Ronald Hoek to succeed Léon Lankester on AAB's management team

AAB has appointed Ronald Hoek as Director effective November 1, 2026. Together with Aad Janssen, he will form the management team of the consultancy organization. Hoek succeeds Léon Lankester, who will step down at the end of this year after 18 years with the company. Hoek is currently CEO and co-founder of Blue Radix, where co-founders Laurens van der Spek and Rudolf de Vetten will continue to lead the company’s strategy as its management team.

Ronald Hoek (49) has been working on the application of data, algorithms and AI in greenhouse horticulture since 2014. He first served as Director Energy and Data Solutions at AgroEnergy, and since 2020 as CEO and co-founder of Blue Radix. During that period, Blue Radix grew from an idea into a fully-fledged organization and market leader in autonomous growing.

AAB: connecting specialist knowledge with new technology
AAB supports entrepreneurs and organizations with technical and business-related challenges in areas such as energy, sustainability, engineering, spatial development, brokerage, and corporate finance in the greenhouse horticulture and energy sectors. With Hoek’s appointment, AAB ensures continuity within its management team and strengthens its ability to respond to evolving challenges facing entrepreneurs and the opportunities offered by new technologies.

AAB aims to further develop its services and make even smarter use of its specialist knowledge. The organization sees additional opportunities to apply ICT, data, and AI within advisory processes, design work, and internal workflows.

Aad Janssen, Director at AAB: “Our customers present us with increasingly complex issues, for example regarding energy, sustainability, and business development. That requires specialist knowledge as well as the ability to make new technologies practically applicable. Ronald is familiar with the greenhouse horticulture and energy sectors and brings experience with digitalization, data, and AI. With him, we retain what makes AAB strong and add expertise that will help us further improve our services.”

Ronald Hoek: “I have now been active in greenhouse horticulture for more than 12 years, first at AgroEnergy and later from Blue Radix. AAB is a very logical next step for me, because I can fully apply my experience here. At the same time, there is also a lot to learn. After all, AAB has a great deal of specialist knowledge. I am impressed by the team’s strong commitment to customers and how they contribute to the development of the sector. I see opportunities to connect that deep expertise with technology, data, and AI. Not as an end in itself, but to support employees more intelligently and advise customers even better. In the coming period, I mainly want to listen, get to know people, and discover where we can take further steps together.”

Farewell to Léon Lankester
After 18 years, Léon Lankester will leave AAB. As Director responsible for general affairs and as department manager of the (Geo)Thermal Energy department, he made a significant contribution to the growth and positioning of the organization. He made the decision to step down more than a year and a half ago.

Léon Lankester: “After 18 wonderful years at AAB, this feels like the right moment to pass the baton. AAB is a fantastic organization with committed employees, extensive knowledge, and a strong position in the sector. Working with our customers has always given me a lot of energy. Starting next year, my partner and I want to take more time for ourselves. It is important to me to hand over my responsibilities carefully and at the right moment. With Ronald’s arrival, I am confident that AAB can continue building toward the future. He fits very well with our culture, our customers, and our services.”

Aad Janssen: “Léon has made a significant contribution to AAB’s development. We are very grateful to him for that. At the same time, we are pleased that we have found a fitting successor in Ronald.”

Hoek will begin his onboarding and introduction period on November 1, 2026. Lankester will remain with AAB until December 31, 2026, working closely with his successor during that time. Huub van Meurs will succeed him as department manager of the (Geo)Thermal Energy department. This will ensure the continuity of knowledge, relationships, and ongoing projects.

Blue Radix ready for its next growth phase
Laurens van der Spek and Rudolf de Vetten will jointly form the management team and continue shaping Blue Radix’s strategy. That strategy remains fully focused on the global rollout of autonomous growing in greenhouse horticulture.

Laurens van der Spek: “Ronald has played a major role in building Blue Radix. We are grateful to him for the collaboration and wholeheartedly support him in taking this next step. Blue Radix is in a strong position, with an experienced team, a clear strategy, and technology that supports an increasing number of growers worldwide.”

Rudolf de Vetten: “For our customers and partners, nothing will change. The team and strategy remain the same, and we continue to focus fully on our mission to roll out autonomous growing worldwide and help more growers achieve better results with our technology.”

Ronald Hoek: “When we started Blue Radix, the ambition was to put autonomous growing on the global map. Six years later, Blue Radix is active in 18 countries and Crop Controller is running in more than 100 greenhouses worldwide. With a growing international customer base, the recent investment from shareholders, and a strong team led by Laurens and Rudolf, I am fully confident that Blue Radix is ready for its next growth phase. That is why this feels like the right moment for me to take the next step in my career.”

AAB and Blue Radix wish Ronald Hoek every success in his new role.

Voor meer informatie:
AAB
[email protected]
https://www.aabnl.nl