Rapid Circle Netherlands has thrived for decades, growing into an established Microsoft partner under the steady, people-focused leadership of Harold Punter. Harold’s belief in people, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to building a culture of trust and innovation have shaped Rapid Circle into the global company it is today.

As we enter a new phase of growth, this leadership transition accelerates Rapid Circle’s next chapter. Building on our strong cloud heritage, with Data and AI now central to our customers’ success and our strategy.

From pioneering the first cloud migration in Europe in 2011 to today’s AI era, Rapid Circle’s cloud expertise positions us perfectly to support customers on their AI journey, meeting them where they are. Whether just beginning or scaling adoption, and guiding them step by step to achieve lasting impact with confidence. Just as importantly, our deep expertise across Microsoft workloads, including security, ensures every transformation is innovative, trusted, and resilient.

AI is forecast to contribute over USD 15 trillion to the global economy by 2030, reshaping industries and redefining productivity worldwide. As a Microsoft-only Solutions Partner, with all six designations and deep expertise across workloads, Rapid Circle is aligned with Microsoft’s growth priorities in AI Business Solutions, Cloud & AI Platforms and Security.

Our full complement of services ensures customers can take advantage of Microsoft Cloud and AI responsibly and at scale. This spans strategy and advisory, technical implementation, change management & adoption, and managed services. Through our role as a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP), we also deliver, manage and optimise customers’ Microsoft investments, ensuring they gain maximum value. By combining these capabilities, we not only help organisations deploy AI, but embed it into their day-to-day operations to deliver lasting impact.

As technology moves forward, so do we. From mid-October 2025, George Stavrakakis, previously Managing Director of Rapid Circle Australia & New Zealand, will relocate to the Netherlands to take on the role of Managing Director NL and CEO. George brings a wealth of international experience – including 20 years at Microsoft, a deep understanding of our values, and a proven track record in AI-driven innovation, including founding and scaling an AI venture. His leadership philosophy centres around People, Customers, and Partners, which aligns perfectly with Rapid Circle’s DNA.

Harold will remain closely involved with Rapid Circle in a new role as Founder & Board Advisor, Strategic Partnerships; ensuring continuity and stability for our customers and teams.

This transition is a natural step in our growth journey, ensuring continuity, stability, and momentum. Our values, our way of working and our commitment to customers remain unchanged, while we strengthen our focus on innovation and growth with AI and Cloud at the core. We remain fully committed to helping our customers succeed, building upon our cloud heritage and placing data, AI, and security at the heart of their transformation. 

With proven experience across sectors such as Healthcare, Education, Construction, Retail, Energy, Financial Services, and Government, we combine local expertise with global scale -through established teams in the Netherlands, Australia, and India – supporting organisations wherever they are on their journey.

As George transitions to his new role, Daniel McPherson, one of Rapid Circle’s co-founders, has stepped into the role of Managing Director Australia. Daniel’s deep connection to our mission and community makes him the perfect person to lead the next chapter down under.