Meet Chief Technology
Officer (CTO) Sebastiaan.

Intelligent Software as the Connecting Force.

As CTO, Sebastiaan sets the direction for technological development within Costo and leads the software organisation. A key role in this is played by Arrow, Costo’s proprietary software suite.

With Arrow, his goal is to give customers greater visibility and control over their warehouse operations. This includes visual warehouse management, improved reporting, user-friendly interfaces and intelligent connections between different systems.

“Customers want to understand what is happening in their warehouse. Where is capacity being lost? Where do disruptions occur? And which adjustments will actually lead to improvements? Software should help answer these questions.”

Sebastiaan’s focus goes beyond introducing new functionalities. Reliability, straightforward software updates and predictable maintenance are equally important priorities.

Automation Starts with the Right Question.

According to Sebastiaan, one of the biggest misconceptions about warehouse automation is that more automation automatically leads to better performance.

“A faster machine adds little value if a bottleneck develops further down the process. You first need to understand how the entire system operates and where improvements will genuinely make a difference.”

This philosophy closely aligns with Costo’s approach: start with the customer’s logistics challenge, not with the technology.

“First, identify the problem you want to solve and then determine what role automation can play. It is about the entire process, not the individual components.”

Looking ahead, Sebastiaan sees significant opportunities to further develop Costo’s software solutions. His focus is on a modular, standardised foundation, reliable system integrations and solutions that can scale alongside customers’ changing needs.

A Well-Run Warehouse Is Like an Orchestra.

Collaboration also plays an important role in Sebastiaan’s life outside work. He is a passionate musician and plays the clarinet in a large orchestra. He also organises concerts, plays tennis, coaches his youngest son’s hockey team and enjoys skiing. Sailing in the Mediterranean and embracing the Italian way of life are among his other favourite activities. For Sebastiaan, the comparison between music and technology comes naturally.

“An orchestra can have outstanding musicians, but a beautiful performance only comes together when everyone plays in harmony. The same applies to a warehouse. Great machines and intelligent software are important, but the real results come when everything works together seamlessly.”

Building the Future Together.

With his arrival, Sebastiaan aims not only to accelerate technological development but also to build a strong software organisation where collaboration is at the heart of everything.

“My goal is to work with the team to develop technology that enables customers to better see, understand and improve their logistics operations. At the same time, I want to ensure that we can deliver and maintain our software reliably and predictably.”

An ambition that perfectly reflects Costo’s vision: modular wherever possible, fully integrated wherever necessary.