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Sometimes the best new hire is a familiar face. Mustafa Bicer is back at Momentum, this time as Strategic Development Manager EMEA. He lives in Amsterdam, is 46 and, at the time of writing, has been back for just a few days. We asked him why he returned, and what stayed with him all these years.
A familiar face returns
Mustafa is no stranger to Momentum. He first joined in 2021, in sales. After about a year he chose a new step: an international sales role, something that had always appealed to him. "Throughout my career I've been used to working internationally, across different regions, countries, cultures and time zones. That always really appealed to me." And yet Momentum kept tugging at him.
"I always enjoyed it here. The culture, the colleagues, the way people come first: that stayed with me all these years."
People first
What stayed with Mustafa most is the culture. The warmth, the colleagues, the small things that show people genuinely matter at Momentum. The fact that he kept in touch with former colleagues all this time says enough. "I always kept in close contact with the people here. With Maarten, with Jeroen, with Melvin, with Goosje, with André, you name it."
Why come back now?
When Mustafa looked around for a next step, the choice was quickly made. He saw Momentum's international growth, and reaching out to Melvin again felt completely logical. Conversations followed with Fedor and Remco, among others, and the click was there straight away. "I can see the growth is heading in an international direction. Being part of that seems fantastic, while keeping that culture."
That last point was crucial for Mustafa. Before saying yes, he explicitly checked with several people: is it still a great place to be, do people still come first, even as Momentum grows internationally? "No one gave me the impression that it wasn't. That mattered a lot to me."
"The international growth appeals to me. But what matters most is that people still come first here, and they do."
A fresh start, with patience
Working internationally still has its appeal for Mustafa, even if it is no longer the deciding factor it was four years ago. "Back then it was probably the most important aspect of my job. Now it is one of the important things, but no longer all-defining. If the rest is good too, that is good." And the rest is good.
Mustafa has now started as Strategic Development Manager EMEA. There is a lot coming at him, even though he knows his way around. "Every now and then it is hard to see the forest for the trees. At the same time, I should not sell myself short by thinking I need to know everything already. That simply takes time." He wants to get going with customers as soon as possible, but with a strong story. "I do not want to start too early without a strong story to tell. I will give myself that time."
Welcome back, Mustafa. Great to have you here again.
