Nicolaas Matthijs

Nicolaas Matthijs has a diverse and accomplished work experience in the field of education technology. Nicolaas began their career as a Front-End Development Lead for the Sakai Foundation, where they contributed to the development of the Sakai 3 project. Nicolaas was also recognized as a Sakai Fellow for their leadership and innovation in Sakai's UX and development.

Matthijs then worked as a Personalized Search Researcher at Microsoft Research, Cambridge, where they conducted research on using browser history to improve search engine results.

Nicolaas later joined the University of Cambridge as a Technical Architect, where they were responsible for setting the technical direction for projects and transforming the university library's infrastructure.

In 2012, Matthijs co-founded Fronteer Ltd and served as its CEO until 2016, focusing on academic collaboration and networking. During this time, they also worked as a consultant for their own company, Nicolaas Matthijs LTD.

From 2012 to 2016, they were the Project Lead for Apereo OAE, an open-source academic collaboration platform used by over 400 institutions worldwide. Nicolaas'sresponsibilities included securing funding, managing stakeholders, overseeing system architecture, and leading the development team.

Matthijs also served as a Member of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Assistive Technology (APPGAT), contributing to the creation of a white paper on Accessible Virtual Learning Environments.

Nicolaas then joined Blackboard, first as a Product Director for Blackboard Ally, where they worked on improving content accessibility in learning management systems, and later as the Senior Director of Product Management for Blackboard Learn, defining product strategy and roadmap.

Currently, Matthijs holds the position of Vice President of Product Management at Anthology Inc, overseeing the Teaching & Learning portfolio, which includes various essential tools for students, instructors, and institutions worldwide.

Additionally, they have served on the Board of Directors for IMS Global Learning Consortium, representing Europe.

Overall, Matthijs's work experience demonstrates their expertise in product management, educational technology, and accessibility in academia.

Nicolaas Matthijs obtained a BEng degree in Computer Science (Multimedia & Communication Technology) from the Technical University of West Flanders (Howest) from 2004 to 2007. Later, in 2009 and 2010, they pursued a Master's degree in Computer Speech, Text and Internet Technology from the University of Cambridge. Nicolaas also holds additional certifications in Project Management from the University of Cambridge (obtained in 2008) and a Certificate of Management Excellence from the Harvard Business School (obtained in 2023).