JB Enterprises - Johan Bezem

Interim Management & Consulting

Personal Data

I was born in 1964 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Further stations were Oosterhout and Eindhoven, for youth, school and university.
Since 1990 I live and work in Germany, mainly as freelance consultant, interim manager, project manager and software developer, with a special focus on embedded systems in the areas of automotive engineering and medical equipment.

If you want to get to know me better, you can of course talk with me directly.
In addition, I can also recommend the following books:

"The soul of a new machine" – Tracy Kidder
This book relates the development of a new computer near the end of the seventies. The author has attended this endeavor as a journalist, and not only describes the technical achievements but especially also the atmosphere.
This book gave me a sleepless night in 1985. This atmosphere was something I also wanted to experience myself. And in embeded systems development sometimes this tension, this euphoria and also this disappointment really is present.
"Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance: An inquiry into values" – Robert M. Pirsig
This title has fascinated me already during my university years: I found it as a literature reference in several articles in the magazine "Computer" of the IEEE. An unusual reference for a scientific publication on computer science.
It was only much later when I first actually read the book, also because it took me about 15 years to get through the first 30 or so pages. But then the book gripped me.
The author conveys in a seemingly autobiographic tale with many layers an understanding for the concept of "Quality" that far exceeds just examples. As I was reading I had an aha moment, which is one of the reasons I like to re-read the book every two years.
"The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done" – Peter F. Drucker
This book came to my attention when I subscribed to the podcast "Manager Tools". You frequently hear that efficiency and effectivity are different concepts, and in principle you do understand. But how to turn this understanding into practical behavior? What does it mean for a manager? That's what you'll find succinctly in this book.
Both the book and the podcast I recommend without reservations. They absolutely shaped my management style.

If you read these three books, you'll have an understanding of my motivations for the work I do and love.

And if you liked 'The soul ...', you may want to look at "Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins Of The Internet", by Katie Hafner.