Bart Berens: “Succeeding in business is all about making connections”.
Personally I believe that everyone you’ll ever meet knows something you don’t. That’s why I decided to join the Dutch Chamber of Commerce when I moved to Stockholm together with my wife last summer.
As a person I am passionate about travelling, food and retail. In my last job as Head of Operations I was responsible for 66 supermarkets at Vomar, a Dutch supermarket chain. My primary responsibility was to lead the expansion and conversion of the formula, manage the day to day operations and strengthen our existing market.

None of the above could have been achieved without my network. Making connections has always been one of my top priorities and I find it stimulating to go out in de field and put words into action. That’s why I’m excited to be assigned as the new Regional Director of the Dutch Chamber in Stockholm. I look forward to make a positive contribution to our region together with Stefanie.
Let us enrich your professional life!
​
/Bart Berens

Stefanie Brinkman: “Every interaction is an opportunity to learn”. 
​As an entrepreneur myself, I have experienced the great value of building and maintaining a network. From both a personal and business perspective it can be truly refreshing to meet others who show you a different perspective on reality. I have learned and moreover enjoyed ‘the unexpected to happen’ especially being inspired by people with different backgrounds and experiences.

Since I have always been highly driven by the development of people and teams in organizations, I started my own organizational development company 7 years ago. As a change facilitator I have supported many management teams and their employees in being successful in their strategy deployment. During the years I developed myself more in human interactions which made me focus on training and coaching in personal leadership and team development.

​In the beginning of November, I moved to Stockholm together with my boyfriend Rob van Brunschot. As a naturally curious women and open to one’s personal drive and motivation, I was looking forward starting this new adventure. With a smooth start I am grateful for the many interesting and caring people I already have met. And again ‘the unexpected happened’: the Dutch Chamber of Commerce came across. I am honored and excited to be assigned as Regional Director of the Dutch Chamber in Stockholm together with Bart. This will be a beautiful chance to contribute to many more valuable interactions and connections.
​
/Stefanie Brinkman

We, the nominating committee, - Jolande Svensson Klijn and Olle Jansson- started our work for the 2020 AGM in May,  shortly after current chairman, Maarten Merckx, had announced his resignation effective as of the AGM 2020.
Recently another director, secretary Annemieke Ålenius, has made the same announcement. We also anticipate that in a years’ time the position of treasurer will become open. The AGM 2020 will have to decide/vote on two new board members, the chair and the secretary.
The Board currently consists of four board members working together with and with the support of the Patron, Ambassador  Ines Coppoolse, the Advisory Board, regional Directors, Committees and other devoted people.
In a structured format we invited members, stakeholders, board members and others to share their views and suggestions for the succession of the current chair and the expectations for a future chair of the Dutch Chamber as well as the composition of the year 2020 Board of Directors. 
Several in person, in depth interviews with major stakeholders and the current Board members have been performed. Substantial progress has been made in formulating our proposal to the upcoming AGM.
Thus far we have decided to propose Els Berkers, current Member Director of the Board,  for the position of chairwoman.   

Our work will continue to find new candidates to replace Annemieke Ålenius at the AGM 2020 and the Treasurer, Rex Schothorst, at the AGM 2021. Together with the board we wish to create a list of  candidates in order to plan for a sustainable and long-term future succession plan . We welcome potential candidates to contact the nominating committee with their interest in board positions at nomcom@dutchchamber.se.

Jolande Svensson-Klijn and Olle Jansson

A few months ago, Rob van Brunschot was appointed as country manager for our corporate partner Signify. He is the successor of Flavio Santos (whom we interviewed in May this year). We asked Rob van Brunschot to introduce himself:

Before coming to Sweden, I have been the Head of E-commerce for Signify in the Benelux for the consumer lighting part of our organisation. For those who don´t know Signify, it is the new company name of the 128 years old Philips Lighting. I also started my career at Signify in 2008 and have been in various positions, ranging from B2B, B2C and OEM, but always closely related to customers.
 
What made you accept this challenge in a new country?
First of all because it is Sweden. In 2007 I studied for half a year in Sweden and fell in love with the country. But next to the country it was the position and the challenge of going to a new culture abroad to see if I can unlock the potential of others here too. The position of Country Manager was the next step I was looking for. It has a much broader scope than my previous position and it's still at the company that I love to work for. Also, in Sweden my personal values of entrepreneurship, winning and customer focus can be put into practice.
 
What are your expectations with regards to the development of Signify in Sweden?
Our organisation is going through a big transformation. When I started in 2008 it was about the rise of functional LED lighting, but now we move into a company that delivers complete IoT connected systems & services, using light as a data collector that generates value beyond just illumination.
That journey brings so many new opportunities and innovations, like LiFi for example: fast, reliable internet via light. But also new business models as Light-as-Service and circular lighting. I want to drive that change and set-up an organisation and a strong team to captures these completely new revenue sources.
 
How can the Dutch Chamber support you in achieving your professional life goals?
The Dutch Chamber is of essential importance to a Dutch company in Sweden and to myself. Having a network around Sweden to have the voice of your company heard and learn from other successful organisations to drive growth, I do look forward to get involved with the Dutch Chamber and all it has to offer in the coming years.

/Els Berkers

Starting off with a relaxed mingle with typical "norrländsk" food, tunnbrödspizza, and drinks at Knut Bar at Regeringsgatan, our members and guests had the time to meet for the first time or to catch up.
Then the group of more than twenty participants took a short walk to the conceptstore of Morakniv on Kungsgatan 19.

At the conceptstore we immediately went to work and got some tips and tricks to master the art of wood carving. The goal for the evening was to finish a wooden chopstick: for some quite a challenge, for others a piece of cake after the good instructions from Bengt Waldermarson with the fantastic help from Madelene Bogg.

Morakniv is an old and very much appreciated Swedish premium brand for high quality knives. They make professional knives used as tools for example in the building industry, but they produce  high quality knives for outdoor use or wood crafting as well.
For over four years Dutch Henk Noback has been CEO of Morakniv. At this event Henk told us more about the history of the region of Mora, the company and his own professional journey.

It was more than interesting to hear how social media have been playing an important part in the growth of the company in the last few years, as well as  the importance of the concept stores in Stockholm and Mora in supporting the brand building. 

We discussed the similarities and differences within Dutch and Swedish company culture and the companies future outlook. It was a pleasure that Henk shared his experiences with this group of Dutch and Swedes.

Thanks to Henk, Madelene and Bengt for a successful event.

/Els Berkers and Bart Berens

We warmly welcome Wouter Ridder and Bram Nabuurs as new regional directors for region south. They hope to see you soon at one of the upcoming events in this region.

On the 17th of October, The Dutch Chamber of Commerce organised an event in Gothenburg with the topic: 'Sustainable City and Mobility'.
 
Once more our event took place in the wonderful office of The Techno Creatives and hosted a panel consisting of inspirational and engaged participants, discussing topics on how to behave in a sustainable environment, society and how this is connected to cities and mobility. The dialogue was led by Joel Rozada, CEO of Techno Creatives, who dared to touch upon delicate topics like carbon emissions, education and communication. Questions were answered and they were followed by an interesting dialogue between the panel-members.
 
Within the panel multiple representatives with a varied background were present. We want to thank;
Sofia Granath, Director at WirelessCar
Klara Jonsson, CEO at urbanista Stad AB
Martin Kotte, Sales Manager at AIR FRANCE KLM, and
Jaap-Willem Kleijwegt, Architect/Associate at UNStudio for their contribution and interesting views on these highly present-day topics.

Thank you all who joined us, and stay tuned for more of these interesting events.
/Armand Scheijen

Nanda Jansson recently changed her membership from associate to SME. We are curious to find out more about her and her company Poolside Holistic Counseling.

Who is Nanda Jansson?
I am a holistic counselor and professional communication expert as well as a mum, wife, sister and friend. I was born and raised in the Netherlands and moved to Sweden when I was 20 years old. A few years ago, I took a step into the unknown: I quit my job and moved with my Swedish husband and our two teenagers to a little village by the sea in Spain for a six-month timeout. From there I started my international education in holistic counseling and re-discovered my love for writing. When I moved back home again, I started my own company: Poolside AB.
 
Can you tell us more about "Poolside Holistic Counseling"?
At Poolside I offer people a space to take a break from our hectic world and ‘just be’ for a moment. Many of us live our lives feeling stressed, tired, numb or burned out. We sometimes have difficulty to sleep, focus or feel joy. And as Dutch people living and working in Sweden: life here can feel quite different from Holland, right? My work with people is sometimes described as ‘moving from your head to your heart’. It is not only about sitting on a couch and talking about what’s going on in your life. It is also about involving your body in the process, as I believe true wisdom and insights can be found there. I recently sat in a business meeting where I talked about my work and one colleague said: “I sometimes go into the woods to hug a tree. It really calms me.” I love that: real people and authenticity in the workplace. And I love being part of creating these environments.
Today I offer sessions in Swedish, Dutch and English, in my private practice on Södermalm in Stockholm or to people in companies. 
 
What is it like to have your own business in Sweden? 
When I started my business I wrote on my blog: “Congratulations Sweden! You just got yourself a brand-new female entrepreneur. After having learned a thing or two about the laws, rules and regulations around running your own company I must say: you have made entrepreneurship more like a (barefoot) walk in the jungle instead of the park. But regardless of all that, I am excited to hereby officially join the group of entrepreneurs in this country.”
Today, a year later, I feel pretty much the same: still excited and curious about where this path will lead me. But at times also frustrated about the rules and regulations for small entrepreneurs like me here in Sweden.
 
You were an associate member before but decided to become an SME-member instead. Why was that?
As associate member I enjoyed connecting with Dutch professionals in Sweden: a great way to connect to my roots and meet new and interesting people. With Poolside I now have a professional offer particularly to the Dutch community here in Sweden because I give holistic counseling sessions also in Dutch. I’d like to connect with Dutch Chamber-members also from this space and that’s why it felt like a natural next step for me to become an SME-member instead.
 
What are your expectations towards the Dutch Chamber of Commerce? 
To me it’s not so much about what the Dutch Chamber can do for me but rather what I can contribute to the Dutch Chamber. For example, I’d love to host an event together with other members who also work in the field of therapy/coaching/counseling. I believe we each have our unique way of filling workplaces and private lives with more ‘life’, joy and wellbeing and I’d like to be part of spreading this message to the Dutch Chamber-members who are interested to know and experience more!

If you want to know more about Poolside, check out:
poolside.se/en (in English), poolside.se/nl (in Dutch), poolside.se (in Swedish).
If you are curious about Nanda’s blog (in English), you can find it at: livingmytruth.se

/Marion Norman

On the 18th of September, we got together at Randstads office with a fantastic group of ambitious people, that either wanted to get their career in Sweden started, or to take a moment to reflect on what they are doing and where they are going.
Thanks to our great speakers we learned about the Swedish job market, which sectors are booming, but also what we find important in an employer (and not surprisingly the Dutch and Swedes have a different opinion on this ;). 
We did an attempt on answering the question 'how to know what your dreamjob is', where our conclusion was that the answer lies mostly within yourself and self-reflection is extremely important.
We also learned about how to incorporate a company's vision into your cover letter to get that first call, how we can overcome confirmation bias to make a good first impression and how to gain more control over the recruitment process.
Don't be surprised to see a lot of people rocking their LinkedIn profiles after this event, as LinkedIn gave us some pretty good tips & tricks! 

/Maaike Gerritse

A successful mingle was hosted by the creative minds of Techno Creatives in their lovely office space, where Martin Rosell of WirelessCar presented an inspirational talk on their views on Future mobility and connectivity. The main topic, Sustainable city & Mobility, for this mingle was connected to the inspirational talks from both WirelessCar and Joel Rozada of Techno Creatives.
 
Martin explained that the connected car services in the near future will only grow and depending on the needs of the customer, the business and the needs of society will develop rapidly. Where Joel presented an autonomous vehicle, developed in collaboration with Baidu in China running in enclosed environments.

These developments and changes resulted in multiple questions on the topic of future mobility upon which an interesting dialogue followed.
From the Dutch Chamber we can only say regarding this dialogue, to be continued during our next event on 17th October.
See you there!

/Armand Scheijen