In this episode, Ross Webb (who led product transformations at Amazon and Just Eat) explores how AI transforms leadership effectiveness by handling administrative burden and freeing leaders to focus on strategic thinking.
Together with my colleague Florie Van Hummel, I was invited to discuss AI and the impact on Yoast SEO by the well-known hosting provider HostPress from Germany.
I joined the German tech podcast Super Duper Developers Club in my former role as Director of XOVI—the popular SEO SaaS owned by WebPros—to discuss AI and the impact on SEO and search in general.
I’m a product leader with 15+ years of experience building SaaS, hosting and SEO products from concept to scale. At Yoast, I oversee cross-functional teams across four global SEO products, driving the company’s evolution from a WordPress plugin to a multi-platform ecosystem that includes Shopify, Google Docs, and AI tools. I’m passionate about building teams that move fast, align on vision, and deliver measurable business impact.
I actively empower my product teams to leverage AI tools as creative and analytical partners in their daily work. From Figma’s Make and Codex for rapid prototyping to Claude and ChatGPT for insight generation and narrative design, I integrate these tools into our product development workflows to accelerate decision-making and improve quality. Beyond adoption, I coach my teams to think critically about when and how to use AI, ensuring that technology enhances human creativity, not replaces it. This culture of experimentation and learning has helped us move faster, collaborate better, and consistently deliver more innovative solutions.
I believe great leadership is about clarity, trust, and growth. My role is to set direction, remove obstacles, and help people do their best work — not to control every decision. I aim to build teams that move fast, take ownership, and think strategically. Empathy, transparency, and consistent communication are the cornerstones of how I lead, ensuring alignment between vision, people, and impact.
»Real artists ship.« This quote from Steve Jobs should be essential for all product leaders. Ideas don't count. My teams ship MLP versions rather than full-fletched features. Ship, learn & adapt.
When I talk about creativity with my teams, I mean finding smart, unconventional solutions when we get stuck. For me, creativity is about breaking patterns, not just making things look good or appealing.
If I’m not available, my teams shouldn’t slow down. They need the clarity, autonomy, and confidence to move fast and make effective decisions. My goal as a leader is to develop people so well that I become replaceable.
Trust is the foundation of everything I build with my teams. I believe in creating an environment where people feel safe to speak up, experiment, and own their decisions. It’s the key to real accountability.
Each product milestone represents a step toward smarter, faster, and more impactful solutions. These achievements highlight how I connect vision, strategy, and execution to drive growth and innovation. From new platforms to AI-driven tools, every success reflects the strength of empowered teams and clear product leadership.