Eelco Visser (1966–2022) was a leading member of the department of Software Technology (ST) of the faculty of Electrical Engineering Mathematics, and Computer Science (EEMCS) of Delft University of Technology. He had a profound influence on the educational programs in computer science at TU Delft, built a highly successful Programming Languages Group from the ground up, and used his research results to develop widely used tools and services that have been used by thousands of students and researchers for more than a decade. He realized all these successes not just alone, but in close collaboration with a range of people, who he convinced to follow his lead. In this short reflection, I look back at his achievements, and at the way in which he worked with others to bring ambitious ideas to successful reality.

Arie van Deursen is a professor in software engineering at Delft University of Technology. His research interests include software testing, software architecture, trustworthy artificial intelligence, and applications in the area of Fintech. He is also head of the Department of Software Technology. Follow him on Mastodon as @avandeursen@fediscience.org or on Twitter via @avandeursen.