Every year, the Institute of Research & Data Aggregation sets out to identify the world’s best employers — not by asking companies to apply, but by looking at what they actually do. Its independent meta-study draws on 500+ sources, assessing organisations across nine dimensions, from culture and leadership to diversity, compensation, and work-life quality.
In the Netherlands alone, ~180K companies are considered. Only the top one percent are recognised as Leading Employers.
This June, SentinelOne Netherlands made that list.
A Decade of Growth
Behind every accolade is a story of beginnings, growth, and lessons learned along the way. In the Netherlands, that story began nearly a decade ago.
“I was the first employee in the Netherlands and probably number 80 globally,” said Andre Noordam, Area VP, Solutions Engineering. “We were such a small team back then, but already disrupting the market significantly and redefining how to protect endpoints.”
Because he wasn’t covering just the Netherlands, but also the Benelux region and the Nordics, Andre spent much of his time on the road.
“At one point, I was traveling so much, the stewardesses aboard my usual flights started to recognize me,” he recalled with a smile. “It was a really busy time, a lot of hard work, but it was very exciting too.”
As the business grew, so did the team. What started with a single employee soon became five, and then many more. Today, 80+ Sentinels are based in the Netherlands. Despite the growth, Andre says one thing has remained remarkably consistent.
“What I liked back then and what is still true today is the energy and motivation we have to do whatever we can to help our customers. To me, that is unique to SentinelOne as a company, not just a country or a region,” Andre said. ”We aren’t pushing sales for the sake of sales as many other vendors do. We’re good at listening to what customers truly need and building partnerships instead of traditional vendor-customer relationships.”
That customer-first mindset is reflected in how the team operates internally too.
“Even though there’s a hierarchy on paper, in reality we’re a very flat organization,” Andre said. “I’m a manager, but I still have a desk on the floor. You can come to me, message me, and I’ll answer. That’s not always the case elsewhere. If I called an AVP at another company, they might not even pick up the phone. Here, we’re all reachable, we’re all accountable, and the door is always open.”
Spending nearly a decade at one company is uncommon in tech. For Andre, it comes down to two things: technology and innovation.
“I’m a strong believer in our technology, and its continuous evolution is what keeps my job interesting,” he said.
When Andre joined, there was one product to sell, the Endpoint Detection & Response.
“It was the same demo, the same highlights, the same jokes shared with customers,” he recalled. “But because we continuously evolve the platform, make smart acquisitions, and integrate them, we’ve broadened the scope. Fifty percent of our revenue is no longer EDR-related, so there are many more things I can work with.”
That constant challenge, learning new things and mastering them, is what keeps it interesting.
“I’m never at the stage where I think I know it all, because then I’d be in my comfort zone, and that’s when I’d get bored,” Andre said. “For me, that’s incredibly important.”
A Place to Belong
Almost two years ago, Annie Ashfield, Engagement Manager, Proactive Services, relocated to the Netherlands with her partner and their two cats.
Originally from Idaho, she joined SentinelOne through the Pinnacle One acquisition, and when an opportunity emerged to support the growing EMEA business, she volunteered to start over in a country where she knew virtually nobody.
“You get opportunities like this when you’re part of a global company, and I knew I had to take it,” she said. “Living abroad gives you experience that shapes both how you work and who you are. It’s a personal growth experience, not just a professional one.”
What could have been an intimidating transition turned out to be surprisingly smooth.
“What made it such a seamless move was really the People Team,” Annie recalled. “They went above and beyond to make sure I was connected, settled in, and felt welcome. They even helped transport my cats, which always feels so funny when I think about it.”
More than 80% of the Amsterdam office is made up of expats. That’s another thing that stood out when Annie arrived.
“I didn’t realize how international the Netherlands team is,” she said. “People come from so many different places and backgrounds. Every conversation feels like a chance to see things differently.”
For Annie, that diversity is one of the team’s defining strengths. Working alongside people from different countries, cultures, and professional backgrounds has broadened her perspective and reinforced why Amsterdam serves as such an important hub for the region.
“Seeing and experiencing that, it makes a lot of sense as to why SentinelOne is investing so much in its international markets and locations,” she said. “The more perspectives you bring together around a shared goal, the stronger you become.”
Feeling at home eventually came from the friendships Annie built and the community she found around her. Just as important was the freedom to do her job her own way.
“You don’t feel like just a number here,” she said. “There’s no micromanagement. You have the autonomy to make decisions, contribute meaningfully to your team, and work in a way that suits you. There’s a real sense of balance. You’re valued as a whole person, not just for what you produce.”
A Community of Trust
For Aldovino Di Michele, Senior Sales Development Representative, the culture of SentinelOne Netherlands is best showcased in its people.
More than three years ago, he left Milan for Amsterdam, where SentinelOne and he, as he puts it, “chose each other.” What he found was a team that takes its work seriously and has each other’s backs.
“We are people first, only then professionals,” he said. “If we’re not perfect as professionals, we can always learn and grow. If we’re not good as people, working together becomes really difficult.”
Trust is a big part of that people-first approach. Aldovino describes his day-to-day life as closer to running his own business than working for someone else’s.
“It almost feels like being an entrepreneur, where I have my territory, my stakeholders, and my goals,” he said. “When I make a decision, I do it because I want to achieve my own goal, which automatically contributes to the goal of the company as well.”
That ownership mentality doesn’t clock out at five. Over the years, the Netherlands team has built a calendar of shared moments outside of work as well — karaoke nights, treasure hunts through Amsterdam, go-kart races, and volunteering for a good cause.
One of Aldovino’s own initiatives also took on a life of its own.
“A couple of colleagues and I came up with the idea of creating a local SentinelOne football team,” he said. “I pitched it to our Employee Experience team and they were happy to support it. We got official jerseys and even enrolled in a tournament together.”
What started as a football team grew into a weekly gathering point for the wider team. Colleagues who didn’t play came to watch. Friends joined after matches.
“This is not corporate only anymore,” Aldovino said. “It’s a community of people and friends.”
A Culture of Initiative
For Andre, one of the qualities that defines SentinelOne Netherlands is a willingness to learn, take ownership, and support one another along the way.
“It’s completely fine if you don’t know something,” he said. “Just ask for help. Nobody in this company will tell you no. That I’m sure of.”
That mindset has helped shape SentinelOne Netherlands from a one-person operation into a team of more than 80 employees representing diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Along the way, the office has become known not only for its growth, but also for the culture that supports it: one built on trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to customer success.
“Amsterdam has become an incredibly important hub for us,” said Colleen Gallagher, Senior Director, International GTM Recruiting. “The talent here is exceptional, and it’s a place where customers, candidates, and employees immediately get a sense of the culture we’re building.”
Nearly a decade after its first employee joined the company, SentinelOne Netherlands has grown into one of the country’s Leading Employers. With a new office near Amsterdam’s Vondelpark, a growing team, and continued investment in the region, the momentum is only accelerating, and the story is only just beginning.