After building a career spanning more than 30 years, Hans van der Plas has developed extensive expertise in commercial leadership, business transformation, network development and go-to-market execution across complex international environments.
Throughout his career, Hans has held senior leadership roles in both B2B and B2C organisations, ranging from established global brands to fast-growing businesses and market entrants. Operating at local, regional and international levels, he has successfully led teams, built commercial ecosystems and managed stakeholder networks across multiple channels and markets.
His experience covers the full spectrum of commercial operations: from defining strategy and governance frameworks to translating ambition into measurable execution. Hans understands what it takes to align sales, marketing, operations and partners around shared objectives, ensuring that strategy delivers tangible business results.
Having worked extensively within complex distribution models involving manufacturers, importers, dealers, retail networks, fleet customers and strategic partners, Hans has a deep understanding of the challenges organisations face when scaling, transforming or entering new markets.
His expertise includes commercial transformation, channel and partner management, pricing strategies, forecasting, CRM optimisation, governance, customer lifecycle management and operational-commercial integration.
What sets Hans apart is his ability to connect data, processes and people. He combines strategic thinking with a hands-on approach, recognising that sustainable growth depends not only on the right strategy, but also on creating ownership, building trust and enabling teams to perform.
After leading organisations and transformation programmes for companies including Shell, BMW Group, Stellantis, 3M, Pon, Lease a Bike and VinFast, Hans founded **Shake the Tree** late 2025.
Through Shake the Tree, Hans advises organisations — from SMEs to multinational companies — on unlocking commercial potential, accelerating growth and building future-ready operating models.
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Hans:
Businesses rarely grow in a straight line.
As organizations evolve, so does the complexity around them. People change. Markets shift. Competitors move. Channels multiply. Data grows exponentially. And customers expect more than ever before.
As a result, organizations become larger, processes more complex, and responsibilities less clear. What once worked successfully starts to create friction.
Revenue may continue to grow, but margins come under pressure. Teams work hard, but not always towards the same objectives. Decisions are often driven by experience and intuition, while the business increasingly needs structure, insight and disciplined execution. That is exactly where I come in. I help organizations turn commercial complexity into clarity, focus and measurable results.
After nearly thirty years in international commercial leadership roles, I understand the realities of growth. Not from theory, but from experience.
I have built organizations, led commercial teams, opened new markets, developed distribution networks, driven transformation programs and helped businesses translate strategy into execution. From global corporations to fast-growing companies. From international brands to entrepreneurial mid-sized businesses.
Over the years, I have seen what drives success. More importantly, I have seen where organizations often get stuck. Not because of a lack of ambition, but because of unclear ownership, fragmented data, conflicting priorities, weak governance and insufficient commercial alignment.
Where Organizations Typically Struggle
- Growth slows despite clear market opportunities.
- Sales, marketing and operations are not working towards the same goals.
- Data is available, but not translated into better decisions.
- Distribution channels compete rather than strengthen each other.
- Pricing and margins come under pressure.
- Activity is high, but focus and accountability are lacking.
- Strategies remain trapped in PowerPoint instead of driving action.
Sound familiar? Then it may be time to look at the business differently.
What I Do
I help organizations simplify complex commercial challenges and focus on what truly drives performance.
Not through lengthy reports that disappear into a drawer, but through a pragmatic, hands-on approach that creates momentum and delivers results. Together we build:
- Clear commercial strategies
- Sharp market and customer segmentation
- Effective go-to-market models
- Strong distribution and partner networks
- Clear governance and accountability
- KPIs and dashboards that drive decisions
- Better alignment between teams
- Action plans with measurable outcomes
In short: less complexity, more control.
What I Bring
- Nearly 30 years of international commercial leadership experience
- Board and executive management responsibility
- Expertise across B2B, B2C and omnichannel environments
- Extensive experience in growth, transformation and change
- Strong stakeholder management capabilities in complex ecosystems
- A proven track record in building teams, networks and scalable commercial operating models
- I combine strategic thinking with operational execution. I ask the difficult questions, bring structure to complexity and ensure that plans are translated into action.
My Belief
- Sustainable growth is not created by working harder.
- Growth happens when strategy, people, processes and data reinforce each other. When priorities are clear. When ownership is defined. And when commercial decisions are executed consistently throughout the organization.
- That is when momentum is created.
- And that is exactly what I help organizations achieve.
- From commercial complexity to competitive advantage.
- From ambition to execution.
- From fragmented initiatives to one powerful commercial engine.
Principles
- Data over opinion
- Structure over chaos
- Ownership over politics
- Execution over theory
Method
- Diagnose (facts, data, reality)
- Define (strategy & priorities)
- Design (structure & governance)
- Deliver (execution & results)
Curious what this could mean for your organization?
Let's start with a conversation
One good discussion is often enough to uncover where the greatest opportunities lie. Shake the Tree can help your organisation turn ambition into execution.
Some brief examples:
| BMW Group/MINI: | Benchmark for MINI Means Business Programm presented to the BMW Group Board, globally rolled out |
| Pon: | Set Industry benchmark for Salesforce implementation & set up, only with |
| 3M: | Rookie of the Year Award after clear defining recurring, short term high profitibility products packed |
| Shell: | Structured CRM Database in order to get full focused Customer oriented programm which helped Finance, Marketing & Sales to get appropriate insights and saved money and effort |
| Lease a Bike: | Close b2b coop in order to introduce contributional complementairy product & service groups |
| Volvo Cars: | Introduction of autonomy, involvement and shared focus on operational level which led to local/national sales team policy |
| Knauf: | Built the foundations for scalable growth by aligning strategy, governance, commercial execution & the Pennings – Knauf partnership |
