moderators and coaches and you have a recipe for exponential growth."