Update 09-Aug-2023 @ 19:25z: PMDG’s Robert Randazzo has confirmed the news himself on the PMDG forums. He had this to say:
“I am personally thrilled to welcome my very long-time friend, Mathijs to the PMDG team. I’ll have more to say on this topic a bit later- and I may or may not shine a light on some of what we’ll have him doing as part of our expansion going forward.
“Anticipate him hanging back a bit while he gains his footing and gets up-to-speed. Our culture is very different from the one he has left behind after two decades- and his role here will be quite a bit different as well. There are a few key moments in PMDG’s history- and it has been 15 years since we made specific, positive changes to improve the wider skill level and capabilities of our team. Mathijs coming aboard the PMDG team is one of numerous changes taking place in the background that go a long way toward my strategic objectives for PMDG- and I assure you you will be excited when you see what that plan looks like.
“In the mean time, I hope you will all welcome him to our team. If your opinion is otherwise- you are welcome to sit back and give him the opportunity to prove himself with a clean, PMDG slate, but you have to promise you will come back here and offer acknowledgement when we prove you wrong.
“Always remember he is a member of my team, and a dear friend- and I am glad he is here.”
== Original Article ==
Mathijs Kok has made a surprise comeback on the Aerosoft Forums where it was revealed he has now started working in a new position at PMDG Simulations.
Commenting using a new account with no other posts to its name, Kok replied to a comment from a user criticising Aerosoft’s lack of transparency around the upcoming Airbus A330 (a project which Kok had previously been spearheading before he left Aerosoft), writing:
Flattering, but I have to defend my friends at Aerosoft here.
The forums were very much shaped in the way I thought was best, or in other words, how a forum I would enjoy as a customer/interested person should be. With my departure, it is logical that Aerosoft might want to change that. And believe me, those are not things you do without serious thinking and discussion. It simply takes a while. Just give them that.
Godspeed,
Mathijs Kok
PMDG Simulations
Although initially we thought that this might just be somebody trolling by impersonation, FSElite has since been able to verify that the comment did indeed come from Mr Kok. It seems that upon departing Aerosoft, Mathijs’ old profile was surrendered to his former employer, and he is now posting under a new profile. Kok’s old profile has now been renamed to “Aerosoft Team” and its post history is still visible in the forum.
Furthermore, FSElite have also found a new account created on the PMDG forums – currently with no post history – named “Mathijs [PMDG]”. At the time of writing it was last online yesterday afternoon.
Speaking to cruiselevel.de, a German flight simulation news website, Kok said of his latest career venture:
“I have decided to leave Aerosoft because the path taken by the directors does not seem to me to be the right one. These things happen and they are the CEOs and I am not.
I was incredibly happy when I was invited by Robert Randazzo to join his team at PMDG and didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation. I will do many things there, mainly leading smaller and larger projects.”
It is not immediately clear what Kok’s new title at PMDG will be, although given his previous experience with community relations and project management, we could perhaps see him updating us on the progress of the PMDG 777 for Microsoft Flight Simulator soon, as well as leading the projects he mentions in his quote.
