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What a day. On Thursday 4 June 2026 we welcomed our customers, partners and speakers at Circuit Zandvoort for the BMW Driving Experience 2026, themed AI & Security: Full Speed Ahead. We look back at a day where sharp keynotes, an open panel and pure driving joy came together into something our guests will remember for a long time.
An opening at racing speed
The day opened with Jan Lammers, former Formula 1 driver and someone who knows Zandvoort like nobody else. His message about speed, focus and staying in control under pressure hit home immediately. He showed how a driver at the highest level learns to make the right decision in a fraction of a second, a skill that translates surprisingly well to modern cybersecurity and AI.
Right after, Dr. Maarten Sukel, AI specialist and author, took the stage. He laid out clearly how organisations can make smart choices in a world where AI is moving deeper into every part of the business. Not an abstract talk, but concrete guidance on security, governance and what AI does and does not solve for you.
Cato Networks: staying in control of the AI landscape
The morning closed with Dmitri Azralski from Cato Networks. With deep expertise in AI Security and SASE, he showed how the AI landscape is shifting at high speed and what this means for the way we protect networks and data. A story that connected perfectly to the two earlier keynotes.
Speed alone is not enough. Focus and control decide who comes through the corner.
The recurring theme of the day
The panel: candid voices from CISOs and IT leaders
Under the guidance of moderator Eric Luteijn, three seasoned IT and security leaders shared their real stories:
- Keith Gill, Global IT Specialist at BDR Thermea Group, on what it takes to keep a complex international organisation safe and agile.
- Alfons Giesen, Delivery Manager IT at Kramp, bringing in his experience from IBM, Atos and KPN into an honest conversation about governance.
- Fabian Doodkorte, CISO at Neways, with sharp insights on cyber resilience and how to prepare an organisation for what is coming next.
The candour of the panel was the highlight for many. No marketing talk, but real challenges that our customers wrestle with daily, and how they find solutions together.
Hitting the asphalt
After lunch, everyone hit the track. The BMW Driving Experience delivered exactly what we hoped for: a mix of adrenaline, fun learning and camaraderie.
- M Target Braking: precision braking at the highest level, with more than a few surprised faces.
- Emergency Lane Change: fast reactions and staying in control when it really matters.
- Scenic Drive: different BMW models around Zandvoort, for anyone who wanted to enjoy the real driving feel for a moment.
- BMW M5 Slalom: the competitive challenge of the day, with a prize for the fastest.
Lammers' message took on real meaning
Anyone who flew through the slalom in an M5 felt Jan Lammers' message come back: speed is great, but focus and control make the difference. The exact same principles by which we manage modern networks and security for our customers every day.
Networking over drinks and bites
The day ended the way a good day ends: with drinks, snacks and conversations that simply kept going. About the keynotes, about the track, and most of all about the questions our guests are wrestling with themselves. For us, this was the most beautiful moment: seeing customers, partners and colleagues find each other, exchange ideas and feel the camaraderie that made this day what it was.
A word of thanks
We want to thank all our guests for joining us and for their candid contributions to the conversations. A special thank you to our speakers Jan Lammers, Maarten Sukel and Dmitri Azralski, to our panel moderator Eric Luteijn and panellists Keith Gill, Alfons Giesen and Fabian Doodkorte. And of course to our co-organiser Cato Networks and to BMW for the unforgettable driving experience.
See you next time, and until then: stay sharp, stay safe and keep the speed up.
