About
Marc van Houten
Director of Digital Experience. Platform architect. Systems thinker.
The Story
Two Names, One Direction
I was born Marco Gomez van Houten — a name that carries geography in it. Dutch on one side, Colombian on the other. I go by Marc professionally, but the full name reflects something I've carried into every project: a comfort with complexity, with navigating between systems and contexts that don't always align on the surface.
I've spent 23+ years in digital — starting as a web designer, growing into a frontend architect, and eventually leading digital experience strategy for Revelex, a revenue-critical travel technology platform serving approximately 60,000 daily users across B2B and B2C contexts.
What I do now is harder to name than what I used to do, but simpler to explain: I build the connective tissue between strategy and execution in complex digital products. I connect product thinking, engineering architecture, and experience design into platforms that scale.
How I Think
Systems Thinking as Practice
I think about digital experience the way a systems engineer thinks about infrastructure — everything is connected, failure propagates, and the quality of your experience is determined by the weakest point in your platform, not the strongest. Good digital leadership means seeing those connections before they become problems.
Beyond the Work
Soccer
A lifelong lens for systems thinking, rhythm, and team execution. The best teams don't just have talent — they have structure, timing, and shared language.
Barcelona
My favorite city. Architecture, culture, movement, and emotion in a single place. A reminder that great experiences are always more than the sum of their parts.
Ecosystems
I'm drawn to connecting brands, platforms, teams, and ideas so they become more than isolated parts. It's how I think, not just what I do.