In memory of Ruud Scheltinga, our beloved colleague

In memory of Ruud Scheltinga, our beloved colleague

Ruud Scheltinga, Pod Group’s CFO until a couple of months ago, sadly passed away on Wednesday, 2nd September 2020, after battling cancer for several years.

Ruud was above all an incredibly kind and welcoming man, who was always ready to give praise and support to anyone who needed it, and equally ready to point out mistakes with his unique blend of empathetic advice and a direct way of speaking.

At Pod, Ruud provided so much more than a keen head for business and strategy, he also understood deeply the way that people work together. As a result, Ruud was instrumental in Pod’s international expansion and helped to shepherd the company through our growth and change of culture, offering sage advice and ensuring that everything fell into place to help the company overcome the challenges of growing internationally.

In an office with many different nationalities and differences of opinion, Ruud was beloved amongst all of his colleagues and brought an infectious joy with him on his visits. Sometimes he would take the night bus from his home in Lisbon to Seville, work all day, and then stay out late on the town with his 30-year-old peers, and his boundless energy was never in question, especially when performing Abba’s Money, Money, Money with the finance department each Christmas.

Ruud always gave off an air of sheer contentedness with his position in life, even when arguing about the need to slow down with Pod’s founder. Ruud was a finely balanced man, who emanated calm and tranquility but was never afraid to state his mind and to contribute to discussions – or to step in when discussions were too heated.

Ruud was also a man who valued his dignity, and maintained his image of calm control even as most of his colleagues were unaware of his ongoing battle with cancer. After seeking out many different treatments for his illness, Ruud was admitted to hospital some weeks ago, and sadly passed away yesterday. Ruud will be sorely missed by all of his friends and colleagues at Pod, and his lighthearted stoicism will leave its mark on the company for many years to come as we all fondly remember his incredible warmth and the depth of his wisdom and experience.

Ruud, we will miss you. Thank you for everything you have done for us and for being part of our lives in your final years – even though it wasn’t for long enough.