Blog Archives

Regional team completed in Gothenburg

25/2/2020

We are happy to announce that as of this month, Viola Pettersson Vergouwe, has joined Armand Scheijen as regional director in Region West. We asked Viola to give us a short introduction of herself:

"Ten years ago I fell in love with my Swedish husband. Eight years ago I fell in love with Sweden. We are far from the traditional couple, we commute between Gothenburg and Lidköping vid Vänern. There we can tick all the cliché boxes: red wooden house along the lake, bastu in the garden, beautiful nature and quietness from the countryside. In Gothenburg we enjoy the vibrance of the city life. It reminds me a great deal of Rotterdam which is quite obvious since the Dutch have helped to build Gothenburg, which will be 400 years ago in 2021. An excellent opportunity to celebrate and strengthen the Dutch-Swedish connection!

The first Dutch Chamber event I joined in 2012 was in my role as marketing officer and sales support for the Dutch family-owned shiprepair yard Damen Shiprepair in Gothenburg. This event gave me useful insights about the Swedish corporate culture and was the kick-start of my Dutch/Swedish network. I highly value my relationships and look forward to connecting with them in order to create many inspiring and giving events in region west. "

My favorite quote: 'A smile is the shortest distance between two people' (Victor Borge).

New board members 2020

24/2/2020

At our Annual Meeting we elected three new board members: Håkan Westin (secretary), Annika Narling (communications) and Frank Cleeren (members and events). We asked Annika and Frank to introduce themselves below. Click here to read more about Håkan.

Annika Narling: Different perspectives enrichens collaboration
I recently joined the Dutch chamber and the board with the ambition to continue the ongoing development of the chamber together with the members of the board, especially within my home ground communications. For me, communication is all about being able to listen and understand who you are talking to. I believe that well managed communication is an enabler to reach goals and strategic directions.
I was born in Germany and have lived in Sweden my whole adult life. So, what does a Swedish/German person do in the Board of the Dutch chamber, you might ask yourself? Being brought up in Sweden together with strong German heritage, has enriched my life and given me perspectives when building relationships and working with people from different cultures. Through my everyday work I both travel and interact with colleagues from 24 European countries. I believe that diversity drives development and innovation, and hopefully my perspectives will contribute to that in the chamber, while I can build new relationships.
In my profession I'm passionate about people, building relations and corporate culture together, something that keeps me busy in my role as Internal Communications Director at the international credit management company Intrum.

Frank Cleeren: The chamber is a place where people, network & business get connected.
A place where you can enrich your professional life. My ambition is to connect the three regions of the Dutch Chamber at a larger scale, by sharing knowledge and provide support to the regions on a regular basis. I have been living in Stockholm since 2011 and in 2013 I joined the Dutch Chamber as a SME-member.
Today I run my own interior agency that sells high end furniture and lighting products. What plankton is to the sea, Plank-ton interior is to your work and living environment. A vital source to enrich the places in which we live, work and re-energise.

Well-visited AGM and special event on 13 February

19/2/2020

On Thursday the 13th of February we combined our well-attended Annual Meeting with a very interesting keynote about the importance of the European Green Deals and mingle at the Residence organised by Ambassador Mrs. Ines Coppoolse.

During the formal part of the evening Chairman Maarten Merckx gave a.o. a further clarification of our activities in 2019, member development and operational result together with treasurer Rex Schothorst.
If you are interested to read more, use this link to get access to our Annual Report 2019.
With 44 participants of which 33 voting members and 4 proxy votes, the quorum agreed to discharge the board from their liability.

This was also the formal sign to thank Chairman Maarten Merckx and Annemieke Ålenius, as they both resigned as board members. Jolande Svensson Klijn from the Nominating Committee explained how she and Olle Jansson had guided the process in finding new board members and a new Chair.

Annika Närling, Håkan Westin and Frank Cleeren were chosen as new board members and Els Berkers as the new Chair. All were voted by acclamation.

Then it was time for the new Chair Els Berkers to thank Annemieke Ålenius and of course Maarten Merckx for all the work done. Especially a big big thank you for the almost 10 years that Maarten has spent blood, sweat and tears to lead the Chamber to where it stands today. It was hard to put in words the appreciation we have for Maartens dedication and effort.

Then we were invited to mingle at the Residence of Mrs. Ines Coppoolse before Mrs. Katarina Areskoug Mascarenhas, head of representation of the EU Commission in Sweden was invited by our Ambassador to share her perspectives and answer all questions. Listening to the questions of the participants it was quite clear that this topic is of interest to all.

We thank Mrs. Coppoolse for this invitation, Mrs. Katrina Areskoug Mascarenhas for her presentation and members and guest for their participation and votes.

The new board is eager to start to work on the ambitions for 2020.

/The executive board

First event of the year took place in Malmö

6/2/2020

On the 23rd of February, the Dutch Chamber organised its first event of the year in Malmö, region South.
It was a great pleasure to welcome our members and guests to Starters Café Djäkne. Founder and speaker for the evening Marvin Bonsen treated us to an inspirational talk on his amazing entrepreneurial journey.
He told us about developing internet content platforms as an incubator and selling them off whenever they, as he himself states “are becoming somewhat more corporate and compliance takes over”. He mentioned Hemnet as an example, which is well-known.

Many questions triggered lively conversations. It shows what a person can achieve whenever you put your mind to it, and emphasizes that determination and persistency combined with a bit of luck, feeling for what the future might hold and lots of blood, sweat and tears will lead to success.

During the evening Wouter Ridder and Bram Nabuurs, under the watchful eye of our boardmember Els Berkers and the honorairy consul of the Netherlands in southern Sweden mrs Kerstin Lindell, introduced themselves as the new regional directors.

To those who missed this great event, stay tuned and make sure you sign up for the next one in region South.

/Team South

New associates: Sabine Rosenblad and Håkan Westin

2/2/2020

We welcome Sabine Rosenblad and Håkan Westin, who have both joined as associate members in Stockholm and we asked them to introduce themselves:

Sabine Rosenblad: The story of my move to Sweden has become quite the anecdote in my family. My Swedish boyfriend worked on a contract with Ericsson that would end Dec 1993 after which he would return to Stockholm. We decided I would ask my employer at the time (P&G) for a transfer in March 1994, by then winter in Sweden would be over. Little would I guess that Nov 1, 1993 would be my first working day in Stockholm: less than two weeks after I took up the subject. P&G in Stockholm would have me, but only if I would move fast, which is what I did.

I have lived in Stockholm ever since, working in the absorbent hygiene industry. After Pampers and Always at P&G, I moved to Attends Healthcare in 2000. Products in our portfolio include a.o incontinence pads, bedsheets of all kinds and professional skin care products. In 2012 Attends Healthcare was acquired by Domtar Personal Care, a Pulp & Paper manufacturer with strong roots in North-America. I have worked as a Project Leader in the Supply Chain, as European Category Manager and as Head of the Internal Graphics Department. Since 2015 I am responsible for the Swedish Sales organisation. Our main business goes to healthcare units through public procurements which has given me a good insight in the Swedish phenomenon called LOU (Lagen om Offentlig Upphandling). If this all sounds a bit abstract: remember last autumn’s chaos with medical supplies to hospitals in mid-Sweden that paralyzed all their operations? That is the kind of business I work in.
My expectations of the Dutch Chamber? Meeting inspiring people, exchange stories and ideas and who knows, hopefully contributing with knowledge and experience after my 25+ years in the capital.
I look forward to meet you at the first event in February!

Håkan Westin: On March 31, 2019 I took the final step and retired after some 40 years in Dutch and Norwegian companies. I have a love of the seas and after serving in the Navy (Kungliga Sjökrigsskolan) I began studies in Naval Architecture at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. After 2 degrees with a final Tekn.Dr. (Ph.D), I commenced working for Shell in the Hague in late 1980.
During the initial four years in the Netherlands I was in a deep-water development department and acquired a lot of experience in riser technology. I also managed to marry Christina and became father for the first time. In late 1984 we moved to Norway and I commenced working for Norsk Hydro in subsea technology.
Subsequently I worked as engineering manager for BrasNor AS, a joint venture between the Brazilian state company Petrobras and the Farsund Group in Norway. This eventually lead on to a return to the Netherlands for Wavin B.V., which at that time, was co-owned by Shell and Waterleiding Maatschappij Overijssel. Here I moved on from Technical Manager to Managing Director for Wavin R&D. Later I took over as Managing Director of Wavins plastic foil division and eventually sold this of.
Since late 2006 I have worked for Glamox AS, an international Norwegian based lighting company, in different capacities. With manufacturing facilities around the globe my areas of responsibilities in the Top Management team included manufacturing, logistics, purchasing etc.
After 5 years of weekly commuting between Oslo and Stockholm I now have moved back to Sweden and joined Christina on a permanently basis. Christina, who for some years worked for the “Zweedse Handelsdelegatie” in the Hague is currently employed by Stockholms City. Looking back at 17 years in The Netherlands we are all very grateful for the positive experience gained.
/Marion Norman

Regional team completed in Gothenburg

New board members 2020

Well-visited AGM and special event on 13 February

First event of the year took place in Malmö

New associates: Sabine Rosenblad and Håkan Westin

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