Martijn Pierik

Q: What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

My leadership centers on mentorship and propelling our collective vision. We balance expertise with burgeoning talent, emphasizing accessibility and growth opportunities. Leadership transcends daily tasks and focuses on broader goals like client success and strategic achievements. I share knowledge with our newer staff through regular “Coffee with Martijn” sessions, fostering open communication.

I eschew micromanagement, valuing autonomy and learning from mistakes as key to development. Support and guidance are always available, helping team members overcome obstacles and learn autonomously.

Personal and professional growth are interlinked, with one fostering the other. Leading by example, I encourage hands-on learning, challenge tackling and solution finding, underpinned by my support, defining my leadership style and company management.

Q: What impact has COVID-19 or the disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

The pandemic has underscored the uniqueness of work styles, highlighting the need for adaptability in productivity. It’s reshaped my approach, shifting from an operation-focused CEO to one who motivates and mentors, leveraging my extensive experience.

Now, I’m less involved in day-to-day operations, focusing more on cultivating talent and offering comprehensive client support. My efforts are geared toward enabling our team to deliver substantive business outcomes for clients beyond mere PR and marketing tasks.

COVID-19’s key takeaway is realizing my profound impact in fostering team empowerment and navigating clients through ongoing change.

Q: What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

Arizona is exemplary in fostering economic growth, especially in the tech sector. Organizations like GPEC, ACA and the City of Phoenix, alongside the governor’s office, have transformed Arizona into a leading high-tech hub, second only to Silicon Valley in the U.S. While all this happened in less than a decade, I advocate for more significant support of local businesses to further empower Arizona’s economic growth. While we excel at attracting companies, we also need a robust homegrown industry. I hope to see companies source more products and services locally; in our line of business, I see quite a bit of work being outsourced to companies outside our state. I’d love to see some incentive programs to promote businesses to source locally instead of going out of state, so we can continue building that ecosystem here.

Seeing our educational institutions expanding and developing workforce programs to meet ongoing demands is excellent. The investments from ASU, UA, GCU, NAU and many community colleges and trade schools are vital. If we continue cultivating this labor supply, we’ll maintain our competitive edge and sustain our economic momentum.

Q: What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

My company’s near future is marked by exciting developments that will significantly impact our local economy. We’ve recently acquired another agency, expanding our talent pool and service capabilities. This growth is not just about increasing our footprint but evolving to serve our clients better.

As we grow, we create more jobs and hire new talent, contributing directly to Arizona’s employment landscape. But our impact extends beyond just job creation. As a PR and communications firm, we play a pivotal role in showcasing Arizona’s business achievements and technological innovations to the nation and the world.

Notably, we are involved in facilitating international interest in Arizona. For instance, I am supporting a major trade mission where companies from the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium) are exploring the business climate in Arizona. Such initiatives put Arizona in the global spotlight and can lead to significant investments in our state.

One of my most recent achievements was helping bring the SEMICON West trade show to Downtown Phoenix, starting in 2025. This massive effort, in collaboration with GPEC, ACA and the City of Phoenix, will have a lasting impact on Arizona’s economy. My role in initiating and navigating this process demonstrates Kiterocket’s commitment to and effectiveness in strengthening Arizona’s economic standing.