The baton has been passed.
Dear partner,
In 2004 we started First Case with one conviction. Do the work so well the client never has to give it a second thought. No fuss, just done. What began as a small, independent-minded company in Wateringen grew into a specialist that installs the critical power infrastructure across EMEA for the largest data centers in the world.
We never did that by wanting to be the biggest, but by being the most reliable. Brand-independent, with our own engineers, and with clients who know us by name.
For twenty years I drove to Wateringen every day with the same feeling: we make sure the power stays on. That feeling never wore off. But there comes a moment when you have to find the courage to pass it on. For me that was early 2026. As of this year, Olivier van de Weerdhof is CEO. Olivier had been with us for a while, knew our clients and knew our way of working. In him I found the successor who continues my vision while steering the company towards the future. I myself have stayed involved as an adviser.
"I have every confidence. Under Olivier's leadership First Case will carry on through the coming decades just as stable and client-focused as in the past twenty years."Ad Smulders
I consider it an honour to carry this forward. What Ad built is not a company but a promise. Being the people behind the cloud, who keep the power running. No fuss, just done. Certainty without compromise, because where uptime is everything, almost-good doesn't exist. And staying one partner for every brand, whatever system is installed. That promise does not change.
What you'll notice most is what stays the same. The same engineers, the same numbers in your phone, the same standard. And where we can, we keep building: more links in the power chain in one pair of hands, more professionals through our Academy. We remain the party you call when it really has to be right.
