It is with mixed emotions that we say goodbye to Marieke van de Rakt, who has decided to leave Yoast. Everyone at Newfold Digital and Yoast will miss her dearly, and we want to thank her for all the wonderful things she has done over the years. She’s played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s vision, growth and success.

Now, she has ambitious plans to help other organizations, to champion diversity and sustainability, and to continue to change the world for the better. So, let’s take a look at just a few of the things she’s accomplished in her time here.

Marieke’s life at Yoast

As you may know, Marieke has been a core part of Yoast since the beginning. She’s been instrumental in so many different areas of the company, and across so many roles, that it’s hard to summarize without leaving things out!

She founded the Yoast SEO academy, championed a positive and inclusive company culture, driven our marketing and branding efforts, and led the company as CEO. We can’t understate how much of an impact she’s had on the company and the brand, and how much of a lasting effect that will continue to have.

​Yoast SEO academy

In 2015, Marieke had a vision to empower others through knowledge, leading to her founding the Yoast SEO academy; a free source of accessible and reliable SEO education. Now, hundreds of thousands of people all around the world have completed courses, improved their SEO skills, and grown their audiences as a result.

Championing a…