#75 What it really takes to win four International CX Awards | CX leadership insights with Irene van Hoorn, CCXP

What does it really take to win four International CX Awards, amongst which three GOLD? In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, Nienke Bloem sits down with Irene van Hoorn, CX Leader of the Year and Brand Experience Transformation Lead at Eneco. Irene shares how she moved from marketing and product roles to building and professionalizing CX as a discipline, and ultimately winning three Gold and one Bronze at the International CX Awards. This is not a trophy story. It’s a leadership story. About building authority without formal power. About scaling CX in a complex organization. About trusting the process. And about daring to say: “Screw it. Let’s do it.” If you are wondering whether you are “ready” to step up, take visibility, or go for recognition? This episode is for you. Because imposter thinking is common. But leadership is personal, not positional. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to build authority before you have formal power What it really takes to professionalize CX at scale Why external recognition strengthens internal credibility How to approach awards strategically and win The mindset shift that separates hesitation from momentum Trust the process. Choose wisely. And if you’re in it — be in it to win it. Timestamped overview: 00:00 Welcome Irene – introducing the CX Leader of the Year 03:00 From marketing to professionalizing CX at Eneco 08:00 Managing CX vs. truly leading CX 12:00 Building authority without formal power 18:30 Trust the process in complex transformations 24:00 Why go for international awards in the first place? 29:00 The internal shift once the team decided to compete 33:00 Behind the scenes of the awards application process 41:00 Winning Bronze and three Gold awards 48:00 What changed internally after winning 52:00 Advice for CX leaders doubting themselves Extra information: Connect with Irene on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irenevanhoorn/ Interested in the International CX Awards? After we taped the episode, the date changed to November 5th. Visit: https://internationalcxaward.com/home Recommended by Irene: Watch the award finalist presentations via the Awards International platform and review the detailed jury feedback report if you participate. About Nienke:     Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress.      She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.     Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations.      With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned.