3-minute read - May 12, 2026
Marco was appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in October, 2025, and joined the Board of Management following ASML’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on April 22, 2026. With more than 25 years’ experience at ASML – including his most recent roles leading the EUV NXE and Applications business lines – Marco brings deep technical expertise, strong customer orientation and a track record in technology leadership.
From software engineer to CTO
Marco joined ASML in 1999, fresh off completing a master's degree in mathematics at the Delft University of Technology. He was unfamiliar with ASML at the time but was quickly won over by its advanced technology and the breadth and depth of the technical challenge. After his initial role as a software engineer he worked across all areas of the business – DUV lithography, metrology and inspection, and EUV lithography.
“If you look at everything ASML did in the last 25 years, I think I was lucky to be here at the right point in time,” Marco says. “I had the luxury to be part of our first immersion systems, at the start-up of our Applications business line, and to work on EUV at a crucial time.”
It’s the thrill of the challenge that’s kept him at ASML all these years: “There was always something interesting to do next.”
Marco succeeds Martin van den Brink, who retired in 2024, having been with the company since its founding in 1984. Marco credits Martin with encouraging him to take on roles that would challenge him and broaden his perspective. “I learned a lot from him in the 20 years I worked with him, about how to get things done, be persistent, and make sure you do something that adds value for customers.”
Outside of ASML, Marco enjoys spending time with his wife and four children – “They keep me grounded to reality,” he says. He also enjoys music (U2 is a favorite), long bike rides and barbecuing. “I also try to play padel…emphasis on ‘try’.”
Marco’s defining feature as CTO lies in his thorough understanding of technology and the economics of customer value. His mission is to keep ASML’s holistic lithography roadmap closely aligned to customer needs as the semiconductor industry continues to grow and evolve, driven by broad investment in AI infrastructure.
At ASML, we continue to drive innovation across our holistic lithography portfolio, but Marco emphasizes that achieving higher transistor density in 2D is no longer sufficient. Most modern chips are increasingly built in 3D by stacking chips on top of each other or through novel architectures that pose new patterning and packaging challenges. “The key thing is that we continue to listen to our customers and their customers,” he says, “and that we remain eager to learn how to deliver value with both our current and future capability.”
Marco believes that a leader who sets the bar high is also responsible for removing obstacles for the team and creating an atmosphere in which everyone can be at their best. That means empowering the team while holding it accountable, as well was creating clarity and making tough decisions when needed.
It also means ensuring that all voices are heard. “I’ve learned to appreciate diversity and what it brings,” he explains. “If you’re in a team without much diversity, it can feel very easy because everyone has the same opinion. But you can be blindsided. Having different voices in a team gives a different angle to a discussion. It opens up solution space.”
Marco is the executive sponsor of the employee network Women@ASML. “In this day and age, women can still have a different experience from men, and that's where I think we as an industry need to step up. I want to help make sure ASML is a place where everyone can be who they are and contribute to technology, independent of gender, culture and background.”