“I am personally impressed by everything ACC does.”

Although Petra De Roos has over 25 years of experience, her career is quite straightforward to summarize. “I graduated in Marketing at the end of the last century, and during my final year, I interned at the communications agency that was then known as LDV & Partners. After my internship, I did some holiday work there, and eventually, I was hired full-time. I enjoyed it so much that I stayed until last year, spending the last eight years as Managing Director. LDV United—as the agency is now called—was my professional home for the past 26 years.”

A Long History with ACC
Early in her career, Petra De Roos connected with the professional organization at the time. “Back then, so-called open door events were organized, where a group of students would visit an agency. The agencies were given a standard presentation by B3A (the predecessor of ACC) to introduce our field. Since I thought it could be improved, I asked the association if I could revamp the initiative to make it more appealing. This marked the beginning of a close relationship with what would later become ACC. LDV has always been very involved in several ACC projects. For example, I helped guide the development of the current corporate identity and logo. When Johan became CEO, I took over the Expert Center Advertising—later renamed Sector Challenges—from him, a role I held for five years. After a short break, I joined ACC’s Board of Directors three years ago.”

“I had a good feeling about it right away. I believe that opportunities are things that fall into your lap, so I seized the chance.”

Career Shift
Last year, Petra decided to part ways with LDV United after more than 25 years. “In 2023, I spent six months at home due to burnout. Fortunately, I didn’t completely crash, but I had the opportunity to reflect on what I wanted to do in the next phase of my career. Johan was one of the people I could talk to about this. At the same time, he also mentioned that he was considering his succession and wanted to ensure a well-prepared transition. Given my profile, network, and strong involvement with ACC, he felt I was a suitable candidate to succeed him. I had a good feeling about it immediately. I believe that opportunities are things that fall into your lap, so I seized the chance.”

Irresistible Passion
The leadership transition at ACC will happen gradually. “Johan won’t disappear from ACC overnight, thankfully, because there are, of course, ongoing projects. We’ve developed a scenario where he gradually steps back, and I gradually step up. We’re both doing more than what was initially agreed upon, but that’s mainly due to our passion, which is hard to restrain. We’ve known each other for over 20 years, which also helps in this shared role. We’re in a fortunate position to ensure a smooth evolution. It’s not my ambition to ignite a revolution; there are far too many good things in place for that.”

Curiosity
But what qualities does Petra De Roos bring to leading ACC? “I believe, like Johan, that I’m a connector and a bridge-builder. But we’re, of course, different. If you try to be a copy, you’ll never be as good as the original. However, I have a lot of admiration and respect for the work he does every day. The biggest difference between us will likely be in personal style. Initially, there will be areas I’ll need to become more familiar with. But fortunately, I’m very curious. People who have met me will notice that I ask a lot of questions. On the other hand, I dare to say that I know a little about everything. During my years at LDV United, I worked closely with event agencies and PR firms, pursuing a common goal that went beyond our own agency, always in the client’s interest. That’s a role I’ve played in the past, and it’s coming back now at ACC, where we also want to foster good collaboration among people.”

“We all know the fantastic impact of live events and bringing people together. It creates a ‘collective buzz’.”

Focus Areas
In this first phase, Petra wants to focus mainly on the ACC team and the Expert Centers. “Our internal team is responsible for day-to-day operations, including training, projects, papers… I want to provide them with extra structure and guidance. Our Expert Centers are the heart of ACC. We have several Expert Centers that span all disciplines—like Finance & Legal, Talent, or Sector Challenges—but also Expert Centers focused on a specific discipline, such as Event Marketing, Content Marketing, Public & Influencer Relations… We’ve just established a new Expert Center, Employer Branding. Each Expert Center has its own specific challenges. We’ve agreed that I’ll initially oversee the cross-disciplinary Expert Centers. For the Expert Centers I still need to become more familiar with, Johan and I will continue working together for a while.”

Broad Offering
But ACC also has a wealth of knowledge and expertise beyond the Expert Centers. “Surveys are a crucial part of our work. The profitability survey, the salary survey, the sentiment survey… They are all powerful tools to assess the market’s state. Training is also an essential part of ACC’s offerings, and I want to take a fresh look at it. We also host several major events, like Sint-Canneke in late June. We all know the fantastic impact of live events and bringing people together. It creates a ‘collective buzz.’ Later in the year, there are also the BOA’s, BORA’s, BOCA’s, and BEA’s. I’d like to be involved in these this year, but Johan will still lead them for now. Finally, there are projects like CommToZero, focused on sustainability. Additionally, new initiatives have emerged from our new chairwoman Karin Corrigan’s vision document, for example, around A.I., reputation, and client connection. I’m still personally impressed by everything ACC does.”

Member Engagement
Working for a professional organization is a very different dynamic than working for a private company. “I come from an American publicly traded company, where figures and shareholders are very important. At ACC, our members are our shareholders, so it’s our job to create value for them. What’s comparable to my previous role is acting with a good sense of stewardship, thinking about how to best use our budgets. In a professional organization, you’re working with like-minded people who are committed to making something better. The people in the Expert Centers are all volunteers, which is a fantastic commitment on their part. But I can’t demand that they meet strict deadlines since their own businesses naturally take priority. So that’s a different dynamic.”

“We’re seeing that our members face many challenges, more than ever. They’ve never had to think so hard about being agile in their business.”

Emphasizing Value
The broader communications sector faces significant challenges in 2024, where ACC can play a role. “It’s not the easiest time for communications agencies. Margins in many sectors are under pressure. Even creativity, which we always defend as a lever to achieve results, is under pressure. Our chairwoman’s vision document is aptly titled ‘WE ARE VALUE CREATORS.’ We need to strengthen that position and emphasize that we create value for our clients and their end customers. We’re seeing that our members face many challenges, more than ever. They’ve never had to think so hard about being agile in their business. The 11% indexation, pressure on budgets from clients, the world being locked down for two years… It seems like it’s been crisis after crisis for our sector.”

Sweet Spot
One segment within communications that seems to be thriving today is event marketing. “Everyone feels that live events are what we need now. We can create something strong that meets this need. Real-life encounters offer a counterbalance to technology and A.I. You can sense there’s a huge potential, and the event sector is capitalizing on it well. There are two ways to deal with new technology. One is to stay updated and use it, and the other is to provide things that technology can’t. I think the event sector has found that sweet spot exceptionally well,” says Petra De Roos.


Source: https://www.eventnews.be/nl/associaties/item/10200-ik-ben-zelf-onder-de-indruk-van-wat-acc-allemaal-doet