Victor Knaap | CEO, MediaMonks | One of the World’s Top 100 Digital Marketers | Opinion Leader (The Netherlands)
Victor Knaap is the Main Monk of Media.Monks. After sailing around Europe for a living, former skipper Victor dropped his anchor in the choppy waters of Hilversum (just outside of Amsterdam) in 2003. He became a foundational member of Media.Monks, turning a basement boutique into a global business.
With offices in Amsterdam, London, and New York and a staff of over 9000 talented monks, Media.Monks is the biggest creative digital production agency on the planet. The trophies and recognition from the FWA, Cannes Lions, BIMA, the Webbies, and the Lovies, amongst others, are a nice indication of the love, dedication, and eye for detail brought to the projects. In addition to Media.Monks, Victor is the executive director of S4Capital and Dutch charity GET IT DONE, as well as the advisory board of IAB NL.
Today, Victor is the Monk that takes the stage to talk about business and the way digital works. At any talk he gives, one person will leave the room offended, but another ten will be inspired to see digital in a completely new light. You have the opportunity to meet him at the DK stage but don’t use any sailing metaphors because he has developed an increasingly low tolerance for those, especially bad ones.
How to Build an (Agency) Brand While the Whole World is Watching
What is Victor's secret formula for transforming a basement company into a global business? Ingredient #1: His golden rule – buy, barter or die. Ingredient #2: Don't cut corners and don't be satisfied with safe. Ingredient #3: Some of Media.Monks' very first interns are now central leads in the company so be kind to your interns! For the rest of the lessons on achieving, accelerating and sustaining growth: you'll just have to come to DK2023, where Victor will give a talk on building an agency from the ground up, followed by a conversation with Davor Bruketa, owner of multiple professional recognitions earned in the last twenty-five years of his career as well as the CCO behind one of the most awarded Croatian agencies Bruketa&Žinić&Grey.