Amsterdam-based TicketSwap, an online marketplace for buying and selling tickets, announced the appointment of Jan van Casteren as its new CEO, effective immediately.
With Van Casteren’s arrival, the Dutch company is entering a new phase of growth, evolving from a ticket resale platform into a broader discovery platform for fans
He succeeds co-founder Hans Ober, who is stepping down from day-to-day operations after more than twelve years.
However, Ober will remain closely involved with the company as a member of the supervisory board and will continue to contribute to strategic projects and innovation.
“I started TicketSwap as an entrepreneur and gradually took on a growing leadership role – something the company needed and something I truly enjoyed,” says Hans Ober. “After 12.5 years, I’m now passing the baton to Jan so I can fully focus on innovation and strategy within TicketSwap. I’m grateful that I can make this transition within the company, alongside my co-founders. I have full confidence in Jan and look forward to taking the next big steps together.”
A couple of months back Amsterdam company was selected for the Rise (Batch 15) cohort by Techleap.nl.
Who is Jan van Casteren?
Van Casteren previously served as Head of Europe at Flexport, a technology company in the logistics sector, where he oversaw the company’s European expansion and led a rapidly growing team.
Before his leadership role at Flexport Europe, Jan worked at The Boston Consulting Group, managing projects in the technology and industrial sectors.
He holds an MBA from INSEAD in Singapore and an MSc in Information Management from Tilburg University.
At TicketSwap, he will focus on international growth and further innovation, evolving the platform from a ticket resale marketplace into a discovery platform.
Van Casteren arrives as the Dutch company’s focus lies on expanding into new international markets, growing strategic partnerships, and strengthening its position within the live entertainment, sports, and events ecosystem.
Jan van Casteren says, “I’ve been a TicketSwap user from the very beginning. The fan experience is spot on – it’s user-friendly, transparent, and safe. At the same time, the landscape is changing rapidly. We see opportunities to offer fans more than just access, while also supporting organizers with new ways to reach their audience. I see tremendous potential, both in the Netherlands and beyond. I’m looking forward to working with the strong team to turn that into growth and a positive impact on the broader events ecosystem.”
Hans is stepping down as CEO now that TicketSwap is profitable again, nearly 20 million tickets have changed hands, and the company is experiencing strong growth across Europe.
TicketSwap: What you need to know
Founded in 2012 by Frank Roor, Hans Ober, and Ruud Kamphuis, TicketSwap is an online platform where users can sell their tickets for concerts, festivals, sports events, and theatres.
A cap on the sales price and verification of the sellers protects buyers from exorbitant prices and fake tickets.
The company aims to make secondary ticketing fairer, safer, and transparent for real fans, thanks to its anti-fraud technology SecureSwap.
Currently, the platform has 9M users in 36 countries and offers a fair and safe experience for fans attending more than 40,000 live events globally every year.
The platform is currently available in nine languages and supports the 14 commonly used currencies.
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