Robbert Zijlstra
@robbertzijlstra
VP-level sales leader driving enterprise growth and AI/IP governance.
BulgariaWhat I'm looking for
I am a VP-level sales leader with deep experience at the intersection of business, law, and organisational behaviour, focused on enterprise growth and AI/IP governance.
I have a track record of building over €2B in qualified pipeline across EMEA and consistently converting 60% of cold calls into C- and C-1 boardroom meetings, placing me in the global top 1%.
My roles have ranged from fractional CRO and VP Sales to Head of Benelux BPS Services and Senior Director Global Client Solutions, where I led large teams, managed multi-million euro P&L, and introduced SaaS and GenAI solutions to market.
I publish two daily LinkedIn newsletters on enterprise sales and AI/IP governance, advise legal teams on AI/IP risk and compliance, and recently launched a Behavioural-First IP/AI Audit to help organisations uncover legal, IP and behavioural risks in AI adoption.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
Fractional Sales Strategist
CS Alignment BV
Sep 2018 - Present (7 years)
Provides fractional CRO and sales strategy leadership across BPO, BPS and SaaS to accelerate GTM execution, build enterprise pipelines, and secure board-level access; launched a Behavioural-First IP/AI Audit in 2025 to identify legal, IP and behavioural risks in AI adoption.
AILed EMEA new business development focused 90% on hunting, built a $32M pipeline in nine months and achieved a 60% cold-call to boardroom conversion while introducing SaaS GenAI customer engagement solutions.
Owned Benelux BPS go-to-market as a hunter, adding $1.935B to the verified pipeline via end-to-end outsourcing deals across finance, supply chain and HR, and positioned TCS as a strategic partner using CogniX GenAI BPaaS.
TRLed EMEA sales and B2B BPO CX operations managing 273 staff and an €11.5M P&L, introduced a COPC-based quality model that increased productivity 18% and integrated regional operations into a multilingual hub.
TEBuilt a regulated financial services division, secured an AFM license within six months, established a compliant legal entity and proxy board, and designed BFSI-specific service offerings to enter the sector.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
USUniversity of Salford
Master of Laws (LL.M.), Commercial Law
Completed an LL.M. in Commercial Law, specialising in AI and intellectual property rights; formally graduated 25 September 2025.
NTI University of Applied Sciences
Master of Business Administration, Business Administration
Completed a Master of Business Administration with emphasis on business administration and management practice.
UAUniversity of Amsterdam
Master of Arts, Sociology
Completed a Master of Arts in Sociology, focusing on sociological theory and research methods.
Tech stack
Software and tools used professionally
Availability
Location
BulgariaAuthorized to work in
Job categories
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