Relay42 Announces Christiaan van der Waal as CEO

Amsterdam, 16 January 2025

Relay42, a leading European Customer Data Platform (CDP), is pleased to announce the appointment of Christiaan van der Waal as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 1, 2025. As CEO, van der Waal will focus on defining the company’s strategic direction and leveraging Relay42’s strengths to drive commercial growth. 

"I’ve known Relay42 since its early days and have witnessed firsthand the remarkable capabilities of the Relay42 CDP, having been a customer of the solution myself," said van der Waal. "I’m truly excited to join the company and its incredibly talented team to help drive Relay42 into its next chapter of growth and innovation." 

Van der Waal brings over 20 years of experience in the digital marketing industry, with a proven track record of leadership on both the agency and client sides. Before joining Relay42, van der Waal led the digital marketing team at FedEx, where he most recently served as Vice President of Digital.  

"My experience leading large-scale digital transformation projects has shown me the value of equipping marketers with the right skills, knowledge, and technology,” said van der Waal. "This is precisely why I joined Relay42—to empower marketers to unlock their full potential and drive maximum impact with their budgets.” 

Van der Waal succeeds Tomas Salfischberger, the co-founder of Relay42, who will transition to an advisory role on the company’s board. 

"Christian brings extensive management expertise and a unique perspective, having directly experienced the value of Relay42 as a customer," said Tomas Salfischberger. "I am thrilled that he has taken on this strategic role, and I am confident that his leadership will propel the company toward even greater success in the years to come."