Niels van Nieuwenhuijzen has been working at Altares Dun & Bradstreet for over ten years, with a clear focus on partners and the partner network for the last two years. In his role as Partner Manager, he is constantly looking for ways to develop solutions together with partners that deliver immediate benefits to customers. His curiosity about new applications of data and his broad view of the different worlds in which data plays a role drive him every day.
You have been working at Altares Dun & Bradstreet for quite some time now. What are you most proud of in your career and what drives you in this field?
I particularly enjoy developing new things together. Combining solutions to create something new that really makes a difference for the customer gives me energy. In this playing field, you continuously learn from partners and discover new areas of expertise and solutions. I am curious by nature and discover new applications for data every week. In the ten years that I have been working here, and especially in the last two years in my focus on partners, I have seen how much impact that collaboration can have.
How do you see Altares Dun & Bradstreet's role in the partner landscape? Where do you really make a difference?
With 185 years of history, our existence is well proven. We have virtual access to all companies worldwide, which makes us unique. For partners, this means they can set up globally scalable integrations through us. The Dun & Bradstreet brand also acts as a quality label: software companies are keen to associate themselves with an established name like ours. I think we should be more aware of this and that we can derive even more value from it.
How would you combine the strength of the global Dun & Bradstreet brand with the local Altares Dun & Bradstreet focus?
We have exclusive licensing rights to D&B data and solutions for the Benelux and France. This gives us access to Dun & Bradstreet's entire global offering, while we have the local focus and expertise to truly serve our partners and customers. You can see that partner marketing is a strategic choice for us. By actively planning and creating visibility with partners, for example in podcasts and webinars, we are increasing our effectiveness. This is now starting to pay off.
How are data integrations changing the way B2B companies approach challenges?
Integrations make things way easier to use and let you work in a more integrated way. Companies can add external data to their internal data to automate their workflows. But the data has to be good. Poor data undermines any automation and increases risks, not only towards customers but also towards regulators. As a provider, we are seeing an increasing demand for high-quality data, for example around ESG data. This is an example of a proposition that is becoming increasingly mature, but constantly changing legislation makes it challenging for companies to keep up. This means we also have to go back to the drawing board. Our role is to collect the right datasets, separate noise from value, and deliver valuable insights. In effect, we are the filter that our partners and customers rely on.
"Procurement is no longer a purely operational process; it is at the top of the global risk list. Integrations that provide insight into supply chains therefore now deliver the most value for our customers."
– Niels van Nieuwenhuijzen, Partner Manager, Altares Dun & Bradstreet
Which types of integrations currently deliver the most value for customers?
Traditionally, many organizations know us for credit risk, but procurement is an area where virtually all of our data is relevant: from finding new suppliers and risk assessments to supply chain alternatives, compliance, and reputation protection. During the recent Climate Council, CPOs once again emphasized how essential data is in procurement. Companies are experiencing that the risks and potential penalties are significant if something goes wrong in the chain, and that vulnerabilities often only become apparent during crises such as Covid or geopolitical tensions.
This observation is consistent with the recent Global Risk Management Survey conducted by our partner Aon among more than 3,000 risk managers worldwide. The survey shows that, in addition to cyber and business interruption, supply chain-related risks, ranging from geopolitical blockades to climate disruption, occupy the second, third, and fourth places in the top ten. This confirms that procurement is not only an operational issue, but also a strategic risk and compliance issue. For us and our partners, this means that integrations that provide end-to-end insight into the supply chain create the most value: they help organizations quantify risks, comply with legislation such as CSRD, and become more resilient in an unpredictable risk landscape.
Interesting read: Procurement transformation: what CPOs really face
AI is the buzzword of the moment. Where do you draw the line between (agentic) AI and smart automation?
AI is not a new topic for us. We have been using models based on neural networks in our scoring for decades. The difference is that it is now much better known to a wider audience. AI is often mistaken for automation. Rule-based systems and RPA have been around for a long time, but they are not AI. Where I see the greatest impact is in applying AI to our data in collaboration with partners. Think of customized scoring models that are specifically tailored to a customer portfolio and can be deployed much faster and more scalable. Combining historical data with external sources makes such models particularly powerful. These use cases are also examined in detail in the podcast Agentic AI & Data.
Which trends do you think will really affect our customers in the short term?
Disruptions in transportation, tariffs, or supply chains can have a huge impact. The world is changing rapidly, and companies need to become much more agile. So much can change in 24 hours. Risk awareness is growing as a result, but I believe it could be even stronger. Ultimately, it's simple: if you don't have your data and insights in order, you run the risk of your company ceasing to exist
What is your biggest ambition for the Altares Dun & Bradstreet partner network?
My personal ambition in this role is to build an ecosystem in which software, consultancy, and data reinforce each other. Each with their own domain, autonomy, and expertise, but together focused on making customer insights scalable and actionable. Software cannot do without data, and internal customer data only has value when combined with external data sources. If we further develop this triangle, we can extract even more value from our partner ecosystem.
Discover the power of collaboration
Curious about how Altares Dun & Bradstreet works with partners to convert data into valuable insights? Read more about our partner program here.
