EQOM’s Eric Idema departs at his peak

Entrepreneur Eric Idema (49), founder of ONE-DC and EasyToys, will step down as CEO of erotic goods company EQOM Group, the European market leader to which the EasyToys webshop belongs, as of July 1st. The EQOM Group, which has experienced rapid growth in recent years, has entered a new phase. “This requires different expertise than mine,” says founder Eric Idema.

Idema will remain involved with the EQOM Group as a shareholder and as a member of the advisory board. He will be succeeded by Marc van Boven (47), who has earned his stripes at international retail and e-commerce companies. Van Boven was partly responsible for the growth of companies such as Weleda, Omega Pharma, and Reckitt Benckiser (producer of, among others, Strepsils, Clearasil, and Durex).

Van Boven says: “Leading EQOM will be a great new challenge. Eric Idema has laid a fantastic foundation for the further expansion of the company. He has completely transformed the sexual wellness market. I am excited to now work on the further expansion of EQOM as a market leader and this market in general, which affects us all.”

“I am stepping aside to make way for a new CEO,” says Idema. “I am extremely proud of all the employees and our business partners. When I started, I never expected that I and EasyToys would come this far. I had to think about it for a long time, but I think it’s wise to leave at the peak. The company is entering a new phase and this requires different expertise.”

‘Mr. EasyToys’ has broken taboos by relentlessly advocating for sexual wellness in recent years. This includes EasyToys becoming the much-discussed main sponsor of FC Emmen, and signing a collaboration deal with the quintessentially Dutch department store HEMA as well as various branches of Jumbo, thereby making sex toys available on supermarket shelves for the first time. “Breaking those taboos is what I am most proud of.”

Eric Idema will remain active as an investor and wants to use his expertise to advise e-commerce companies. He also looks forward to sharing his knowledge and continuing to give lectures, with the proceeds going to support good causes.