Richard Jonker: A Renowned Global Leader, Orchestrating Success in Sales and Marketing

In the dynamic world of business development, few individuals stand out as pioneers. Richard Jonker is undeniably one of those exceptional figures. He is a seasoned international executive with over two decades of global sales and general management experience in the tech industry. Currently, Richard serves as the Vice President of Marketing & Business Development for NETGEAR’s commercial business.

The Early Years and the Notable Beginning 

As the son of two Philips Electronics employees and the great-grandson of a Neumann & Co. representative in Dutch Indonesia, technology is in Richard’s DNA. He began his career in distribution in the 90’s, before spending a few years at Apple. He joined NETGEAR in 2007. At NETGEAR, he handled Benelux sales and Emerging Markets and was in charge of commercial product line management and marketing until 2021. In the last three years, he focused on business development in the ProAV and broadcast markets, and he recently took on commercial marketing as well.

An Edge Over the Peers

Richard believes that gathering great ideas from talented people around the world is not tough. The actual challenge is to make trade-offs and decide what idea to prioritize in order to turn it into a successful product or business. This often means having to let go of other ideas. It is said that people with focus get things done, but those with priorities get the right things done.

A prime example of this is NETGEAR’s entry into the AV-over-IP market almost 9 years ago. Initially seen as a small and niche opportunity, it quickly evolved into a massive multi-billion dollar market with significant barriers to entry. Thanks to strategic planning, NETGEAR is now years ahead of its competitors, and this success was by design.

Striking a Balance Between Short-term Goals and Long-term Vision

As a NASDAQ-listed public company, NETGEAR operates under the laws of Silicon Valley, where investments and priorities are meticulously chosen, and timing and execution align with shareholder expectations. Richard further adds, “Our bets are small enough to fit into our existing structure, without cost explosions, but big and meaningful enough to have an impact in the foreseeable future. Our environment is not very forgiving of vague and long-term landscape paintings. We must deliver with a constant pace, with incremental improvements quarter-on-quarter.”

Significant Trends Shaping the AV-over-IP and Networking Sectors

AV-over-IP is revolutionizing audio-video transport, allowing seamless delivery to any output device, from displays to loudspeakers. This technology is becoming increasingly important in live events and broadcasts as these two worlds merge. In regions like the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia, this technology is rapidly adopted, driven by more competitive pricing and the shift toward cloud-based solutions, which reduce upfront costs. The primary driver of this growth is the rising demand for video technology in conference rooms. Customers now have clearer ideas of their exact needs-a flawless user experience, crisp audio, higher resolutions, and larger displays. Even in the APAC region and smaller economies in EMEA, there is a strong willingness to invest in a premium AV experience.

The Latest Technologies and Innovations in the Commercial Networking Space

Richard believes current trends like cloud computing, software-defined networking, and infrastructure-as-a-service will persist and eventually become more prevalent in midsize markets. Faster network and internet speeds will enable applications to move to the cloud, transforming the on-premises network into a simpler tool for delivering cloud-based applications. While this shift may pose challenges for big enterprise players, it aligns with NETGEAR’s cost-effective and efficient business approach.

NETGEAR’s Notable Role in Pushing the Boundaries in the AV-over-IP Market

NETGEAR is leading the way in enabling new AV-over-IP applications. For instance, the industry are developing 4K cameras capable of 1,000 frames per second for extreme slow-motion replays such as NBA basketball. This requires massive 100gbe switches and smooth operation. Additionally, manufacturers are working on the commoditization of 8K-slightly compressed video over 50 gbit network ports; it is an upcoming trend. Furthermore, conventional 1GbE AV-over-IP is moving to multi-gig speeds as a final example. This can be achieved using existing CAT5E cabling but necessitates the replacement of network switches to be replaced. Lastly, the use of AI to help networks self-heal is another interesting development.

The Significant Factors of Expansion in APAC and EMEA Regions

As a European with an Asian heritage, Richard is keenly aware of the cultural and linguistic diversity in EMEA and APAC. It is crucial to have people in these regions with the right language, business, and technical skills. The challenges in China and India stem from their large-scale and complex regional distribution. Richard emphasizes the need to align expansion with incremental investment and business goals.

Addressing the Increasing Market Demand

According to Richard, meeting the increasing demand for high-performance networking products has become a challenge post-COVID, mainly due to the rise of remote and virtual work. The team has learned to scale up by working with the chip suppliers and manufacturing partners in a much more agile way. The trend of remote collaboration and virtual or hybrid meetings is going to continue; demand is still growing.

The Future Outlook

Looking ahead, NETGEAR plans to increase its significance and relevance in the IT and AV sectors within the global enterprise and top government/education bodies in major regions. The company will prioritize investments to address any technology gaps and enrich the product portfolio.

Sustainability and Energy-efficient Solutions 

At NETGEAR, the team believes they need to leave this earth in a better shape than they found it. For over 25 years, they have worked extensively to lower the carbon footprint of the products as well as the supply chain. Their ESG reporting is a testament to that. Richard is proud to have contributed to that by co-authoring a whitepaper on efficient ProAV network designs.

The Emerging Markets and NETGEAR’s Future Growth

NETGEAR is a truly global company that was founded in 1996, with its most senior leaders coming from emerging markets. The team will maintain a strong focus on succeeding in these markets. Richard is a big fan of the book “Conquering the Chaos: Win in India, Win Everywhere” by Ravi Venkatesan, who previously led John Deere and Microsoft in India. One memorable point from the book is that a product for India needs 80% of the functionality against 30% of the price. However, with AV-over-IP switching, this principle does not hold – the product must deliver 100% of the functionality without significant concessions on pricing.

The Untapped Potential in the AV and IT Market

There is a lag in the AV and IT markets due to limited budgets and restrictions from the local government and education buildings across the world. Richard sees significant potential in this area. These customers are looking for high-quality products and services at affordable prices, presenting a huge opportunity for NETGEAR, as major enterprise brands are unable to tap into this market.