The International Correspondent#5 by Floris Muller

#5 MARCH /APRIL/MAY 2012 € 5,99

The Netherlands’ 50 most influential

international residents 2012 We present our selection

Bitter battles

Gay marriage

TV formats

It’s up to Merkel

most important non-material Dutch export Henk Krol

international money spinner for Dutch entrepreneurs

Germany’s economic power

www.theinternationalcorrespondent.nl

8 717973 661238

over internet copyright laws European Commissioner Neelie Kroes explains

landrover.nl/

www.landrover.nl Fuel consumption combined min./max.: 5,0-14,9 l/100 km, resp. 20-6,7 km/l, CO2 -emission resp. 129-348 g/km.

Engineered for men who reinvent the world piece by piece.

Portuguese Perpetual Calendar, Reference IW502306, in 18 ct red gold with dark brown alligator strap

s if life weren’t complicated enough already, our watchmakers develop me chanical complications that continue to break down barriers of what is technically feasible. It is a fascination with the perfectly smooth intermeshing of wheels, levers and springs that inspires our designers to achieve what lies way beyond the ordinary. IWC Schaffhausen has the capacity to develop and produce individual masterpieces of haute horlogerie such as the perpetual calendar, minute repeater and moon phase display from start to finish. This is the reason for its po sition as a leading international brand in the luxury watch segment. The Portuguese models are a far cry from the illustrious age in which Portuguese seafarers with their outstanding nautical expertise and ground breaking technical inventions, discovered new continents and oceans. Ever since the 1930s, when two Portuguese watch importers or dered wristwatches from IWC with the same precision as a deck watch, watchmaking achievement of the highest order has been part of the Portuguese watch family’s DNA.

One of the most intricate and admired com plications of them all is the precise repre sentation of the lunar period of 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 3 seconds. The moon phase display on the Portuguese Per petual Calendar Reference 5023 depicts

both the current state of the moon and its mirror image, thus showing how it appears in both the northern and southern hemi spheres. In 577.5 years, the display diverges from the actual state of the moon by just one day. And that is an impressive achievement

w w w. i wc .c o m

for a symbol on the dial that is around 700 million times smaller than the real thing. The countdown scale shows the number of days remaining before the next full moon. Another example of IWC’s mastery of movement in miniature is provided by the perpetual calen dar, which is mechanically programmed until the year 2499 and has displays for the seconds, minutes and hours, the day, date, month and the year in four digits. The bal ance completes over 12.5 billion oscillations before the century display moves just once. The century slide transforms the change from one century to the next into a minor event in its own right. For IWC, time is more than mere figures: time is a rhythm. Like the beating of our hearts. Like a waxing and waning moon. Like the barely perceptible movement of the century slide. IWC watches transform the abstract notion of time into a sensory experience. And as complicated as our watches may be, the secret of their success is quite simple: they are among the best mechanical timepieces in the world. IWC. Engineered for men.

Contents 6 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

The Big Issue

‘What we are about to witness in the global economy is not mere wealth destruction but an unprecedented case of lost generations...’ Columnist Sanjay Sharma on how to prepare for the worst.

Socialites from surrounding ritzy neighbourhoods are among the 2.5 million visitors that visit The Black Market in Beverwijk every year looking to snatch a bargain or just have a day out. Editor Niala Maharaj went on a visit to the largest covered market in Europe.

Just over the border - Schloss Moyland Golf resort

85 88

25 Art: A Family business

A mother and daughter tell The International Correspondent how they ended up working together.

‘The Dutch have a purist and Calvinist take on fashion,’ says Danish designer Claes Iversen. ‘They don’t care much for aesthetics except to show off on special occasions.’ Yet he remains here. The International Correspondent asked why.

Capability management will be crucial for Dutch business in the years to come says labour columnist, Christiaan van der Sluijs

90 Studio Glithero

The designers make artistic films about their extraordinary products that are almost like a meditative experience to watch.

92 Johan Cruijff isn’t only the greatest soccer player the world has ever seen,

he is also a great philosopher. One of his most famous sayings is: ‘Every disadvantage has its advantage’. And economics is proving him right. The Game of Economics and Life by Paul Rodenburg

41 International Living

Romantic Villa in Laren

In short Advice Dutch Style Gizmos & Gadgets Testing, Testing,... 1,2,3

19 73 87 94 95

Contents the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 7

We have the ideas, what we have been missing is the political will and the understanding that this matters for our economy. That the Internet is actually a new economic backbone for Europe, not a side issue any more.’ Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda

The Netherland’S Top 50 Internationals The International Correspondent proudly presents its first annual list of international residents in The Netherlands. We’ve made a selection based on individuals’ contribution to national life in various fields: economic, social, educational and creative/artistic.

Copyright Wars! Feelings are running high now that various countries have proposed new laws to protect copyright on the internet. Protests have been launched all over the world. Why? The International Correspondent asked European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes.

Dutch Export: TV formats The Netherlands has been churning cash by inventing (sometimes tasteless) TV formats to be sold abroad. The local population is an ideal testing ground for shows that would turn more sensitive stomachs.

44 29 37

One day you might need people like ius... Meet ius We offer a complete range of audit and accountancy-related services to a wide and varied client base. Wherever your head office is located, whether in the UK, the US or elsewhere, it is reassuring to know that the services IUS provides enable businesses of all types and sizes to meet all current Dutch reporting and compliance requirements.

Trust ius IUS offers its clients bookkeeping, advisory, consultancy and support services to facilitate the successful operation of their businesses in the Netherlands. IUS also makes sure that the work is performed by staff with the appropriate level of experience and expertise.

Contact ius As we don’t know when you might need IUS, we’re open 24 hours a day. Feel free to call Ramon Groen, CEO of IUS on + 31 (0)6-24 28 24 14 or to e-mail rgroen@iusaudit.com

www.iusaudit.com IUS Statutory Audits Coöperatie U.A. Crown Building South Hullenbergweg 365a, 1101 CP Amsterdam Telefoon: +31 (0)20-7147100 Email info@iusaudit.com IUS Statutory Audits Coöperatie U.A. operates under a licence issued by the Dutch Financial Markets Authority (AFM)

International Life Settlements Fund

An alternative investment uncorrelated to equity and bond investments

8% return over 2011â&#x20AC;&#x160;*

www.ilsf.com Distribution Benelux | +31 (0) 20 521 8585 | contact@darioncm.com * Past returns are no guarantee for future performance

Het Grachtenhuis is the ultimate Gateway to the Amsterdam canals. Get acquainted to one of the world’s best urban development plans: the 17th century Amsterdam ring of canals. Visit the interactive, multimedia exhibition and travel through 400 years of history in 40 minutes. ‘…the newest star attraction…’ National Geographic, April 2011

Het Grachtenhuis gateway to the canals Book tickets in advance for yourself or for your arriving guests www.h e tgrac h t e n h u is .n l

Photography: Thijs Wolzak, Lonneke Stulen

Editorial

Colophon the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 13

THE INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT Dutch Business in Global Perspective www.theinternationalcorrespondent.nl EDITION March – May 2012 Edition 5 PUBLISHER & EDITOR Floris Müller floris.muller@theinternationalcorrespondent.nl ADJUNCT EDITOR Niala Maharaj niala.maharaj@theinternationalcorrespondent.nl CONTRIBUTORS Thomas Dieben, Fenna Ferwerda, Martin van Geest, Jeroen Jansen, Joost van Kleef, David Lemereis, Mark Maathuis, Paul Rodenburg, Sanjay Sharma, Christiaan van der Sluijs, Marco de Vries DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION Pascal Bier PHOTOGRAPHY Maarten Bezem, Pascal Bier, Arno de Jong (assistant), Donald van Opzeeland SPECIAL THANKS TO Wendy van Bavel, Alvie Bhailal, Peter Jeroen van Evert, Ramon Groen, George Heidweiller, Ronald Heister, Gaby Hillary, Marjolein Hof, ISTA The Hague, Leonoor Korevaar, Olof Lakmaker, Ranga Rajan, Sebastiaan Rorije, Emiel de Sevren Jacquet, Marjan Tiller, Andrew van der Ven, Sabine Woelfel

Photography: Pascal Bier

Influential Internationals At the start of the year, the finals of The Voice of Holland were broadcast after months of searching for singing talent in The Netherlands. Nearly four million viewers voted: more even than the viewers who watch football. To be honest, even we at the International Correspondent were among them. The biggest winner wasn’t, though, the unknown artiste with the golden voice who beat out the competition. It was the producer. Fans mailed and twittered for months in support of their favourite candidates. John de Mol’s studios received hundreds of thousands of SMSses – which meant millions of extra income, on top of the TV rights payments and merchandise produced for the show. And the success of the singing-formula hasn’t bypassed foreign broadcasters. De Mol has sold the format in scores of other countries, including Sweden, Poland, and Australia... It’s no accident that The Voice is a Dutch success story. The Dutch are crazy about lists and rankings. The media is always coming up with a new way of ranking the 16 million people here: according to power, wealth and success. For years, de Volkskrant newspaper has been selecting the most influential Netherlanders, Quote magazine the richest ones. Others are jostling to define the most innovative Dutch business enterprises. Tellingly, these lists don’t contain any internationals. A grave omission, in my view. The Netherlands has long had important internationals living here, imported into this country

because of their unique talents. Nearly 25% of the top layer of our businesses is occupied by highly-skilled internationals, as is a remarkable part of our mid-range management. The art and design sector, consultancy and legal areas, as well as education, are heavily supported by foreign employees. Ignoring all that talent in national rankings, which are dominated 100% by locals, is denying the importance of the globalisering of this country. Hence our decision, as the editors of The International Correspondent, to present a list of the most influential internationals in The Netherlands. In this issue, you can discover the foreigners who have found their way to the top of the Dutch business world, and in other sectors of society. Our aim is to make Dutch people more conscious of the importance of internationalisation. And proud of the ten thousand internationals who choose each year to develop their talents here. But the list of 50 most influential internationals is primarily created for you, the international readers of this magazine. It symbolises what you, as internationals, have achieved and what you can achieve. Greater attention to the international population here should lead to greater achievements – and to the making of a political, commercial and social point. We at The International Correspondent want our list to help facilitate this process. Here’s hoping you enjoy this issue. Do contact us with comments. Floris Muller Publisher

WEB DEVELOPMENT Pascal Bier SALES & MARKETING Gideon Krebs ACCOUNTANT IUS Statutory Audits MAIN PRINTING Westdeutsche Verlagsund Druckerei GmbH DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Reinout van der Meer DISTRIBUTION Van Gelderen/ Van Gelderen Inflight The International Correspondent is the business magazine for the international community in The Netherlands. It offers quality reports on finance and economics as well as expositions of Dutch politics, education, innovation and lifestyle. It also provides independent advice on living in, working in, and enjoying The Netherlands. The International Correspondent appears every two months and is published in collaboration with partners in business, government and the education sector. It is also distributed by AKO and Bruna bookshops and magazine stores in the Randstad and surrounding cities. The International Correspondent is not dependent on the government and receives no funding or other assistance from official sources. The editors try to ensure the correctness of all information in this magazine. However, mistakes and omissions are, regrettably, possible. No rights may therefore be derived from the material published. We are perfectly willing to publish corrections in the following issue, if they are brought to our attention. For questions or information, please contact the publisher. All rights reserved. Nothing in this edition may be multiplied, stored in an automated database, or made public, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher. For more information about the partnership programme of The International Correspondent, contact partnerships@ correspondentmedia.nl The International Correspondent is published by Correspondent Media

CORRESPONDENT MEDIA info@correspondentmedia.nl www.correspondentmedia.nl Postbus 75526 1070 AM Amsterdam The Netherlands Chamber of Commerce Nr. 34394092 Vat. No.:148998203B01 Rabobank Amsterdam 12.58.16.030

Read earlier editions of The International Correspondent at theinternationalcorrespondent.nl The International Correspondent is also available for your Ipad at Tablisto.nl Follow The International Correspondent on Facebook: facebook.com/TheInternationalCorrespondent The International Correspondent is official media partner of Expatica.com and Zuidasborrel.nl Did you receive this magazine from your employer, school, local council or other? Let us know what you think of it. partnerships@theinternationalcorrespondent.nl

From the Editorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; desk 14 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Amongst the space pioneers The International Correspondent in Kazakhstan In December we were invited to the Kazakhstan launch of the Soyuz TMA-03M, the rocket that would take Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers and two other crew members to the international space station ISS. This spectacular event was the background for an extensive network gathering for pioneers in the space travel industry. The topic for discussion was the commercial future for this troubled sector. Before the first commercial space flight can take place this December, a lot of lobbying has to take place with companies and the former masters of space, i.e. the countries that have had a monopoly on space travel for four decades. Editor in Chief Floris MĂźller participated.

Photography: Correspondent Media Photo

The crackling voice from the speakers is sucked up by the thick layer of snow that has blanketed the landscape here for the past six months. Cold governs Kazakhstan, particularly in the last days of the year. It is 32 degrees below. In the daytime, it rises a mere three d egrees higher. I’m in Baikanur, a remote Russian military basis from the cold war days. Before my eyes, in less than 30 seconds, the international ISS rocket is launched with Andre Kuipers, a Russian and an American on board. My host, Sergey Zhukov, director of the Russian space travel group, Skolkovo Foundation, has held a place for me at the front of the viewing stands, near Ronald Heister, the driving force behind ISTA – the global organisation for commercial space travel. Expensive launches such as that of this evening are threatened, say the space men. Easy prey to the need for cost-cutting. Europe has cut back heavily on the die ESA space programme in 2010 and 2011. Many US missions have been abandoned and the Americans have sold off much of their space arsenal. Meanwhile, the Russians are also looking to cut their programme. Is this the end of the conquest of space? No chance, say Zhukov and Heister. Commercialisation offers survival opportunities. Commercial space travel In the last edition of this magazine, we published an interview with the Sir Richard Branson, the US super-businessman who wants to start commercial space travel by the end of the year. Tickets now cost 200,000 euros, but if the busi-

ness takes off the costs will fall, says Branson. Other investors are following in his wake. Last year Heister set up ISTA so as to organise the growth of commercial space travel and he has been trying to get companies interested in this sector. Allianz, the world’s largest insurer, is already involved, and has designed insurance coverage for space travellers and shuttle companies. Other companies are also lining up to join ISTA, says Heister. ‘The focus of the space industry is shifting from governments to companies, scientific institutes and individuals,’ he says. But cooperation with formerly leading states is not excluded. ‘Legislation is needed to cover the first flights.’ US and Russian facilities offer the basis for development of this young industry. Former arch rivals Sterrenstad is one such facility. A few days before the launch, I accompanied an ISTA delegation to this complex near Moscow. Sterrenstad was built in the 1950s and 60s as an ultra secret development centre for spy rockets and military projects for winning the space race the Russians then waged with the Americans. It subsequently suffered from the breakup of the Soviet Union. But in recent years it has recovered a bit of its old grandeur, funnily enough, through co-operation with the former archrivals in the US and Europe. At Sterrenstad, space travellers are trained for the international space station ISS and contact is maintained with the immense satellite. The Russians are happy to let commercial parties use the station in the future. Zhukov’s

Skolkovo Foundation is building contacts with the commercial sector. Skolkovo is directly run by the Russian president and has received 150 million dollars from the Kremlin to facilitate foreign companies. Shifting borders The launch-base at Baikanur will also be devoted to commercial space travel in the future. Thousands of space travellers will make the same journey I did through this frozen landscape between Moscow and Kazakhstan to get to these cinder-block boxes stamped into the snow. They will land on this grey landing strip with its view of guard posts. ‘It’s an adventure,’ says Zhukov. ’For both individuals and companies, space offers wonderful possibilities,’ adds Heister. ‘For science and development, and simply for experience. Space is one of the few areas where you can really do something pioneering.’ A few minutes travel outside the earth’s atmosphere can bring top businessmen to new insights, ones they can’t easily find here on earth. ‘A couple hundred thousand dollars is a cheap price to pay for that,’ says Heister. His words are punctuated by a deafening sound. Under the Soyuz rocket, a flare begins. Smoke overtakes the tundra. The flame becomes an enormous yellow sea of fire. And then the immense rocket shoots upwards. Ten metres, twenty, a hundred, three hundred... When the rocket becomes just a dot in the sky, a cheer goes up. Everybody should witness this once. From the viewing stands. Or, probably, from the rocket itself.

“The projects HAWK has realised, have helped us achieve higher rates of Straight Through Processing, improved Reporting and cost reduction. On top of that, the satisfaction of our clients improved as well.”

HAWK delivers Recruiting - Consulting Bespoke Business Solutions • Focused on Banking, Investment Management & Treasury • Niche player • 10+ years relevant experience in your Business • Excellent track record Urgent Business requirements to resolve? Call our Managing Director today: + 31 653 575 292 HAWK is an added value provider to Investment Managers and

HAWK

Investment Cycle Solutions

Banks. Our focus on our niches, our knowledge of the Business and our ability to deliver separates us out from the crowd.

www.hawk-ics.com

concepts print studio web media [ PRINT ING PROFESSIONALS ]

A D D R ESS

SA L ES & ST U D I O

EMA I L & WE B

Prinsengracht 384 1016 JB Amsterdam

+31 [0]20 530 44 44 +31 [0]20 530 44 55

mail@elcobv.nl www.elcobv.nl

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 19

In short

The cost of European solidarity:

€ 9.000.000.000,Photography: City of The Hague

In short 20 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

The Big Freeze

Photography: Dutch Ministry of Finance

Photography: hetkoninklijkhuis.nl

The weather set the tone for events in The Netherlands this winter. As economic storms raged elsewhere in Europe, the Dutch population battened down the hatches on their wallets and sat tight, waiting for the heavy weather to abate. In fact, they may have battened their wallets too firmly, economists say. The economy has stalled. Hope and despair in Friesland (pronounced Freezeland) In early January we confronted the classic Dutch image of a dyke breaking and letting in the sea. The dyke along the Eems canal east of Groningen began letting in water and 800 people living in four villages were ordered to evacuate their homes because of the risk of flooding. ‘The dyke could break, and that means an area covering several hundred hectares will be under water within a matter of hours,’ a rescue service spokesman told the Telegraaf newspaper. But, though no boy put his finger in the dyke, the disaster failed to materialise. There was no real need for panic. Dutch management keeps disaster at bay. The dykes in the area will now be reinforced. But attention remained in the north of the country as, a month later, a new source of excitement developed. A sudden drop in temperature led to the rise of hopes for a particularly Dutch sporting event, the Eleven-City (skating) race. This 200-km Elfstedentocht is only held when the ice on the Frisian waterways reaches 15 centimetres thick all along the racing route. Last held in 1997, the race attracts thousands of participants and even more thousands of spectators. The country thus held its breath as ‘ice-masters’ were filmed for days drilling holes in the ice in the north of the country to check whether the necessary thickness had been attained. Alas, again, it all came to nothing. Although The Netherlands turned into a winter wonderland, with skaters on ice all over the country, the famous race didn’t take place. The ice in Friesland wasn’t thick enough throughout the route and couldn’t be counted on to support the weight of thousands of skaters. Nevertheless, a good time was had by all, as the population took to

every canal, lake and stream throughout the country. Sales of skates, hot chocolate and pea soup shot up, and hospitals were inundated with fractured limbs. Prince Friso was under the ice too long The country grieved with its queen as Her Majesty’s second son, Johan Friso, was overtaken by a skiing accident in mid-February. Prince Friso was buried by an avalanche in Innsbruck, Switzerland for at least 25 minutes. His heart stood still for fifty minutes so he suffered very serious brain damage. If the prince does regain consciousness, it could be months or even years before he recovers, his doctors have said. Economy in the deep freeze The government has done too good a job on selling austerity to the Dutch population. No-one is buying anything. Everybody is watching their pennies. The economy thus contracted 7% in the fourth quarter of 2011, putting the country officially into recession, according to the national statistics office, CBS. Over 2011 as a whole, the economy grew 1.2%, the CBS said, but in the last two quarters of the year contraction set in due to declining household spending - which fell by 1.8% in the final quarter. Government cuts and fewer exports also had an effect. Employers’ organisations have called on the government to ensure new cuts do not disadvantage industry. The budget deficit must be reduced to ensure the Netherlands is not forced to borrow at increasingly high interest rates, and wages must be frozen, the organisations said.

In short the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 21

SILLYQUESTIONS

Dutch pension funds With 800 billion euros in capital, Dutch pension funds are amongst the largest private investors in the world. Yet many of them are saying they can’t maintain their pay-out obligations. Stock exchange losses, raised life expectancy among the Dutch and a shrinking population have created huge problems. The International Correspondent asked Professor Gerrit Dietvorst, specialist in pensions at the University of Tilburg, to shed some light.

Photography: Correspondent Media Photo

What makes Dutch pension arrangements so unique, Professor? The way pensions are financed is unusually balanced here. A part of pension pay-outs come from taxes on working people; another from the savings accumulated by the pensioner himself over the course of his working life. And a lot of Dutch people have extra insurance. The pension funds have about 800 billion on their books, most invested in stocks and shares.

What can the funds do to ensure there is a future for themselves and their clients? Raise premiums, to start with. Though I think that has limited possibilities. It’s also possible to not index pensions for a few years. In other words, don’t adjust them for inflation. And you can reduce the level of your pension pay-outs, which is the least attractive option, but which is likely to take place. I expect a reduction of around seven percent in other countries. In Greece, a blanket cut of nearly 40% is on the cards.

How does that differ from other countries? In most countries of Europe pensions are financed from tax revenue. Because of greying populations, the pressure this imposes on young working people has been increasing. In earlier years, about six working people financed one person’s pension. Now it’s four. And it’s anticipated that that will become two and a half in the years ahead. In a number of European countries, young people aren’t accepting this anymore and a generation war is underway. Here, it’s relatively calm.

Couldn’t the cash in the funds be used to stimulate economic recovery so we get out of the crisis? It could. But that money is private property. Funds like PGGM and ABP invest in The Netherlands, but their primary interest is to get a good return on their investments. And they’re a good stabiliser for the Dutch economy. On that 800 billion, the state is guaranteed to get hundreds of billions of euros in tax revenue. That’s enough to cover, for instance, the increased health-care costs we anticipate.

Luckily our pension funds are well-endowed. They are, aren’t they? Well... A lot of them lost money on the markets because of the crisis. And that isn’t going to be made up any time soon, not with interest rates at rock-bottom levels. On top of that, the oldies are living longer than expected. The younger folk, who have to work to pay their pensions, don’t exactly enjoy this. A number of the pension funds are doubtful that they can maintain pension payments at the levels expected.

Brussels seems to be eyeing our pension system. No chance they’ll find a way to get their hands on some of the cash in our funds? Not a hope. That’s private property, that money. The Dutch system will be adjusted to the changed circumstances in the coming years. Europe wants member states to set up solid, transparent pension arrangements. The Dutch one can be a model.

In short 22 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Photography: Dutch Ministry of General Affairs

Budget deficit to reach 4.5% in 2013 Despite deep cuts in expenditure in the past year, the government is unable to balance its budget. Drastic measures are on the cards to keep the national debt in line with euro zone single currency rules. The bald facts Economic projections by the Central Planning Bureau (CPB) on March 1 were even more disappointing than expected. In 2013, the Dutch budget deficit will be 4.5% of GDP, while countries in the euro single currency union must keep their deficit under 3%. The minority VVD/CDA government (liberal/Christian-democrat) will need to cut 9 billion from its budget, on top of the cuts already made in the past year. Some of these cuts will create further expenses (for instance, in paying benefits to dismissed employees) so the total cuts needed can amount to 16 billion. What to do? Controversy rages over this question. The government’s first impulse was to launch a new round of spending cuts. But, to do this, it must get agreement from Geert Wilders, whose PVV party ‘tolerates’ the cabinet by voting for its measures in parliament. Wilders’ agreement to new cuts is not to be taken for granted. Spending cuts affect his supporters and he’s playing hard-ball. He doesn’t bow down to fiscal restraint demands emanating from Brussels, saying ‘we are not figures-fetishists’. He wants tradeoffs in areas that concern him: a slashing of the overseas aid, culture and broadcasting budgets. And Wilders is not the only source of opposition to a harsh new round of cuts. Numerous economists, including the head of the CPB itself, have been warning that new austerity measures can amount to economic death by a thousand cuts. They can choke off prospects of economic growth. Bernard

Wientjes, chair of the employers’ organization VNO-NCW, has added his voice to those calling on the government to be careful about making new budget cuts. Political fall-out The ruling coalition is between a rock and a hard place. It has been demanding that countries like Greece balance their budgets. Now it’s facing the same political dilemmas that toppled southern European governments. And the vultures are circling. ‘Rule, Rutte, or get off the pot!’ demands Alexander Pechthold, leader of D66. The cabinet has been sending up balloons that it may abandon efforts to stick to the EU norm of 3% deficit and has been promptly rapped on the knuckles by both Herman van Rompuy, president of the European Council and German chancellor Angela Merkel. Opponents to new cuts argue that the economy needs long-term reform instead. The system of mortgage relief that exists is a drain on the treasury and must the altered or scrapped. But Wilders is strongly opposed to this. Labour regulations should also be reviewed, say numerous experts, and changes made to the health-care and pension systems. But these reforms will only bear fruit by 2015 and the government needs to find 16 billion to cover expenditure in 2013. De Volkskrant newspaper suggests that the obvious solution is to raise taxes, including VAT. The month of March will be crucial for this cabinet. Then, it will withdraw with Wilders to try and hammer out a deal for confronting the economic problems while preserving its hold on government.

In short the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 23

LOCALBUSINESS The Hague: for quality of life Photography: City of The Hague

The Hague evokes images of important international institutions, as well as the Dutch seat of government. Yet the town doesn’t lack economic activity. A number of big Dutch companies have their headquarters there, and, in recent times, international companies are also joining them. Floris V, Count of Holland and Zeeland, founded The Hague in the mid 13th century when he built his medieval palace there. His knight’s chamber (Ridderzaal) became the focal point of the Binnenhof, the centre of Dutch politics. The administrative centre of the country took shape there in the eight centuries that followed. As was the way with nobility of that period, Floris went on to fight innumerable bloody wars against other nobility, but he also developed a reputation, both at home and abroad, for protecting the poor and oppressed. After his death, he came to be called The God of the Farmers, and the city he founded cherishes an image of being the International City of Justice and Peace. The centrepiece of this is the Peace Palace, built by the American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. This immense castle houses the Permanent Court of Justice, International Court of the United Nations and The Hague’s Academy for International Law. Close by are the Organisation for the Abolition of Chemical Weapons, the International Criminal Court and Yugoslavia Tribunal, as well as various academic institutions focused on international relations, international law and international development that combine to form the Hague Academic Coalition. International Commercial centre Hence the international city of The Hague, with its thousands of diplomats, international jurists and employees of international organisations. In the last decades, a lot of expats have jointed them and The Hague promotes

its image as an international centre via a marketing campaign: ‘The Hague, Your New City. Doing Business First Class’. ‘Nearly a quarter of our population is working in the service sector, compared with just 18% in government service,’ says Mieke Wytema of the city council. The Hague has the largest number of businesses per square metre and the largest number of starters. It also houses the headquarters of the Anglo-Dutch giant, Shell, Aegon insurance, KPN and PostNL, as well as major offices belonging to Aramco Overseas, AT&T, CB&I Lummus, Intrum Justitia, Siemens, T-Mobile and Total. Wytema sees the energy sector as one of The Hague’s most important economic areas. Kuwait Petroleum, for instance, recently opened its headquarters in the city. Then there’s ICT, telecom and financial services, as well as strong growth in the security and creative sectors. The municipality is playing an active role in promoting these developments: it renovated the former Caballero cigarette factory so this could function as a tech centre housing numerous promising internet companies. Similar projects are being contemplated elsewhere in the city. Newcomers are happy with The Hague’s location, between the financial centre of Amsterdam and the Rotterdam harbour. But they also appreciate the presence of government offices and international institutions. ‘There’s a high quality of life here,’ says Wytema. ‘Good housing, a highly educated, international population, good cultural provisions, office space and international education.’

In short 24 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

INTRODUCING

Henk Krol Photography: De Gay Krant

My work in The Netherlands is almost done Gay marriage is the most important non-material Dutch export, says Henk Krol, founder and editorin-chief of the Dutch Gay News. Civil marriage for same-sex partners began here in 2001. Today it’s an important issue in the US elections, while the Dutch government promotes gay rights globally. The foremost ambassador of that movement is Krol himself.

You’d think Henk Krol’s organisation would be based in Amsterdam, wouldn’t you? The gay capital of the world and all that... But no. De Gay Krant is issued from a village in Brabant called Best. ‘I happened to start here 30 years ago,’ says Krol, ‘and never had a reason to leave.’ Though actually he does leave. Every week, practically. Krol’s life is a whirl of invitations to talk about the development of the Dutch gay movement in places as far away as Australia, Canada... the Channel Islands. ‘I was invited to the Channel Islands recently,’ he relates. ‘They don’t have a parliament building there. Representatives of the people gather in the village pub. They passed a bill to enshrine same-sex marriage that evening after a couple rounds of pints.’ A refreshing experience, no doubt. Same sex marriage doesn’t often find such an easy route to the law-books. It’s currently only legal in a dozen countries or so, while some states in the US and Mexico turn a blind eye when it occurs. In many countries, people still express revulsion at the idea, and in some, gays are targeted for harassment, violence and arrest. Better than a key chain ‘Globally we have a long way to go,’ says Krol, ‘but we’ve achieved a lot in the last 30 years.’ De Gay Krant was set up on December 30, 1979. The owner of a gay bar in Eindhoven (to the south of the country –ed.) asked Krol to create an information sheet as a new year’s gift for his regular customers. ‘A nicer idea than a key-chain,’ Krol says. ‘And I had experience as a journalist.’ The publication took off like a shot. ‘We carry news about night-life, but also deal in political and social issues,’ Krol explains. ‘And culture, as well. So we appeal to a broad public.’ Krol himself is a born communicator. He knows his facts and figures like the back of his hand so is an elegant lobbyist for his cause. In conversation, he quotes ancient Greek wisdom as often as he makes rude jokes. That kind of flexibility is useful to the editor of a gay publication, he says. In the early years, when the Gay Krant called up companies or public institutions to get information, they often had the phone slammed down on them. ‘The Netherlands was stuffier than we like to think now,’ he says. But that changed rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s. ‘A lot of well-known people in the media were open about their sexuality,’ he says. ‘The public just

had to get over it.’ Sexuality was a topic for open discussion. ‘A culture of smashing taboos developed.’ What also played a role, he says, is that, for a long time, Dutch TV was dominated by public broadcasting. ‘The journalists who worked there were idealists,’ he notes. ‘With commercial broadcasters overseas, the issue of homosexuality is more sensitive. They are afraid of turning off advertisers.’ There’s no gay marriage in The Netherlands He also praises the role of the national government. Especially since the first gay couples were joined in marriage by the mayor of Amsterdam in 2001. ‘The government produced a brochure in six languages to explain its policy to surrounding countries,’ Krol recalls, ‘and gave it the teasing title The Netherlands doesn’t have gay marriage to stress the fact that there was no distinction in law between married couples who were heterosexual and those who were homosexual.’ Krol’s career as publisher was furthered by his earlier work as a lobbyist in The Hague. By the time he started Gay News, he knew all the political movers and shakers, so he could easily get access. With the establishment of same-sex marriage, lobbying for gay rights is complete, Krol believes. ‘There’s not much more we need in the law, though we have to continue to struggle for social acceptance.’ Religious leaders who still rein fire and brimstone on homosexuals don’t ruffle him. ‘Recently, a senior rabbi made some grievous remarks. But they had the opposite effect from what he intended. Now Jews are examining the question of homosexuality.’ The gay scene in Amsterdam is actually shrinking. The number of homo bars is falling. Krol doesn’t mind. ‘Gays aren’t ghettoised any more. And to be honest, if I go to a restaurant, I go for the food, not because of my sexual preferences.’ He’s therefore focusing outside The Netherlands. On China and Russia. And the Arabic world. But he’s treading lightly. ‘People have to change at their own pace. You can’t force an attitude. Homosexuality was absolutely no problem in the Islamic world up to a few centuries ago. It was described as a source of pleasure in Islamic literature. It’s us Europeans who taught the people there to condemn homosexuality. And religious leaders picked up the cause. When I tell people over there this, it creates a kind of pride in them.’

Column The Big Issue

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 25

Photography: European Commission

Governments know but don’t know how to by Paul Rodenburg tell people by Sanjay Sharma

When turbulence hits a plane, the captain has two choices: let passengers panic or inform them of a possible crash landing so they can brace for impact and prepare for any eventuality. Researchers have shown that, in such situations, who survives and who dies is not purely a matter of luck. Those who are equipped with precise information and can keep calm while doing the right thing have a higher probability of coming out unscathed. This has implications for euro zone leaders. What we are about to witness in the global economy is not mere wealth destruction but an unprecedented case of lost generations in many countries including Greece and Spain. Leaders around the world recognize the magnitude of this unfolding scenario but, unfortunately, have not taken bold initiatives to communicate openly with their people. This is all the more frustrating since these governments are of the people, by the peo-

ple, and for the people. At times, I am quite mesmerised by the fact that we have been continuing the annual pilgrimage to Davos where the so-called crème-de-la-crème brains mess-n-mingle in search of viable solutions to outstanding problems although now it seems those brains may not be all that visionary at all. There are two main things that governments urgently need to address: education and jobs. These are at the core of growth. And when I say growth I mean the real economy, not the fluffy financial one. In the US, political constraints have compelled Barak Obama to continuously reiterate ‘yes, we can’ even though he knows we cannot. The reason is simple: in order to have jobs (not in non-tradable sector), American workers will have to drastically compromise on current living standards and wages, and significantly enhance education, skills and working hours. This, to me, seems an almost impossible proposition – at least in the foreseeable future - unless the US can create its own brand of the tiger mothers Prof. Amy Chua of Yale University talks about. Could it happen in the US or the eurozone in the next 5-8 years? Then there is euphoria over prospects for innovation-led growth since mature economies are endowed with all the prerequisites for innovation. But as we see, innovation is no longer an exclusive domain because it does not follow any linear path of development. And this is the reason why so many

late industrializing economies of the East could skip the rudimentary manufacturing or heavy-chemical industry, and enter directly into high-tech sectors like nano, IT etc., thus boasting of being knowledge economies. Another interesting aspect of innovation is associated with migration. In a recent research report, ‘Exceptional People: How Migration Shaped Our World and Will Define Our Future’, the co-author Prof. Ian Goldin of Oxford University acknowledges that migration is the most misunderstood aspect of globalization but deserves urgent and educated attention as it is closely connected with wealth generation within the domain of new growth theory. He illustrates how most of the top-notch start-ups, e.g. Apple, Google, Yahoo, Paypal, E-bay – known as American – are actually the brainchildren of migrants. Establishing a correlation of 1 percent migrant increase to 15 percent patent increase, Prof. Goldin offers some timely direction, especially to the European economies that tend to be over-sensitive to the issue. In a nutshell, a reorientation towards learning and cross-border mobility of ideas may hold the key to future prosperity. So what if the headwind is strong today? So what if the traffic control tower is out of reach? The euro-zone still has enough fuel for one last detour for a smoother landing. Euro-zone leaders need to act faster and more responsibly lest people lose faith in the flying machine. That would be a real point of no return.

Dr. Sanjay Sharma former director of Maastricht University India Institute and professor of international relations and Korean affairs, is a strategy advisor on global business and economy

EXPATDESK ROTTERDAM Rotterdam is a hospitable international city. The city welcomes you as an expat with open arms. When you come to live, work or recreate in Rotterdam, we offer tailormade information. The Expatdesk Rotterdam is the place for all your questions.

EXPATDESK ROTTERDAM WORLD TRADE CENTER ROOM 337 / 338 BEURSPLEIN 37 ROTTERDAM PHONE +31 (0)10 – 205 28 29 +31 (0)10 – 205 37 49 EXPATDESK@ROTTERDAM.NL WWW.ROTTERDAM.NL/EXPATDESK

you you

We are able to support We are able to support in administrative andinfiscal matters for administrative individuals as well and fiscal matters We are able for to support for companies. individuals as well please feel free to contact us in administrative for companies. and fiscal matters for

you

W WW. D J E N T. N L please feel free to contact us as well individuals OUR FEE € 60,-forexcl. vat companies. W WW. D J E N T. N L please feel free to contact us

Telephone (0)W180 642 W W.D J vat E N780 T.N L OUR FEE0031 € 60,excl. OUR FEE € 60,- excl. vat Fax 0031 (0) 180 642 789 Telephone 0031 (0) 180 642 780 Telephone 0031 (0) 180 642 780 info@djent.nl Fax 0031 (0) 180 642 789 Fax 0031 (0) 180 642 789 info@djent.nl PO Box 273, 2990POAG Barendrecht Box 273, 2990 AG Barendrecht info@djent.nl The Netherlands The Netherlands

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 29

Q&A Copyright wars! by Floris Müller Photography: European Commission

Bitter battles are being fought over privacy rules for the internet. Legislation being promoted by the US and the EU are evoking strong reactions. Authors’ rights to their creations (music, films, pharmaceuticals, fashion and many other products) need protection from internet pirates: but some suspect that governments are going too far with the legal provisions being mooted. SOPA, PIPA and ACTA –the laws in question- will lead to censorship and lowered internet privacy, some say and ultimately to an end of the growth of international business on the web.

Q&A 30 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

If people think copyright isn’t working, what they need to do is lobby their national governments and participate in the forthcoming review of EU laws such as the IPR enforcement directive and the eCommerce directive.

In the last few months, hundreds of protest films have appeared on the web to warn about these laws. Over 200, 000 people participated in protests in 200 cities worldwide. The International Correspondent spoke to European Commissioner Neelie Kroes, responsible for the areas of Digital Agenda and ICT. The powerful European politician signed the ACTA legislation but opposes the American PIPA and SOPA laws. Why do you think so many people oppose legislation like ACTA? I don’t pretend to know the mind of anyone, but I think people are concerned to ensure their Internet access and they worry that the current copyright system doesn’t work for the digital era. That doesn’t mean ACTA is responsible for these problems, but I think it explains some of the reactions we have been seeing. At the same time you oppose the American SOPA and PIPA bills? I was critical of these bills, yes. They had foreseen disproportionate responses to piracy issues, but they are quite different from ACTA. For most ordinary Europeans, SOPA, PIPA and the ACTA have the same goal: protecting the copyright of the entertainment industry. What’s the difference between these different bills? ACTA doesn’t make anything illegal that isn’t already illegal. It doesn’t change EU legislation; it simply makes it easier for European exporters to enforce their rights in partner countries. If people think copyright isn’t working, what they need to do is lobby their national governments and participate in the forthcoming review of EU laws such as the IPR enforcement directive and the eCommerce directive.

“ I don’t pretend to know the mind of anyone. In a January you said you are looking forward to ONE European digital market. How does a digital market like that look? What has to change to make that possible? The Digital Single Market would be a place where you need one authorisation, not 27, to publish something. Payment systems that work everywhere, equipment that inter-operates, and so on. We have the ideas, what we have been missing is the political will and the understanding that this matters for our economy. That the Internet is actually a new economic backbone

for Europe, not a side issue any more. You said that Europe falls behind in digital trade. Why is that do you think? I’m afraid we’ve reached the point where, for the first time ever, Europe is falling behind where networks are concerned.. I think that we need to give European businesses every chance to export. That means ensuring they have fast Internet, supporting better eSkills amongst the workforce, preparing for the future by investing in research in areas like robotics and high performance computing, and so on. Recently you’ve awarded the ‘European Cloud Partnership’ 10 million euro. Why do you think this initiative is so important? In general the Cloud is a game-changer for the European economy. Plain and simple. Getting the Cloud right will mean the Internet can continue to be a generator of innovation, growth and freedom. It’s also going to help green our economy by making ICT-use more efficient and tied to exact needs. The Cloud can be the difference between literally hundreds of thousands of small businesses succeeding or failing. It can make government services so much more effective and affordable. The big punch of public procurement should increase competition in Cloud supply overall, to everybody’s benefit.

“ That is something to be really passionate about.” You served as competition commissioner earlier. Do you enjoy the field of digital agenda as much as your earlier job? I love it even more! Getting every European digital means this work touches the lives of everyone, every day. That is something to be really passionate about. Is there any chance you’d return to Dutch politics? What kind of position would be acceptable to you? I was surprised to even have the chance of at first one, and then two, terms as European Commissioner. Europe is at a really critical moment and there is so much to do to keep us on a good course. This challenge is more than enough for me.

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 31

Europe divided over ACTA

Why should we know... Neelie Kroes

US laws are against global piracy

European Commissioner Neelie Kroes has smoothly steered the new privacy legislation, ACTA, through the European commission. But individual member states are failing to ratify. Though they voted for the law, a growing number of them are critical of ACTA.

Neelie Kroes (born 1941) is a veteran of Dutch and European politics. In the early 1970s she began her career as a VVD (liberal) member of parliament. In the 70s and 80s she was secretary of state for Transport. She launched a series of major budget-cuts in that area, and initiated the laying of the controversial Betuweroute, a rail link between the Rotterdam harbour and the German interior.

PIPA (Protect IP Act: Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011) is an American proposal that will come into force this year. It is meant to deal with websites that distribute material in contravention of author’s rights. The law gives the US government the power to make certain websites inaccessible from the US.

At the beginning of February, Germany, the Czech Republic, Letland, Slovakia and Bulgaria abandoned the treaty. The Netherlands is also reluctant to adopt the new privacy laws. The Dutch government is officially in favour, but parliament is blocking their ratification. The left opposition parties GroenLinks, D66, PvdA and SP maintain that ACTA contravenes the EU constitution and the European Human Rights Treaty. Minister of Economic Affairs, Maxime Verhagen, disagrees. ‘It doesn’t aim at individual citizens, but at preventing large-scale commercial abuse.’

Dutch entrepreneurs don’t have a clue about ACTA Although ACTA is supposed to protect the rights of entrepreneurs and artists, many Dutch companies have no idea what the law implies. Brisk magazine surveyed businesses about the new privacy law. Only one in 20 of them understood what it was about. 64% of them were dubious about whether The Netherlands should approve the legislation. 22% are against ACTA’s ratification. 14% find it excellent.

European Commissioner After several decades in business, Kroes returned to politics in 2004, but on the European stage, as European Commissioner for Competition. She acquired a reputation for toughness when she pursued multinationals for cartel formation, handing out fines that totalled nearly nine billion euros. She also created problems for the Dutch government in 2008 when, after the State acquired ABN Amro bank, she insisted it had to divest itself of certain parts of the bank so it wouldn’t acquire monopoly status. ‘Dutch Prime Minister’ At the 2010 elections, Kroes’ name was circulated as a possible premier. She turned down an offer from the party’s leader, Mark Rutte. A year earlier, she had become Commissioner for the Digitale Agenda. She’s responsible for ICT and telecom.

SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) is an extension of PIPA, which gives more possibilities to deal with trade in protected material and illegal imitations. The government can compel advertisers and on-line payment businesses to stop working with suspected copyright law-breakers. Search machines can also be compelled not to provide links to certain internet companies and to block some websites. Offering copyright-protected material as streaming media would become a crime under this law. Neelie Kroes has openly opposed both these laws.

Dynamic Business center Vibrant and dynamic, an international business and conference center, a community with more than 352 businesses and 37 nationalities. A multicultural center of knowledge and the top in the area of commerce. Based at the heart of the financial center of the Netherlands. Only seven minutes from Schiphol Airport by train.

wtcamsterdam.com

World Trade Center Amsterdam brings businesses together and provides them with a range of services that help them succeed.

where business comes to life

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 33

Politics

Have no fear Germany is here by Mark Maathuis Photography: European Commission

Germany is increasingly taking the lead in the handling of the euro crisis…and critics are raising the usual fears of German domination. But, according to Mark Maathuis, there’s no other solution. Germany’s impressive economic management can be the engine to pull the entire continent out of the doldrums. The country seems to have come to terms with its decades-old dilemma, while developing into Europe’s economic powerhouse. And despite national and international criticism, the country is no longer afraid to take international responsibility, a development Holland -above all- should welcome.

Politics 34 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

It can be read all over Europe’s major headlines: Germany is taking over the EU. German opposition to a greater role for the European Central Bank and a common euro zone debt issuance has raised eyebrows in London and Paris. With their attachment to firm budget discipline, Germans are once again being portrayed as narrow-minded Prussian followers of orders. Especially in Greece – the country most desperate for European cash. Greek magazines run cartoons showing Germans in Nazi uniforms –with euro signs instead of the swastika – robbing poor Greeks. At demonstrations, people carry signs portraying chancellor Angela Merkel in a brown shirt with a Hitler moustache. In less obvious ways, more eloquent voices are uttering the same sounds. Since its reunification and the shift of its capital back to Berlin from Bonn, diplomats, international observers and foreign correspondents claim, Germany is less focused on Europe and more on its own interests. And thanks to its robust economy, the crisis is said to offer the federal government a perfect excuse to impose its economic views on the rest of the continent. This criticism isn`t only coming from outside. Shortly before business and political leaders met in Davos this year at the World Economic Forum, former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt reminded his countrymen of their past. At a SPD party conference Schmidt said that Germany should try everything not to upset others. ‘If we let ourselves be seduced into taking on a leading role in Europe, our neighbors will brace themselves against us.’ He also urged his audience to help out debt-stricken euro zone partners. ‘We need to show heart towards our friends. And that is especially the case for Greece.’ Calling the German government’s attitude during the crisis ‘national muscle-flexing’, Schmidt stressed his long held view that because of its ‘terrible and unique historic burden Germany could not be a normal country in the foreseeable future’. While he might be right about that, it might not be in the way he thinks. After all, in times of crisis, shouldn’t one look for something extraordinary? ‘Please, Germany, let us lend you money’ -investors Although most of the world has been shaken pretty hard by years of housing bubbles, bailouts and piles of worthless debts, the German economy is still the biggest in Europe and the fifth largest in the world. In 2009, Germany exported 750 billion euros in goods and services, making it the world’s second largest exporter; last year exports surpassed the trillion-euro level. And for anybody still longing for normalcy in these times of billion-dollar bail outs: after a German auction was oversubscribed 3.8

times, the average interest rate amounted to minus 0.01 percent. So investors were actually paying to lend Germany money –something the German Finance Agency said ‘has never happened before.’ These impressive numbers followed a package of stimulus and stabilization efforts starting in 2008, when the country was going through its deepest recession since World War II. These measures not only helped reduce the unemployment rate to its lowest since 1990 (7.1 percent, well under the euro zone average of 10.3 percent) but also caused Germany’s budget deficit to drop below the EU’s 3% limit. And remember, these were being implemented while the country was still paying the bill for reunification: in 2008 annual transfers from west to east - where unemployment can still easily exceed 20 percent - amounted to some 12 billion euros. Key for this success was the focus on addressing high unemployment and low average growth and a balanced budget – and when it comes to dealing with the European crisis, Merkel wants to use this same approach. Opponents don`t consider this as ‘learning from each other’s experiences’, but rather as a hostile takeover. Thus, when Merkel recently told the German daily, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, that ‘it is the great task of the coming years to move forward on the path of a political European union’, they don`t see Germany showing necessary leadership in times of crisis, they see an economic Blitzkrieg. Germany`s existential dilemma Though it is hardly the first time that postwar Germany has been accused of wanting to rule Europe, things are different this time, thanks to Germany’s coming to terms with an existential dilemma that has been puzzling the country since the foundation of the first unified Germany in 1870. As the center of Europe, and on its way to becoming frontrunner on economic, technical, cultural and military issues, the newly-founded German empire had to ask what its ambitions were: a German Europe or a European Germany? Led by its first chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, the country transformed itself into a nation-state that created a balance of power on the European continent in the process. Despite the wealth, knowledge and ambition that came with actually being Europe’s Number One, Bismarck was only too aware of Germany`s vulnerable position. Crammed in between France and Russia, the soldier-turned-politician realized war on the continent could not be won and was therefore never in Germany`s interest. So he kept fighting with the political and military elite against overambitious plans, while at the same time

keeping ordinary German workers happy so they wouldn’t turn to communism. Unfortunately, Bismarck’s balancing act was jettisoned after 20 years of peace and prosperity when, with the arrival of Kaiser Wilhelm II and later Hitler, a German Europe was given a try. It`s hardly surprising that, after 1945, a European Germany became the more popular option among survivors. In order to co-operate with a post war Europe, both Germanys had to come a long way to regain the trust of their neighbours. For West Germany, this resulted in partnerships that sometimes favored partners. The European Coal and Steel Community, for example, was more beneficial economically for the other countries involved. Despite that, the German economy boomed, making Wirtschaftswunder an international word and West Germany a respected member of the international community. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall – when West German chancellor Helmut Kohl pushed through German reunification despite international pressure not to – Germany dared to go head to head with European partners. This coming-of-age process of the reunited Germany hit new dimensions when Kohl’s successor, Gerhard Schröder, took a sensitive step and – for the first time since World War II – sent German soldiers into combat action in Kosovo. And with Germany’s willingness to take the lead today’s crisis, the country has turned a new page. No Fourth Reich Above all Holland, with its economy so dependent on Germany (See box), should welcome this development instead of listening to idiotic warnings about the coming of the Fourth Reich. This is nothing other than Europe’s biggest and most healthy economy assuming its responsibility. Nor was the removal of Silvio Berlusconi and George Papandreou – in which Merkel as well as their other European colleagues played an important part– some sort of economic Anschluss. If anything, Merkel’s new Italian colleague, economist Mario Monti, will follow Germany’s steps more closely than was ever the case during Berlusconi’s days. And proposing harsh deficit regulations isn`t your typical Befehl ist Befehl attitude either. With the Greek drama in mind, it`s the only logical step Europe can take. This crisis has been made possible by omissions in the Maastricht Treaty, which didn`t create supranational instruments to handle financial misconduct. This had to be resolved one day. It might as well be now. Or does anyone prefer to do things the ’normal’ way and wait for the usual European outcome? If not, get used to a new kid on the block taking care of business.

Politics the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 35

Germany propels Dutch economy When you examine Germany’s economic position, it becomes clear how much Dutch well-being is tied to Germany. The intensity of the economic relations between the two countries is surpassed only by the economic relations between the US and Canada. In 2010, trade between Germany and Holland totaled 132 billion euros, making Holland Germany’s second most important trading partner and Germany Holland’s principal market. Dealings with Germany account for nearly two-thirds of the Dutch trade balance surplus. Exports to our eastern neighbor make up nearly a quarter of Holland’s total exports. The port in Rotterdam handles more goods for Germany than all German ports combined. In 2010, the port recorded a record cargo-handling volume of 430 million tons. Seen in this light, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s visit to the British Prime Minister David Cameron in London last November, just days before he travelled to Berlin, wasn`t a particularly smart or diplomatic move. Not only is the UK still using its own currency, but Cameron, like most of his fellow cabinet members, has been very critical of Europe. So why go to London if any real solution to the euro crisis lies in Berlin? More importantly: Germany cannot move without influencing Holland. So if Holland is looking for a way to come out of this crisis as unscathed as possible, it’s best to keep up with Germany as much as we can. The Dutch economy catches a cold if the Germans sneeze. Not that German is expected to start doing that any time soon. The Fortune Global 500 lists 37 companies headquartered in Germany; among them such usual suspects as Volkswagen, BASF and Adidas. Even more impressive than their size is the companies’ variety. From pharmaceuticals like Bayer and Merck, to the retail big shots, Aldi and Lidl, and banking and finance institutions like Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank. Combined with other global giants, such as T-Mobile, Hugo Boss and Porsche, it’s easy to see what’s driving international demand for German goods, especially when a weak euro is keeping these products cheap and therefore more competitive. Not surprisingly, Merkel’s approval rating has been boosted by her handling of the euro area debt crisis, making her Germany’s most popular politician for the first time in almost two years.

Column Politics

36 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Photography: WFA/Bart Maat

Governments know but don’t know how to tell people by Floris Müller

‘Absolute victory for the Socialist Party!’ crowed one of my colleagues from the (left-wing) national daily, de Volkskrant, recently at The Hague’s press centre, Nieuwspoort. To my right, another colleague blanched. ‘Emile Roemer as Premier...’ he sputtered into his beer.

The talk was, of course, the Socialists’ (SP’s) remarkable advance in national polls since the beginning of this year. If those polls are an accurate predictor of voters’ behaviour, the SP would snaffle 30 of the 150 seats in parliament if elections were held tomorrow. But polls are rarely reliable. Still, it’s noteworthy that the socialists have doubled their support and overtaken by one seat he leading party in the ruling coalition, the VVD. Officially, this coalition has two more years in government. But the mood in The Hague is quite tense, and both the government’s supporters and its detractors are expecting a bumpy patch ahead. The SP is a relative newcomer to the corridors of power. Established as a protest party with marxistleninist principles, it won a few seats in the 1990s and haunted the margins of Dutch politics. But with the coming of Jan Marijnissen to its leadership, that changed. Marijnissen, a sausage-maker from Brabant, was able to present the SP’s perspectives in a cogent fashion, as well as to win friends and influence people. The twentieth century’s end also healded a shift in the Dutch political constellation. Voters grew jaded with the centrist parties (the Christian Democrats, the Labour Party and the Liberals) that had held power for decades, and they began to choose extremist movements on both the left and the right. Ten years on, the SP’s triumphal march ended. For health reasons,

Marijnissen had to quit being the face of the party. His successor, Agnes Kant, couldn’t prevent the SP from going into free-fall. After some gloomy times, she handed over the reins to the relatively unknown Emile Roemer. And Roemer has charmed the pants off the Dutch electorate. He’s no economic whizz-kid, but he’s a master of the sound-bite. Most political journalsts think his freewheeling personality is a major factor in the party’s recent rise in popularity. The party’s scathing criticism of the handling of the euro crisis and government’s budget cuts don’t hurt either. But there’s still hope for the political middle. Protest-voters don’t hold their position for long. Four years ago, Rita Verdonk’s Dutch Pride party looked to sweep the polls. Rita is now a mere memory in The Hague. A similar fate probably awaits arch-populist Geert Wilders. After ending in 3rd place in the 2010 elections, his PVV has been slipping backwards, losing support to the socialists. And that’s where the shoe is pinching. Wilders is losing popularity because of his support for the current government. The cabinet is committed to Europe and budget cuts. But Wilders isn’t. He has said there’s a 50/50 chance that he’ll support new cuts. If he abandons Premier Rutte, he’ll hold on to some of his support. But SP might profit as well. If Wilders sticks with the government, the SP will continue to rise in the polls. At the PVV’s expense.

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 37

Business

Born in Holland Many world-famous TV shows were invented here By Jeroen Jansen

The Dutch are somewhat lacking in the taboo department. And, it turns out, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s money to be made from this. The Netherlands has been churning cash by inventing (sometimes tasteless) TV formats to be sold abroad. The local population is an ideal testing ground for shows that would turn more sensitive stomachs.

Photography: Frans van Zijst

Business 38 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Photography: WFA/Frank van Rossum

ENDEMOL, This Godfather of Dutch television, made the Dutch familiar with soap and drama series. He introduced the Soundmixshow, a precursor to reality television singing competitions like Idols, X-Factor and The Voice of.

Only the US and the UK sell more television concepts than Holland - an amazing feat, given the small size of this country. Among our priceless gifts to the world was the idea of locking up stupid people in a house, isolating them from the rest of the world, watching their dull and pointless behavior… and creating the hit series known as Big Brother. We have John de Mol Produkties to thank for that feat. The Dutch hadn’t contributed as much to world culture since the days of Vincent Van Gogh. De Mol is one of the world’s leading media tycoons, with a net worth of over 1.7 billion euros, which places him among the 500 richest people on the planet, according to Forbes. His latest smash hit is The Voice, which will soon be broadcast in nearly 50 countries. The Voice of America was launched only one year after the original Dutch version. De Mol first struck it rich as a founding investor in production company Endemol, which developed reality-TV hits like Deal or No Deal (sold to over 50 countries) and Fear Factor. In 2000, Endemol was sold to the Spanish telecom giant, Telefonica, for € 5.5 billion, but it was later bought by a consortium including Silvio Berlusconi and John de Mol in a deal valued at €2.6 billion. Currently, De Mol is developing TV and multimedia shows via his company Talpa Media Holding. Some of its most successful creations are Battle of the Choirs, Dating in the Dark, Know your Nation and The Voice. Godfather of Dutch TV Endemol was co-founded by Joop van den Ende, the other Dutch media tycoon, who profited hugely from the sale to Telefonica in 2000. This Godfather of Dutch television made the Dutch familiar with soap and drama series. He introduced the Soundmixshow, a precursor to reality television singing competitions like Idols, X-Factor and The Voice of. Since 2000, Van den Ende has focused mainly on producing musicals and revues with his company, Stage Entertainment. Under his

guidance, a new musical tradition developed in the Netherlands. He’s now less involved in making TV shows, a task he leaves to his former protégés, John de Mol and Reinout Oerlemans. The latter started his career as an actor in Goede tijden, Slechte tijden (Good Times, Bad Times), which started in 1990 and was the first daily European soap series at the time. The idea came from Joop van den Ende, who recruited Oerlemans to play a main character role. In 1999, Oerlemans started his own company, Eyeworks, which focuses completely on the creation of TV-formats. The production of these formats left Oerlemans to Endemol, but things went wrong when John de Mol tried to sell one of his formats abroad without informing Oerlemans. Eyeworks then decided to produce its own formats, which turned out to be a huge success - Oerlemans scored with popular productions like De Bauers, a real life soap about Dutch folk singer Frans Bauer and his family, So You Wannabe a Popstar, and Test the Nation, a national IQ test which has been exported to many countries. Currently, Oerlemans is estimated to be one of the richest thirty-somethings in the Netherlands, with an estimated fortune of 75 million euros. Find my Family In the slipstream of De Mol’s and Oerlemans’ success, smaller producers have tried to profit from the excellent reputation of the Dutch in the international television and format industry. And sometimes they succeed. Beau van Erven Dorens is not only the host of Deal or No Deal, but also the producer of The Phone, a game show in which two contestants compete in a race across a major city to find a substantial money prize. They get their instructions by mobile phone. Meanwhile, a helicopter follows their exploits from the sky. The show has been awarded the International Emmy for NonScripted Entertainment in 2009 and was sold to over 50 countries. In Spoorloos (Without a trace) people all over the world are reunited with their loved

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 39

ones. Series based on the same concept have been aired in over 10 countries, including the United Kingdom (Long Lost Family), the United States, Australia, Spain, Norway, Sweden and Singapore. For every episode of Find My Family broadcast in the United States, the Dutch inventors (broadcasting company KRO) receive €65,000. Smaller countries pay less, but still enough to ensure Spoorloos’ status as one of the most valuable Dutch TV shows. This might also happen to The Exit List, the latest example of Dutch TV creativity, which has already been sold to the United Kingdom, where it is broadcast by ITV1. Dutchman David Grifhorst is the creator of The Exit List, in which contestants travel together through a maze of rooms, trying to collect as much money as possible by answering questions in every room they enter. In the end, they have to escape with the money by recalling the Exit List, a list of answers they have given during the show. Young TV director Grifhorst plotted the show in his spare time and made a far from professional trailer in his hobby room. Still, it was good enough to convince UK’s ITV and 80 more countries to purchase the show. Cannibalism How to explain the Dutch success in the international format business? Some say that the Dutch, with old traditions as merchants, are just good at selling stuff. But more likely, their creativity is fostered by a tabooless culture that allows them to explore the limits of daring television formats. A Spanish formatbuyer literally got sick when he saw an episode of De Kist (The Coffin) during the international trade fair MIPTV in Cannes. In De Kist, famous people talk about life and death while hanging over a coffin. The Spanish producer, a devout Catholic, obviously didn’t buy it. A show in which women search for a male candidate to make them pregnant proved controversial as well, even in the Netherlands.

And people all over the world were disgusted while watching an episode of Proefkonijnen, in which the two hosts performed an act of cannibalism by eating each other’s flesh — broadcast by the same company that shocked the world with Big Donorshow. Remember the woman who needed a new kidney and had to choose between three candidates? People at home were able to advise her on the choice of candidate. This purported case of reality TV turned out to be a spoof, but once again thrust Dutch television into the international spotlight. Coming out of the closet Uit de Kast (Coming Out of the Closet) is yet another example of shameless Dutch television, where teenagers admit their homosexuality to their family and friends. So far, only Belgium and Germany — two equally liberal countries — have purchased the format. Though more subversive or controversial formats might have limited sales prospects, they certainly garner attention and affirm the reputation of Dutch television for pushing boundaries. And it seems a good bet that other western countries may someday be ready to air the shows that they find too shocking now. Meanwhile, big hits like Deal or No Deal, Big Brother and The Voice pave the way for other, less controversial but still exciting formats, such as The Exit List, Beat the Blondes and Afkicken, a reality show about drug addicted youngsters during the process of rehabilitation. A final possible explanation for the success of Dutch television in international markets may be the notorious difficulty of Dutch consumers — if something is able to succeed and captivate viewers in the Netherlands, producers can count on international popularity. The stakes are high for Dutch TV makers, but so, too, are the rewards.

Best sold Dutch TV shows

1. Big Brother: 72 countries 2. Deal Or No Deal: 54 countries 3. The Phone: 52 countries 4. The Voice: 38 countries 5. Fear Factor: 36 countries 6. Hello Goodbye: 28 countries 7. Test the Nation: 26 countries 8. Lingo: 24 countries 9. Wipe-Out: 22 countries 10. Beat the Blondes: 22 countries

TV Millionaires 1. John de Mol After selling The Voice to over 30 countries, John de Mol’s estimated fortune rose to € 1.7 billion. Currently he is number 8 in the “Quote 500”, a list of the richest people in the Netherlands. Other smash hits of De Mol’s Talpa Holding are: Dating in the Dark and Divided.

Photography: WFA/Frans van Zijst

2. Reinout Oerlemans Founder of Eyeworks and number 347 in the “Quote 500”. Estimated fortune: € 83 million. TV shows originally invented by Eyeworks are shown in more than 50 countries worldwide, including Test The Nation, The Chair, The 10, Miss Popularity, So You Wannabe A Popstar, Ticket to the Tribes, Win My Wage, Who Wants to Marry my Son and Beat the Blondes.

Fly fast and comfortable to Minsk up to 5 times per week non-stop from Amsterdam

Via Minsk to the East - Yerevan (Armenia) - Baku (Azerbaijan) - Tbilisi, Batumi (Georgia) - Tel Aviv (Israel) - Tehran (Iran) - Astana, Karaganda, Kostanay, Pavlodar (Kazakhstan) - Moscow, Ekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, St.Petersburg (Russia) - Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) - Kiev (Ukraine)

NEW! Novosibirsk (Russia) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; starting from 03 June 2012

For actual prices and reservations please contact

tel. +3120 7997 757 benelux@belavia.by - www.belavia.by

the Regional Representative Office in Benelux

Column Business

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 41

The game of economics and life

For the Dutch, the legendary footballer, Johan Cruijff, is not just a sports hero: his intransigience has turned him into a national icon. Cruijff’s mangling of the Dutch language is loved by all: his idiosyncratic utterances and outlandish statements are repeated and repeated until they acquire the status of legend. Our business columnist, Paul Rodenburg, points out that Cruijff’s sporting statements have recently turned out to be correct even in the field of economics. He can provide eccentric inspiration at this dangerous juncture in European history. Enjoy!

As we all know, Johan Cruijff isn’t only the greatest soccer player the world has ever seen, he is also a great philosopher. Forget Nietzsche, Socrates, Plato, or any other of those other mediocre guys. Once again, Cruijff has nailed it! One of his most famous sayings is: ‘Every disadvantage has its advantage’. And economics is proving him right. According to ‘De Telegraaf”(the most popular newspaper in the Netherlands), Morgan Stanley has done a report on who would be the winners if there were to be a weaker Euro. And lo and behold! The big winners were companies like Ahold, Unilever, Reed Elsevier, Heineken and several others! This would be caused, of course, by increased sales in non-euro countries. Morgan Stanley shows us that Johan Cruijff is right - or does Cruijff show that Morgan Stanley is right? What it does show is that there are always chances in financial markets! One can invest in the companies mentioned and have double upward potential. First of all, if the economic climate (euro crisis) stabilizes, shares are likely to rise, and then, if the euro decreases in value these shares will most likely outperform the market because of their good results seen in euros. Another of Cruijff’s great expres-

by Paul Rodenburg Photography: Paul Rodenburg

Photography: WFA/Rein van Zanen

sions is: ‘sometimes something has to happen before something happens’. Again, the crisis is proving it more apt than ever before. Markets are bouncing up and down like a kid with ADHD on every rumor about possible defaults or saves within the euro area. Since the end of last year, all business news has been held hostage by the European situation. One week we are talking about Greece, the next it’s Italy and the other week it’s Portugal. And when you have almost forgotten about Greece they have a redeeming bond and we are back at square 1! European leaders will have to show they can be resolute to calm the financial markets. Maybe the answer lies in the fact that when we look at the European leaders as a soccer team, we can see they have great individual qualities but there is no team spirit. Perhaps Johan Cruijff can become head coach and form an actual team? For now Europe is only playing defensively. Not getting too many goals against us is the major issue. But we are not looking at scoring at all. Let’s assume Europe forms an actual team, and we get back in the majors. This will not be the final whistle, it’ll be half time - at best. During half time we are going to need an inspirational speech, one like Al Pacino gave in Any Given Sunday. I rewrote this speech for

Angela Merkel to inspire the other European leaders: “I don’t know what to say really. A couple of months to the biggest battle of our professional lives It all comes down to this year. Either we heal as one European Union or we are going to crumble. Country by country default by default till we’re finished. We are in hell right now, ladies and gentlemen believe me and we can stay here and get the shit kicked out of us or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of hell. One bond payment at a time You know when you get old in life things get taken from you. That’s, that’s part of life. But, you only learn that when you start losing stuff. You find out that life is just a game of inches. So is Economics. Because in either game life or economics the margin for error is so small. I mean one half step too late or to early you don’t quite make it. One half second too slow or too fast and you don’t quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game every minute, every second.”

Column Working

42 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Capability management crucial for Dutch business in the years to come

Photography: WFA/Dirk Hol

by Christiaan van der Sluijs Photography: Christiaan van der Sluijs

The Dutch high-tech firm, ASML, recently reported a market share increase of 80% worldwide. Its attention to capability management was important to this success. According to Willem Vermeend, a former Secretary-of-State and currently professor of Fiscal Economics at the University of Maastricht, Dutch politicians have to ensure companies here can access highly skilled international talent if The Netherlands is to conquer the current economic crisis.

Minimise bureaucracy What are politicians to do? Stepup the participation of highly skilled international specialists on the Dutch Labour market, Vermeend urges, by facilitating short processing times and minimising bureaucracy regarding work and residence permits. Whatever politicians decide to do, however, cannot take away our own responsibility to act. The build-up of true capacity: a combination of knowledge, relevant business experience and team performance, takes two years. The job carrousel will be expensive in terms of search costs, costs of rebuilding a high performance team, and costs associated with organisational inflexibility caused by a lack of qualified staff. Everyone must act now to manage the consequences. At this time, however, most companies are focusing on other important short-term priorities rather than capacity management. Challenges created by market irregularities, regulators, credit crunch, changing client needs, increased competition, and costs pressures are fighting for attention.

Some business areas, in particular the high tech sector in southeast Brabant, are performing particularly excellently when it comes to managing existing and future staff requirements. They map existing and future technology and business demand, and translate these into capabilities the organisation must maintain and develop. They apply forward planning to staff capabilities. They manage for flexibility and capabilities in times of growth and in times of shrinkage. They reach out to a pool of excellent staff across company limits and borders. They may not always prevent key staff from leaving, but have proactively catered for replacements when such events occur. As a result, companies like ASML have been hugely successful. ASML recently reported a market share increase of 80% worldwide! The success of these companies makes it obvious that, in spite of all pressures, companies, management teams, leaders and managers should engage in capability management. Are you managing a team at any level? Start engaging your team in capability management, deploy a jointly shared vision on capabilities needed over time. Start managing capabilities today.

1. Companies must engage in business &

the staff and team capabilities existing today

and across borders. Not only when an im-

technology mapping to gain an overview of

and those needed in the (near) future, inclu-

mediate need occurs, but rather proactively,

the capabilities the organisation must deve-

ding a roadmap as to how to get there.

taking into account what capabilities are

lop and maintain to be successful over time.

3. Team managers, supported by HR, should

needed over time.

2. Senior management teams should

reach out and engage not only existing

4. Start rewarding staff for excelling in the

engage in forward planning, inventorising

staff, but also specialists across companies

right capacities.

In times of crisis, employees tend to stay where they are. This minimises the number of moves on the labour market. But the crisis will not last forever. With 20% of the Dutch labour force retiring in 3 years, it is inevitable that the labour market will start to move again. Many of us believe that economic growth will start an unparalleled job carrousel. The potential unwanted costs created by a series of key staff changes are too high to ignore. Managing capabilities is a way to cope with this. Increased participation of international specialists will also play an important role, believes Willem Vermeend, former Secretary-ofState, partner at bmc Groep and professor in Fiscal Economics at the University of Maastricht. Unfortunately, Vermeend notes, not all politicians have picked up on the need for more inclusion of non-Dutch professional specialists on the Dutch Labour Market. In his latest book, Vermeend states: “stories about the endless bureaucracy to obtain a residence permit are all over the internet for anyone to read... It is painful to see a trend to more provincialism... with walls around The Netherlands”. He argues that “the result is that foreign specialists and knowledge workers

that we are need will avoid The Netherlands”. This increases the danger of a job carrousel.

What must be done?

RELISH THE TASTE OF TAX REFUNDS

KOP PEL TAX CONSULTANTS www.koppeltaxconsultants.nl facebook.com/taxadvicenl twitter.com/taxadvicenl twitter.com/expattax.nl

Begin here We make it easier for highly skilled migrants to live and work in Amsterdam. Qualifying companies can start the paperwork before arrival, and a single visit to the Expatcenter will complete the process. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, our website has loads of valuable information on a wide range of topics including housing, education, taxes and healthcare. The cities of Amsterdam, Amstelveen, Almere and Haarlemmermeer, are working together with the Immigration and Naturalisation Services (IND) to bring you the Expatcenter services free of charge.

To learn more please contact us or visit our website. +31 (0)20 254 7999 welcome@expatcenter.iamsterdam.com www.iamsterdam.com/expatcenter

44 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 45

Feature

The Netherlandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 50 Most Influential International Residents 2012 Photography: Correspondent

Media Photo/Pascal Bier

Feature 46 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

New blood It is our privilege to launch, with this issue, our annual list of the 50 most dynamic international residents of The Netherlands. It has been an awe-inspiring task to review CVs submitted by our contributors and make a selection, and we may have overlooked important candidates or made misjudgements. Please inform us where you disagree with our choices, and make suggestions for improving this process in the future. We are by no means perfect. But it has been a wondrous experience sifting through the life stories of hundreds of impressive people to make our choice. We want to thank the international community here for that experience. Of course we could have expected it. People who leave where they were born and expect to make a viable life amongst strangers are already marked by a particular optimism and determination. They aren’t ordinary dross. But the range of experiences we encountered in putting together this list is particularly extensive. From Farah Karimi, with

her background as a freedom fighter in Iran to French high-tech whizz, Eric Meurice, who boosts the profits of chip-maker ASML, we’ve found ourselves in a world of bounteous achievement. The individuals you will read about in our list add pep and sparkle to life in The Netherlands. They are like a form of yeast that helps the whole society to rise: a Japanese architect, with his particular aesthetic, an Indian fashion magnate, a Chinese economist, a US publisher... These individuals keep Holland in the mainstream of modern business and culture. One thing we found remarkable in our researches was the explosive growth of international entrepreneurs in The Netherlands. According to the Monitor of Female and Ethnic Entrepreneurship, which was launched last year, the number of ‘non-western’ entrepreneurs in The Netherlands grew by over 50% in the first 7 years of this century, to reach 61,000. Amongst people of Turkish origin alone, the number of entrepreneurs hit nearly 17,000 in

2008, according to the latest issue of National Geographic magazine. Celal Oruç’s story, which we have chosen to publish, may be illustrative. His company, Ortel Mobile, took only five years to become one of the top five in Holland. Something is happening under the surface of our society. New forms of business are bubbling, fizzing, seething, sparked by new cultural DNA entering and seeking space in these lowlands. Aysel Erbudak, born in Turkey, has challenged traditional notions related to healthcare by taking over Slotervart Hospital in Amsterdam as a private enterprise and improving its functioning. ‘Growing up in two worlds is an enrichment,’ she told National Geographic. This is what our internationals offer this society, the opportunity to live in various worlds simultaneously. We hope their stories will inspire and entertain you and that we’ll hear from you, our international readers, as well. We are also interested in knowing your stories.

The editors The International Correspondent March 2012

House of deals The photos of The Netherlands’ 50 most Influential International Residents 2012 were taken at Het Grachtenhuis. This museum is considered the ‘gateway to the canal-belt’ and offers a multi-media, interactive exhibition and 40 minute tour through 400 years of history in Amsterdam’s famous centre. The building has been owned by a series of prominent Dutch merchants and bankers. Countless international transactions have been sealed here during the Dutch Golden Age and since. The most famous is that between Jan Willink and the American government. Wellink and other bankers lent the US government the equivalent of nearly 30 million euros in credit and shares to finance the American War of Independence. The clothing in the photos were made available by Corneliani, suit-makers on Amsterdam’s chic PC Hooftstraat. More information on Het Grachtenhuis can be found at www.hetgrachtenhuis.nl More informatie on Corneliani at www.corneliani.com

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 47

Feature 48 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Top 50 internationals 50-41 50.

47.

43.

A protégé of the world famous Dutch architect, Rem Koolhaas, of OMA design bureau, Shabaev has been helping to design immense office buildings in China, America and The Netherlands since 2009. Originally from Russia, he won last year’s European prize with his design of a dune pavilion in the burgeoning town of Almere. That ‘dismountable’ building was chosen from 275 submissions all over the globe.

Since 2005 Christopher Naylor is chef de cuisine of restaurant Vermeer in Amsterdam. He settled in the capital after working for years for Albert Roux. Once here, he picked the best of the best and worked in ‘star’ restaurants La Rive, Vossius and Le Cirque. Under Naylor’s supervision Vermeer got its Michelin star back in 2010.

Harris worked at Goldman Sachs and was a partner at McKinsey & Company in Amsterdam before she became member of TNT’s Board of Directors in 2007. TNT Express is an international express services company. Mary Harris is also an member of the Supervisory Board of Unibail-Rodamco, Europe’s leading listed commercial property company.

Timur Shabaev Business: Architecture Position: Designer OMA Country of origin: Russia In The Netherlands since: 2009

49.

Mori Kokera Business: Architecture Position: Owner Mori Kokera Architects Country of origin: Japan In The Netherlands since: The 1990s

Name: Chris Naylor Business: Culinary Position: Chef Vermeer Country of origin: United Kingdom In The Netherlands since: 1992

46.

Ulrika Lundgren Business: Fashion Position: Owner/ creative director RIKA Country of origin: Sweden In The Netherlands since: The 1990s

This Japanese architect set up his own firm in Amsterdam and is involved in numerous projects: from the design of an office chair to complete housing complexes. He’s been connected with the national building service for 12 years, and has rebuilt the famous Siebold canal house and museum in Leiden as well as designing the offices of the national water authority in The Hague.

Ulrika is a stylist-turned-designer who developed her label at a fast pace, when influentials from the international fashion- and entertainment business were spotted with her iconic ‘Star’ bag. With the ‘star’ as her trademark she conquered high end boutiques, such as Colette in Paris and Opening Ceremony in New York. She runs her own small boutique in the heart of Amsterdam, just opened a Bed & Breakfast across the street and won the Swedish Elle Best Accessories Designer prize.

48.

45.

Claes Iversen Business: Fashion Position: Owner Claes Iversen label Country of origin: Denmark In The Netherlands since: 1998 A postdoctoral education at the FIA and an internship at Viktor&Rolf were a solid base to start his own label, and Dutch fashionistas instantly embraced Claes Iversen. His designs are well executed, and he showed Dutch consumers –who favor a practical approach to fashionthat chic and wearable go very well together. Iversen is currently working on his F/W ’12-’13 collection.

Name: Hari Shetty Business: Culinary Position: Chef MOMA Country of origin: India In The Netherlands since: 2011 Not that long ago, Jade Jagger described restaurant MOMO as one of the best ‘Asian with a twist’ restaurants of Amsterdam. Maybe because Hari Shetty –the former chef of Nobu in London- is in charge of the kitchen. According to the hard-to-impress Dutch superchef, Robert Kranenborg, Shetty is the man to watch.

44.

Merab Jordania Business: Sport Position: Soccer player Vitesse Country of origin: Georgia In The Netherlands since: 2010 It might be business as usual overseas, but when a Russian billionaire buys a Dutch football club (Vitesse Arnhem), it’s breaking news in The Netherlands. Especially when this billionaire promises a lot of trophies. Actually, Merab Jordania is Georgian and some say that he is not really a billionaire. But his friend Abramovich from Chelsea is.

Mary Harris Business: Delivery Position: Director TNT Express Country of origin: United Kingdom In The Netherlands since: 2001

42.

Maximiliano Caldas Business: Sport Position: Trainer Dutch women’s national hockey team Country of origin: Argentina In The Netherlands since: 1999 Before every Olympic Games the Dutch know one thing for sure: the women’s national hockey team will win a medal. This time, the pressure is on Argentinian coach Max Caldas, who used to play for Klein Zwitserland in The Hague. After winning the Champions Trophy in 2011 Caldas has some credit.

41.

Ann Goldstein Business: Culture Position: Director Stedelijk Museum Country of origin: United States In The Netherlands since: 2010 Goldstein is the first woman and the first American to head the Stedelijk Museum, a leading modern and contemporary art institution in Amsterdam. The former senior curator of Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) immediately proved her worth with a temporary art exhibition in the partially renovated galleries of the long-shuttered ‘Stedelijk’.

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 49

Work life balance better in The Netherlands Though he’s been in Holland for over 20 years, Mark Huddlestone can still talk enthusiastically about the country. After joining the law firm, Clifford Chance, in London, he transferred to the Amsterdam office in 1991, where he became partner in 1997. ‘I went to university in London – the London School of Economics – and then I worked in the city for five years, but it’s a difficult place to live in. It`s hard to see your friends because getting from one part of town to the other can take you up to over an hour. So instead, you go out into the country in the weekend. But that means you separate your work and private life. Moving to Holland meant living in a smaller and more convenient place, especially in Amsterdam where I lived for many years. I improved the quality of life and still do the same work.’ Huddlestone, who’s ‘one of the best-known names in the field,’ according to legal research guru Chamber and Partners, heads Clifford Chance four-partner Banking and Finance practice. Last year the team was involved in a huge amount of

Mark Huddlestone no.27

refinancing work, working on loans with a value exceeding 10 billion euro and involving household names like KPN, KLM, Randstad and BCD. But the financial crisis has had its effects, Huddlestone says, ‘mainly in the type of work we do. We work a lot for Dutch banks and due to all new kinds of regulations, there is a negative effect on the loan markets. But we remain busy and globally the office is doing well. We just opened an office in Seoul and one in Morocco, stressing our focus on emerging markets.’ And Clifford Chance’s Dutch clients play an important part in that strategy, Huddlestone says. ‘We get involved via them. We just advised a big multinational in relation to a joint venture in China and I myself had to go to Angola recently.’ Huddlestone doesn`t share the concerns about Holland’s changing international perspective expressed in NRC Handelsblad newspaper by several ambassadors to the Netherlands. ‘Dutch parties still have a big interest in looking abroad. On the

other side of the coin, international parties will always look at Holland.’ Holland less tolerant? ‘I think it`s all part of the same development you see in most of Western Europe. There are lots of complaints about people making less money, losing their jobs and high immigration. Holland is no different from England when it comes to that. The only big difference is the political system with the PVV supporting your government. This gives Geert Wilders a chance to voice these opinions. But in England the same can be heard on the streets.’ More reason for Huddlestone, his Dutch wife and two children to stay put in ‘friendly, social and less competitive Holland. Three years ago a colleague of mine told me he was going back to England because of the school system that was supposed to be so much better. Around the same time, this UNESCO report on school systems in 17 different countries was published. Holland was on top of the list and England at the bottom.’

Feature 50 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

“You seldom hear good news from Africa” Baba Sylla no.20

“I was born in Senegal, but studied Economics in Paris. When I finished my study, I worked for an accounting firm and as a radio host for a local station. But in 1998 I decided to live with my Dutch partner in Amsterdam. John was a hair and make-up artist and founder of the House of Orange, representing an elite group of eight outstanding talents in hair, make-up, fashion and interior styling. We decided to start a make-up school together, and I became the manager. At the same time I was raising funds for my new initiative, Orange Babies, which supports pregnant women with HIV and their babies in Africa. It all started when I visited my family in Senegal in 1998. During this visit, a pregnant woman appealed to my father for help. My father was a wellknown man in the area; he owned a large number of houses and was always willing to help people. The woman told him she had AIDS and asked my father if it would be possible to give birth to her

baby in his home and later on die there as well. After I explained to him what AIDS was, I advised my father to say no, since he was already responsible for 47 people. Furthermore, he was 91 years old. But back in the Netherlands I realised I had given my father the wrong advice. I had turned a sick, pregnant woman away from a place where she could have received help. I felt so guilty, I had to make amends for what I did. And so I started with Orange Babies. The foundation was an immediate success. I even had to give up my managing role at the make-up school after four years. By then we already raised € 2,- million per year. The reason of our success is that we focus on the good aspects of Africa as well. If my continent hits the headlines, it is always about something negative. You seldom hear good news from Africa, while for me this is the most positive continent there is. Orange

Babies emphasizes all the good things as well, by organizing fashion and lifestyle related events. We offer a platform to African musicians and artists and meanwhile we raise money for our foundation. That works so much better than just focusing on the problem itself and simply showing your account number. In 2008, the first year of the crisis, we only raised € 400,000. But we were too cautious. We thought that with a crisis going on we could better reduce the number of events and save our money. That turned out to be a mistake. Since 2009, we are less cautious and now we raise €1.5m per year. At least 75 percent of this money goes to Africa. The first priority is to prevent transmission of the HIV virus from mother to baby. The second is providing treatment, care and support for mother and child. I never thought that Orange Babies would grow this big, but with the help of our managers, board members and ambassadors, it did. That makes me proud.”

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 51

Top 50 internationals 40-31 40.

37.

In 2009 Aldag was appointed CEO of Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (AMT). Before that, he was the president of drug discovery and development company Evotec AG. AMT Holding is a world leader in the development of human gene-based therapies. The Euronextquoted company is close to the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam.

Serial social entrepreneur, who grew up on the streets of Mumbai, Billimoria has founded several social organizations, including Child Helpline International. She is currently the executive director of Aflatoun, which provides children with social and financial education, and ChildFinance International, which helps the youth to invest in their own futures.

39.

36.

Despite no longer being a lawyer after accepting the chair in the Legal Profession at the University of Amsterdam last year, it`s because of her work as a lawyer that Britta Böhler made a name for herself. Born in Germany, where she was admitted to the bar in Munich in 1985, she moved to the Netherlands in 1991. Here she founded her own law firm, defended PKK Rebel leader Abdullah Öcalan and Pim Fortuyn’s murderer. She was a member of the board of Lawyers for Lawyers and, from 2007-2011, she served in the Dutch Senate, for which she had to give up her German citizenship.

Nira Konjit Wickramasinghe is professor of Modern South Asian studies at Leiden University. She has published widely on post-colonial Sri Lanka and often invited to international discussions. She comments on South Asian issues in the Wall Street Journal. She studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and at Oxford.

Jörn Aldag Business: Medical development Position: CEO AMT Country of origin: Switzerland In The Netherlands since: 2009

Britta Böhler Business: Law Position: Lawyer/ owner lawfirm Country of origin: Germany In The Netherlands since: 1991

38.

Patty Yuen Business: Law Position: Lawyer/ owner Jomec Country of origin: China In The Netherlands since: The 1990s Long before China became the hottest ticket in town, Patty Yuen finished her studies in Trade and Corporate Law. In 1992 she became the first female Chinese attorney-at-law in The Netherlands. After founding Jomec, her own law firm, Yuen advised prominent Chinese organizations and companies in the Netherlands and has helped many Chinese businesses with their expansion in Europe, particularly by way of M&A and corporate finance. “We not only help newcomers from China businesses, but also provide old China hands with solutions for their unexpected situations.’

Jeroo Billimoria Business: NGO Position: Director Aflatoun/ ChildFinance Country of origin: India In The Netherlands since: 2003

Nira Wickramasinghe Business: Scholarship Position: Professor Leiden University Country of origin: Sri Lanka In The Netherlands since: 2010

35.

Name: Masanori Tomikawa Business: Culinary Position: Chef Yamazoto (Okura Hotel) Country of origin: Japan In The Netherlands since: 1984 ‘Like my predecessor and teacher, Oshima, I have only one desire: to acquaint as many Dutch and other Europeans as possible with Japanese cuisine.’ But Tomikawa’s greatest strength is his ability to develop new innovative techniques in line with the traditional character and high quality level of Yamazato and teppanyaki restaurant Sazanka in the Amsterdam Okura hotel.

34.

Aysel Erbudak Business: Healthcare/ recruitement Position: Investor Meromi Holding Country of origin: Turkey In The Netherlands since: 1979 Controversial Turkish investor and co-owner of investment firm, Maroni Holding, which bought the almost bankrupt Slotervaart hospital in 2006 and set Erbudak to run it. Erbudak has had several brushes with the Ministry of Justice. In 1996, she was convicted of attempted blackmail,

and she has also been charged with arranging fake marriages. However, by all accounts, she has turned Slotervaart hospital into an efficient and profitable business, quite a feat in a country where private health-care is a recent invention.

33.

Nicky McIntyre Business: NGO Position: Director Mama Cash Country of origin: United Kingdom In The Netherlands since: 2007 McIntyre, a former Vice President at the Global Fund of Women, is the executive director of Mama Cash, the oldest international women’s fund, established in the Netherlands in 1983. She cancelled the 25th anniversary party of Mama Cash and donated the money to women’s organizations around the world.

32.

Nebahat Albayrak Business: Politics Position: In the running for party leader PvdA Country of origin: Turkey In The Netherlands since: 1970 Nebahat Albayrak is currently running for the leadership of the Dutch labour party, PvdA. The daughter of a ‘guest worker’ in Rotterdam, Albayrak moved to the Netherlands in 1970 and eventually became Secretary of State for Justice. In 1993, she graduated from Leiden University in international and European law. When she entered the political scene, she was regarded by many as a ‘token immigrant’. But she quickly displayed her mettle and from 1998 to 2007 she was a member of the Dutch House of Representatives.

31.

Maureen Hughes Business: Consultancy Position: Manager Deloitte Country of origin: United Kingdom In The Netherlands since: 1992 Maureen Hughes leads the Media and Entertainment practice for Deloitte in The Netherlands. She works for major studios and games companies in both the USA and Europe. In addition, Hughes is reponsible for the women’s initiative within Deloitte Consulting, which is intended to promote diversity through the advancement of women in the company.

Feature 52 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Top 50 internationals 30-21 30.

26.

Velgaard is CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of Koninklijke Wegener NV, the largest publisher of regional newspapers, free newspapers, special interest magazines and online content in the Netherlands. Velgaard replaced ‘Mister Wegener’ Joop Munsterman, who started as a cleaner in 1967 and ended as CEO in 2010.

Karimi is currently executive director of one of The Netherlands’ leading charities, OxfamNovib. Before that, she was a member of the House of Representatives for the Green Left party. She arrived in The Netherlands in 1989 after an active political career in Iran and in other parts of Europe. The main themes of her work in the House of Representatives were human rights and international law in foreign relations of the Netherlands. She is the author of two books, Battlefield Afghanistan and The Secret of Fire.

Truls Velgaard Business: Media Position: CEO Koninklijke Wegener Country of origin: Norway In The Netherlands since: 2011

29.

Bernard van der Vyver Business: Consultancy Position: Partner Deloitte Country of origin: South Africa In The Netherlands since: 2009 Van der Vyver, a former partner in Deloitte Southern Africa, now is partner and Management team member at Deloitte Consulting Netherlands. Van der Vyver is a Human Capital strategy advisor and has a focus on corporate L&D. He is the consulting industry leader for Manufacturing & Energy segments.

28.

Steve McLaren Business: Sport Position: Manager FC Twente Country of origin: United Kingdom In The Netherlands since: 2007 Football manager Steve McLaren became a hero after he steered FC Twente to their first championship title in 2009. Two years earlier, working with the English national team, he had failed to qualify for the European Football Championship, so big Steve had fled to little Holland. Now he is back here again.

27.

Mark Huddlestone Business: Law Position: Partner Clifford Chance In The Netherlands since: 1991 Country of origin: United Kingdom See article page 45.

Farahnaz (Farah) Karimi Business: International Development Position: Director Oxfam-Novib Country of origin: Iran In The Netherlands since:1989

25.

Jeremy Lewis Business: Investments Position: CEO ECP Country of origin: United Kingdom In The Netherlands since: 1991 Lewis is the founding Chief Executive of Eurocommercial Properties (ECP), a Euronextquoted property investment company and one of Europe’s major shopping centre specialists. Lewis has over 45 years of international experience in commercial property and the running of quoted property investment vehicles. ECP’s headquarters is in Amsterdam.

24.

Francesco Stocchi Business: Culture Position: Curator Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Country of origin: Italy In The Netherlands since: 2012 Only a few weeks ago, Francesco Stocchi joined Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen’s curatorial team as curator of modern and contemporary art. Stocchi, previously based in Rome and Vienna, has been active for several years as a curator, writer and publisher. He is the first foreign curator of the Rotterdam museum.

23.

Pierre Morisset Business: Fashion Position: Head Designer G-Star International Country of origin: France In The Netherlands since: 1991 After owning several shops and designing for other renowned brands, Pierre joined G-Star

-a Dutch denim label- in 1991, and is still active as Head Designer. In 1996, he introduced the famous ‘Elwood’ jeans and founded the RAW denim concept which meant a real international breakthrough for the label. G-Star keeps expanding worldwide and recently opened a flagship store in LA.

22.

Lornah Kiplagat Business: Sport Position: Athlete Country of origin: Kenya In The Netherlands since: 1999 Marathonista Kiplagat won numerous world titles for The Netherlands. Originally from Kenya, this runner has been living with her Dutch husband and trainer in Schorl since 1999. She told TIC last year that apart from her sport, she is creating a multinational company. ‘We are the largest producer of passion fruit in Kenya,’ she said. That way, she can finance a sports school for children in her homeland.

21.

Noreena Hertz Business: Scholarship Position: Professor Duisenberg School of Finance Country of origin: United Kingdom In The Netherlands since: 2009 Noreena Hertz teaches Globalisering, Sustainability and Finance at the Duisenburg School of Finance in Amsterdam and is a professor at the Rotterdam School of Management, as well as holding a chair at Cambridge. Hertz is regarded as the European answer to Naomi Klein, the US critic of corporate globalization. This British economist helped with setting up the St Petersberg stock market and trained Boris Yeltsin’s advisors in market economics.

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 53

“I was very pleased to be able to work for a prestigious national firm” James Parker no.10

I came to the Netherlands in 1989. I had been working for McKinsey for six years and my role was to work as a consultant to the Dutch bank ABN during the period before the merger with AMRO. In 1991, the first stage of the merger was completed and it became clear that my long-term prospects at McKinsey were actually diminished by the merger. It was time for another challenge, one I found in joining the Mitchell Madison Group, a small partnership of ex-McKinsey consultants, as one of the co-founders. This turned out to be a huge success in its first years, as we grew from fourteen founders to over a thousand employees worldwide within seven years. But by the end of the 1990’s differences of opinion over strategy and governance led to a serious split within the Board, and my departure from the firm. The fact that MMG was bankrupt within less than two years is no source of satisfaction, but at least in retrospect I was glad that I got out when I did.

‘During the nineties I lived in The Hague, with my first wife, who is Dutch, and our three children. Because of my non-compete agreement with MMG I couldn’t work as a consultant for two years, so I accepted an offer from the University of Leiden. I became Director of a new foundation that we set up to raise funds for large university projects. It was a great opportunity to become embedded in Dutch culture and society, but it was never my intention to stay for more than two years. So I left in 2001, when I was asked to run the young executive programme at the strategy and management group Boer & Croon. Some international consulting firms showed interest as well, but I felt that I had had enough of living out of a suitcase and was very pleased to be able to work for a prestigious national firm. After a year at Boer & Croon the directors asked me to take over the leadership of their corporate strategy activities, which I did until 2005. I left because I wanted to have more professional freedom to focus

on content without too many management responsibilities. So I set up the Parma Group together with my good friend Martijn van der Mandele. The Parma Group is a small strategy consulting partnership, focused on financial institutions, professional services, information- intensive businesses and not-for-profit development organizations. I have lived and worked in the United Kingdom, Africa, France and Canada, and now, for more than two decades, in the Netherlands. I’m very happy to be here, speak Dutch quite fluently and feel very integrated. Living here is extremely pleasant. The towns are full of culture, beautiful buildings and nice restaurants. And from here it’s extremely convenient to travel to other parts of the world as well. As for the Dutch, it is true that they tend to be very open and direct, but when it comes to corporate politics there are as many hidden agendas here as in the rest of the world.’

Feature 54 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

From grillroom to boardroom ‘We’re becoming multiculti,’ joked a press release sent out by Quote magazine to announce its 2008 rich list. The list of rich Dutch individuals had been published eleven times before - with the same old faces every year. But in 2008 a strange new name appeared. Celal Oruç. His three year old telecom company, Ortel Mobile, had been valued at nearly 170 million euros. He suddenly occupied the 395th place on the rich list, the first Dutchman of Turkish origin to do so. Oruç’s success sharply contrasts with the cold reception he received when he arrived in The Netherlands in the 1970s. A trained bookkeeper, he had hoped to get a job with a Dutch firm. But his diplomas weren’t recognised here and he ended up as a butcher’s assistent in The Hague. It was one

menial job after another. In Eindhoven, he worked in a grillroom. ‘I found myself pushed into a slot,’ he said later. ‘The longer I worked here, the more I became a stereotypical guest-worker.’ He didn’t accept that. He started a restaurant. And another. He dealt in real estate. He got his break when he entered one of the hundreds of callshops catering to immigrants in the big cities. A lot of the non-western migrants complain about the high calling costs there. He smelled opportunity. Migrants spend nearly eight times as much as non-migrants on telephone costs, he reckoned. Most of this is international calling to keep in touch with the folks back home. The big telecom firms hadn’t noticed this special segment of the market. If he could offer cheap rates, he’d have the market

Celal Oruç no.4

to himself. He rented network space and began selling prepaid cards, using his own capital. ‘The banks didn’t trust me because I was a Turk,’ he told Het Financieele Dagblad. But the business took off like a shot. Within five years, KPN was on its doorstep, making an offer Oruç couldn’t refuse. Now he’s trained his sights on the energy market. Orro Energy was set up in 2010 to offer extremely flexible contracts for the delivery of electricity and gas. Green energy. Oruç isn’t going for just the migrant market this time, but for everyone who wants to save on their bills. Ben Woldring, founder of the energy-comparison site, energievergelijken. nl, thinks he has a good chance of success. ‘If Oruç can repeat his performance in telecom in this market, he can become very big,’ he says.

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 55

Top 50 internationals 20-11 20.

See article page 50.

In january 2012 Thomas Berlemann was appointed CEO of T-Mobile Netherlands. He has worked for Mannesman, Otto Versan and AOL Europe before joining Deutsche Telekom in 2003 as director of customer service at T-Mobile Germany. Since 2007 he has been a board member at T-Home and director of Deutsche Telekom customer service.

19.

16.

Peter Ho is professor in Chinese Economics and Development can co-director of the Modern East Asia Research Centre in Leiden. He advises the Chinese and Dutch governments, the OECD, the EU and the private sector. He has published 10 books. He maintains that the western world has a contra productive image of China. He warns that it doesn’t do The Netherlands good to send the wrong messages.

Joined navigation giant TomTom in 1994, helped it to become the world market leader and made several hundred million euros when the company went public in 2005. ‘There are one to two billion cars in the world […] We want TomTom in every car’, she said last year in an interview.

Baba Silla Business: Charity Position: Founder/ director Orange Babies In The Netherlands since: 1998 Country of origin: Senegal

Peter Ho Business: Economics Position: Professor Leiden University Country of origin: China In The Netherlands since: The 1980s

18.

Marie-Christine Lombard Business: Delivery Position: CEO TNT Express Country of origin: France In The Netherlands since: 2004 Lombard is really an expert in postal delivery. Back in France she was head of the express company Jet Mail. Twelve years ago, she swopped that function for a place on the board of the Dutch firm TNT. When that firm split, she took control of the portion known as Express (international parcel service).

17.

Thomas Berlemann Business: Telecom Position: CEO T-Mobile Netherlands Country of origin: Germany In The Netherlands since: 2012

Corinne Vigreux Business: Navigation devices Position: Director TomTom Country of origin: France In The Netherlands since: 1993

15.

Naema Tahir Business: Law/politics Position: Writer, lawyer/ political commentator Country of origin: United Kingdom In The Netherlands since: 1979 Naema Tahir is a major columnist for The Netherlands’ most weighty TV discussion programme, Buitenhof. Many consider her to be a leading member of the avant-garde of Muslim women freedom fighters and see her as a guardian of freedom of speech and religion. She was born in the UK to Pakistani immigrants who moved to Holland when she was nine years old. Her first book, A muslim woman unveils (2005), deals with the effects of migration on the rights of Muslim women. Its impact on the Dutch migration debate was widely recognised, turning Tahir into a frequent debater in Dutch and Flemish media.

14.

Patrick Flynn Business: Banking Position: CFO ING Group Country of origin: Ireland In The Netherlands since: 2009 Since taking over as financial leader of the Dutch bank and insurance firm ING, Flynn has been dogged by controversy, not least over his exorbitant salary. A few months after ING got an infusion of state money, it became known that Flynn made 1.3 million euros as CFO. His contract runs till April.

13.

Sean Carney Business: Electronics Position: Senior Designer Philips Electronics Country of origin: United Kingdom In The Netherlands since: 2011 Carney has just assumed the role of senior designer at Philips, supervising a multinational team in Eindhoven and maintaining contact with production teams in the Far East. He has just come from the US firm Hewlett-Packard where he led the Consumer Design and Experience Department.

12.

Simon Henry Business: Oil Position: CFO Country of origin: United Kingdom In The Netherlands since: 1998 Second most senior manager at the AngloDutch firm, Shell, and treasurer at Peter Voser (see no.1), Henry is a multitalent. He fulfils functions in marketing, engineering, advising and finance. He worked his way up from engineer at the British Stanlow Refinery to the top of the Den Haag mega-concern, where his role involves some politics, raising concerns, for instance, about the solution to the eurocrisis and the development of European competitiveness.

11.

Axel Rüger Business: Culture Position: Director Van Gogh Museum Country of origin: Germany In The Netherlands since: 2006 His appointment as director of the Van Gogh Museum in 2006 was a bit unexpected. But the young and fairly unknown art historian had worked as a curator for The National Gallery in London. But under Rüger’s reign, the Van Gogh maintained its status as the most visited museum in the Netherlands.

Feature 56 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Top 50 internationals 10-1 10.

See article page 53.

While most CEOs have been struggling to maintain their high salaries, Van Boxmeer managed two years ago, in the heat of the crisis, to get a raise and still gets his yearly million. He climbed to the leadership position in Heineken via posts in Rwanda, Congo, Poland and Italy. Now he occupies the corner office in Amsterdam.

James Parker Business: Consultancy Position: Partner Parma Consulting Country of origin: United Kingdom In The Netherlands since: 1992

Nancy McKinstry Business: Publishing Position: CEO Wolters-Kluwer Country of origin: United States of America In The Netherlands since: 2003 McKinstry took control of Wolters-Kluwer in 2003, and changed it from a traditional publisher to a multimedia company with various digital products. In 2007 the Financial Times named her one of the ten most powerful women in Europe. Two years later, Forbes awarded her 43rd place in its list of most influential women worldwide.

Rattan Chadha Business: Apparel Position: Investor Country of origin: India In The Netherlands since: 1971 Moved to the Netherlands to import cheap textiles from India. Created global fashion label Mexx in the 1980s, sold the company to Liz Clairborne in 2001, but stayed on as CEO until 2006. Currently invests in businesses like hotel chain Oberoi and swimwear brand Vilebrequin.

Jean-François van Boxmeer Business: Beverages Position: CEO Heineken Country of origin: Belgium In The Netherlands since: 2001

population groups in the capital city. The politicians in The Hague took notice and he was appointed Secretary of State for Social Affairs and Employment in 2007. Within a year, he had been appointed Mayor of Rotterdam, the first person of Moroccan background to hold such a post.

Celal Oruç Business: Telecom, energy Position: Entrepeneur, investor Country of origin: Turkey In The Netherlands since: 1977 See article page xx.

Keith Nichols Business: Chemicals Position: CEO Akzo Nobel Country of origin: United Kingdom In The Netherlands since: 2000 Nichols is a heavyweight in Dutch business. He has been at the financial top not only at the delivery service TNT but also at the metals giant Corus. Since 2005 he’s been Chief Financial Officer at paint concern Akzo, supervising nearly 50,000 employees spread over 80 countries from Akzo’s headquarters at the Amsterdam Zuidas.

Peter Vandermeersch Business: Media Position: Editor-in-chief NRC Handelsblad Country of origin: Belgium In The Netherlands since: 2010 In 2010, Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad, a traditionally conservative daily often abbreviated to ‘NRC’, recruited a Belgian editor-in-chief. Peter Vandermeersch studied journalism in Paris and politics and media at Harvard before he started a career at De Standaard in Brussels. He is the first non-Dutch executive editor of a major Dutch newspaper.

Ahmed Aboutaleb Business: Politics Position: Mayor of Rotterdam Country of origin: Morocco In The Netherlands since: 1976 ‘Background doesn’t matter; ambition and quality does,’ Ahmed Aboutaleb recently confided to The International Correspondent. Aboutaleb came to The Netherlands at age 15. After a career as journalist, he entered local politics in Amsterdam in 2004. After the murder of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh by a Muslim extremist, Aboutaleb became recognised for the immense efforts he made to bring together the different

Eric Meurice Business: High-tech industry Position: CEO ASML Country of origin: France In The Netherlands since: 2004 Under Meurice’s leadership, the profits of technology company ASML grew to nearly 1.5 billion euros. This Veldhoven company close to Eindhoven is benefitting from the increasing demand for chips for gadgets like the Iphone and Ipad. Meurice is a veteran in high-tech, with experience at Thomson Television International, ITT Semiconductors, Intel and Dell Computers.

Peter Voser Business: Oil Position: CEO Royal Dutch Shell Country of origin: Switzerland In The Netherlands since: 2005 A Swiss national, appointed Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell in 2009. Mr Voser first joined Shell in 1982 and held a variety of finance and business roles in Switzerland, the UK, Argentina and Chile. He also was a semiprofessional football player for FC Wettingen in his native country.

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 57

Find more top internationals on

www.theinternationalcorrespondent.nl

Take advantage of one of the most cost-effective tools for your business

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 59

Lifestyle

What Where When Beauty and banality = the Beverwijk Bazaar By Niala Maharaj Photography: Correspondent Media Photo

For tourists, there’s the museums. But expats resident in The Netherlands will be expected to display insider knowledge of the country’s current culture when they return home. Beverwijk’s Black Market beckons.

Lifestyle 60 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

To me, the black market is a journey through time and space. There, I feel like Marco Polo discovering the riches of far-flung lands and peoples, the immense diversity of Planet Earth’s extreme ecosystems. Take pine nuts, for example. Standard gourmet fare nowadays. Do you know they come in myriad colours and varieties with myriad flavour nuances? I didn’t, till I stood before a stall run by Afghan refugees. So many other kinds of nuts in so many diverse shapes and sizes... as nature devised tough genes for that tough terrain. So many varieties of dried fruit, as Homo Sapiens conserved calories for the harshest of times. Apricots, plums, figs, dates, long, translucent, pale-green raisins... And everything more tasty than the cultivated species you get in the supermarket. ‘Wow!’ you think, as you bite into a giant walnut. It’s golden-brown, echoing the colour of honey, with spreading wings like a butterfly. The flavour is sweet and subtle, not dusty and bitter like those you buy elsewhere. This is a treasure trove for chefs. Cranberries glisten like gems on the stalls, juicy and plump, not shrivelled and contorted. Red peppercorns are in heaps of gleaming vermillion pearls, not imprisoned in miniscule jars with exhorbitant prices. Bunches of green peppercorns on the stem... fresh! The Beverwijk Bazaar, as it is officially called, started in the 1970s when Turkish migrants gathered on Saturdays to sell carpets

from their car trunks without giving unto the Caesars in the tax office what was due unto Caesars. In the eighties, it expanded onto 52 hectares. Now it attracts 50,000 visitors per weekend and claims to be the largest covered market in Europe. But it’s not its size that makes it more exciting than, say, London’s Brixton Market. It’s its depth, the cultural roots that spawned this collection of products from places and peoples of myth and legend. In this little town just north of Amsterdam, you depart the neat, flat, green, ordered polders of The Netherlands, and enter the fervent bustle of half-made societies, where the modern and the ancient communicate joyously in the language of trade. If you want the latest computer gizmo at a knockdown price, Beverwijk is the place. If you want fashion, ditto. Outlets jostle with rare spices in a tumult of abundance that is a tribute to the genius of the human race.

A metaphor for today’s global economy Let’s face it, though. Your first impression in Beverwijk is Kitsch. You never imagined so much gilt existed on so many cheap dinner sets, so many chandeliers and so much plastic... unless you’ve been in Istanbul, the conjuncture of East and West, where Asia meets Europe in a welter of style, colour and neon. The black market is actually a scale model of the expat manager’s operating milieu. Not

for the chi-chi, who prefer to wait till masterchefs discover products in far-flung villages of the globe and serve them up on crisp white table-cloths with crystal. It’s for the discoverer who steps out of her comfort zone without the stamp of approval from trend-setters, a temple to the entrepreneural spirit. As you enter, you are assaulted by Young Turks, professional naggers who want you to eat at their restaurants, as thick on the ground as business coaches on the internet, and as bewildering. They all claim their shoarmas are The Real Thing. But they are. The shoarmas here are not the dried-up geriatrics of Amsterdam. They are huge chunks of fresh Turkish bread dripping with halal lamb. Shoarma for afficionados. This is a nursery for business. Here, a 28-year-old investment manager with two bachelors degrees sells Afghani goods on weekends to other Afghanis. A text-book example of leveraging networks and cultural capital. You don’t want to be a wage-slave? You want to build a business but don’t have connections and euros? Use what you’ve got. Lakshmi Mittal left the deserts of India’s Rajasthan and is now the richest man in Britain.

Europe’s past and future are present Behind the counter of one stall is a 14-yearold boy whose father gave him money at age 12 to travel by car, boat and foot to escape the

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 61

The black market is actually a scale model of the expat manager’s operating milieu.

An incubator for business

hell-hole called Helmand province. ‘Do you miss your family?’ you ask. ‘I’m in contact with them a lot,’ he replies, without a hint of self-pity. His journey via Iran, Turkey and Greece, to northern Europe echoes that of western civilisation itself, which began in Iraq and developed its root-language around Turkey before moving northwards. This whole market is a museum of European history, with its iconic Arab trader. Its foods may be exotic to the modern consumer, but they starred in our literary tradition before we discovered the Americas and got spoilt on potatoes and corn.

‘Which of these dried figs have the best flavour?’ A customer studies the mind-boggling varieties of figs, dates and olives on offer. The vendor points to the ugliest figs, and you recall Jesus cursing the fig tree and John the Baptist surviving for his forty-day-and-night passion in the desert on figs and locusts.

How many varieties of olives are there, for goodness sake? Pommegranates are split open on fruit stalls so you can taste their seeds. They evoke the Greek myth of Persephone eating six pommegranate seeds from the king of the underworld, thus condemning Europe to six months of winter every year.

rice in endless variety, in bags with primitive logos but each with a www-address Breadfruit is being sold by a Tamil trader. It’s what led to Mutiny on the Bounty. Captain Bligh went to fetch the amazingly calorie-producing plant called breadfruit fromTahiti so slaves could be fed in Caribbean colonies and produce sugar to fuel Europe’s 17th century development. Bligh’s mission got interrupted by the Mutiny. The breadfruit’s value to the world food industry is still in the future. But that’s only a matter of time. As TS Eliot put it, ‘Time present and time past are both perhaps present in time future’. The wrinkled little curcuma roots being sold in Beverwijk are a basis for cosmetics to come. Scheherazade’s descendants buy them as a beauty product and the Indians are turning them into a commercial product. This ‘black’ market is not only a museum but a map to the future.

The Beverwijk Bazaar now has over 2,000 tenants selling goods in 10 halls. It therefore accommodates more retailers than the nearby municipality of Haarlem. Socialites from surrounding ritzy neighbourhoods are among the 2.5 million visitors that visit the market every year looking to snatch a bargain or just have a day out. Every visitor spends roughly 40 euros, according to estimates. That amounts to approaching 100 million each year. And it doesn’t include the 2.50 entrance fee for the Eastern Market. The Beverwijk Bazaar has always been an international space. Turks, Moroccans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians and Arabs thread their way amongst each other. But the market’s owners have chosen to keep the different nationalities in different halls. The Turkish Market, for instance, which was begun in the 1980s, has remained the locale for Arabic goods. A Chinese pavilion was set up a few years ago, but it didn’t really take off. The Chinese prefer to control their own market. The bazaar is a hatchery for new retail business in The Netherlands. Each month nearly 30 new entrepreneurs try their luck at the market. You can rent a table for less than 20 euros per day. If it is successful, you can get a stand for a couple of months, and after that a shop for longer. Once entrepreneurs are successful at Beverwijk, they often open a shop elsewhere in the country.

Rotterdam International Secondary School

Bentincklaan 294, 3039 KK Rotterdam +31 (0) 10 890 7744, info.riss@wolfert.nl, www.wolfert.nl/riss

R E V O C S I D A WORLD TO

Advertentie RISS 20110929.indd 1

Fully accredited secondary school for bilingual havo and vwo

Discover Wolfert Tweetalig With over 750 students, the Wolfert Tweetalig HAVO & VWO is the largest and most prominent bilingual secondary school in the greater Rotterdam area. Our education has a strong international focus where the English language is the key ingredient. Wolfert Tweetalig students can achieve their HAVO and VWO diplomas as well as a certificate for the International Baccalaureate in English. Our pupils not only develop outstanding linguistic qualifications, but they gain a stable foundation to evolve as responsible citizens. The bilingual programme encompasses comprehensive educational practices that encourage a collaborative working atmosphere where skills, training, and project work promote an active and independent attitude toward learning. Our accredited programme has been proven through the excellent national exam results.

03-10-11 13:49

A way of living! Why bilingual education? Wolfert Tweetalig offers a challenging, internationally oriented programme with a demanding curriculum for the motivated student. We maintain intensive international contact through student travel trips, exchange programmes, and cultural activities. Alongside the basic studies programme, students can expect to follow a broad range of classes such as Global Studies, Art & Design, Art History, Drama and Theory of Knowledge. By the time our students graduate, they will have achieved the fluency level of near native or even native speaker. For more information: www.wolfert.nl/tweetalig, tweetalig@wolfert.nl, +31 (0)10 890 77 66

Respect

Responsibility

Integrity

A learner-centered, American curriculum modified for the needs of an international student and parent population. Full college-preparatory programs, including International Baccalaureate Diploma and Certificate, and Advanced Placement courses.

Empathy

Communication

“From day one my kids felt welcomed and special. In the 3 1/2 years we have been here they have grown academically, socially, and are excited about learning.” “As a parent, ASH is the school you dream of your kids attending and not believing it exists till you get here.”

A wide variety of extracurricular activities, including strong visual arts, drama, music, and athletics programs. Graduates accepted at American, European, and home country universities. More than 1,100 students from 70 nationalities (29% American, 12% Dutch with 59% representing 68 other nationalities). Fully accredited by the Council of International Schools and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Located in Wassenaar, on the north side of The Hague.

3D Impression of Early Childhood Center Development

Educating the WHOLE Child “American School of The Hague nurtures and inspires character, commitment, creativity, and learning.”

AP®

www.ash.nl admissions@ash.nl

Complete Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle and High School programs for ages 3 to 18.

Their For studentso from 3 trs 18 yea

future is

our focus

Did you know that more parents choose the BSN than any other international school in Holland? With four campuses in The Hague area, The British School offers a caring and stimulating learning environment, with an individual approach that ensures every child can achieve their full potential. The BSN is a thriving and supportive expatriate community made up from over 80 nationalities. Contact us today to arrange a visit and see for yourself why the BSN is the international school of choice. Admissions 070 315 4077

www.britishschool.nl

h s i l g n E Also ing speak

CompaNanny Childcare

CompaNanny is a professional childcare organization where Nannies assist in the development of children. CompaNanny offers: • • • • •

Professional and dedicated Nannies Extensive opening hours from 7.30 a.m. until 8.00 p.m. A specially developed pedagogical philosophy Our daycares are decorated and furnished as a comfortable house At our locations Atlas Arena in Amsterdam and Oegstgeest, we offer English speaking childcare.

Please contact our Customer Care if you would like to have more information: 020 417 0117 or info@compananny.nl

Aalsmeer, Amsterdam, Den Haag, Oegstgeest, Rotterdam

The Hague International Centre the first point of contact for new residents and visitors to The Hague

The Hague International Centre Spui 70, Atrium City Hall The Hague, Opening hours â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mon-Fri 09.00-17.00 hours, Contact Tel: +31 (0)70 353 5043, E-mail: internationalcentre@denhaag.nl, Website: www.thehague.com

210x148,5 adv. The Hague International.indd 1

Your guide through the Dutch tax labyrinth

08-12-11 16:12

Expats from all over the world have trusted our expertise for the last 25 years. Whether it concerns a tax return, 30% ruling or international tax advice, we know how to handle it in your best interest. Without realising you might miss out on tax refunds you are entitled to. We offer a quick tax scan free of charge to make sure you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave more money with the Tax Office than needed. Just give us a call or send an email.

J.C. Suurmond & zn. Tax Consultants + 31 (0)174 244725 taxadvice@jcsuurmond.nl www.jcsuurmond.nl

Untaxing Taxes!

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 69

International Living

Romantic villa in Laren By Marco De Vries Photography: Voorma en Walch Makelaarsgroep

International Living 70 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Once in a while a house arrives on the real estate market and think, ‘Gosh, I wouldn’t mind living there’. The house featured in this issue is certainly one of those. Not least because it’s located within walking distance from the centre of fashionable Laren, one of the most sought after villages to live in in Het Gooi. This property was built in the late 1880’s as a small hotel and later became the home and practice of the legendary local general practioner, Dr Holtman. At that time, Laren was nothing more than a poor rural village, but one where well-known Dutch painters discovered it to be the place they wanted to live and work in. A far, far cry from the glitzy status is has nowadays with all the designer and shops and fashionable bars and restaurants. In its early days “Villa Wester-Laren” on Molenweg 1 was one of the most well-known and beautiful buildings in Laren. And certainly one of the biggest. A status it has lost to dozens of other villas that have been built since. But beautiful it still is, with a stately appearance that confronts you right at the gate. But just wait another minute before you open the gate and turn around. To your left you’ll see the old windmill, another landmark of old Laren. And to your right there is the ‘Hertenkamp’ enclosure with its tame deer. Like the villa, both are just a two-minute walk from the shops of Laren. When the gates open you enter the garden, one of the biggest in this part of Laren. Then walk on to the steps in front of the house, open the monumental door, push the stained glass swing door and enter the hall with its black and white tiles. To the right, you’ll find the study with a fireplace. Opposite is the grand living room with its impressive fireplace, a three-meter plus ceiling, the conservatory and adjoining large terrace. At the other end of the house is the dining room, with its own fireplace, and a spacious kitchen with an original chimneypiece. Both have garden views and the

FEATURES Location Walking distance from centre of Laren. 20 minutes to Amsterdam by car. Property type Listed villa Year built 1880 (1998 completely renovated) Lot size 3.557 m² Volume 1.720 m³ Living space 385 m² Number of rooms 9 rooms (6 bedrooms) Extras - separate garage for several cars, with floor heating - central vacuum cleanersystem - park-like garden with automatic spraying system Asking price € 2.975.000,For more information, www.voorma-walch.nl

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 71

kitchen has folding doors that connect to the garden. Next to kitchen is the pantry that leads to the (wine-)cellar. When you have admired the large garden from the kitchen itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to go one floor up. So climb the sweeping staircase in the hall and enter the master bedroom via the landing. It has its own bathroom and jacuzzi. Next door is another bedroom with garden view and two smaller ones on the other side of the landing with a bathroom between them. On the third floor of Villa Wester-Laren you will find a grand open space where the current owners play pool under the roof beams. Next to this are two bedrooms and a separate bathroom. From this floor, you have access to the roof terrace with a stunning view. But also without this view Villa Wester-Laren is very special and certainly worth a visit.

SLFMD THE CUSTOMMADE COLLECTION

Spring Summer ‘12

TT H HE E C CU US S TT O OM MM MA AD DE E C CO O LL LL E EC C TT II O ON N

Spring Summer ‘12

World Trade Center Amsterdam - Strawinskylaan 231 1077 XX Amsterdam T 020 – 675 02 01 M 06 – 14 43 33 20 www.slfmd.com

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 73

Advice

Getting connected to the Dutch market

More interaction In the last years, the interaction between clients and companies has increased due to the development of more critical consumers. With the rise in new media, customers have increased information about products and prices, and product varieties are constantly increasing, as are sellers. The number of questions buyers pose has increased, while products and services have become more complex, which also increases the need for communication between buyers and sellers. Services Generally, there are three streams regarding accessibility for a company. First there’s the technical component; laying a connection. Then comes the so-called ‘intelligence’, building a network for receiving clients and making contact with the right department for attending to the client’s needs. Finally, you have customer service. The International Correspondent spoke with various companies in the telecom branch to get information.

Photography WFA/Michael Jacobs

Companies and entrepreneurs that set up shop in The Netherlands have to be connected to clients. A telephone line is not enough; you need a broad marketing strategy. Connectivity is a means of attracting and keeping customers. With increasing numbers of technical products available, the possibilities seem endless.

Photography: Reuters/Tim Wimbourne

Personal Advice Finance 74 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

COLUMN From traditional telephony to hosted telecom and internet solutions

Photography: Gerrit Hoogendoorn

MTTM.nl offers businesses efficient and cost effective alternatives

Telecom firm MTTM offers total solutions in the field of telecommunications and internet for the business sector. It offers support in requesting and maintaining service numbers and can set up a ‘virtual telephone exchange’ for clients. Because they are largely automated, MTTM can offer efficient, quick and cost effective services to companies.

Since telecom pioneer Hans-Willem de Lint set up MTTM in 2005, this Amsterdambased business has been growing fast. It now has nearly 10,000 businesses on its client list, from small web shops to immense multinationals, including Kärcher, MoneYou, BinckBank,Microsoft, electronics chain Mediamarkt and the mortgage division of ABN Amro bank. One of Holland’s largest pizza delivery companies is also a client of MTTM. ‘That/this? company receives nearly six million minutes of telephone calls per year,’ says Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Rob Jansen. ‘All its customers call a central 0900 number facilitated by MTTM. It’s a challenge to provide this company with as telecom system as efficient as possible.’ Both De Lint and Jansen are old hands in telecommunications. Jansen began his career at the Scandinavian company Tele2, which set up in The Netherlands in 1996, just when the telecommunications market was privatised. ‘The monopoly of state firm KPN was abandoned and there was room for other companies,’ explains Jansen. MTTM.nl could differentiate themselves in the market by virtue of price, flexibility and service. ‘For example, our organisation is compact and most of our processes are automated,’ explains Jansen. ‘We only send invoices by mail; our customers can monitor these invoices as well as their call details in our online platform. These kind of innovations keep our overhead low and we can offer very competitive prices as a result.’ MTTM’s support department is available 24 hours a day. Originally, MTTM concentrated mainly on requesting and maintaining 0800- and 0900-numbers for companies. ‘We offer these service numbers at 30% lower rates than our main competitor.’ Within seven years MTTM. nl has grown to be the number two in the service number business and is catching up with former monopoly-holder KPN.

MTTM.nl also offers extensive services that expand the accessibility of their client-organisations. They maintain a platform for handling all incoming calls for their clients. ‘We channel calls in an organised and efficient way,’ says Jansen. That’s possible with a so-called Interactive Voice Response system. ‘It allows us to easily spread out calls and transfer them to our clients’ correct department. And outside working hours, the company can still provide information and service clients.’ Full service telecom and internet provider Nowadays, MTTM.nl is a full service telecom and internet provider. Apart from traditional telephone services, it offers Hosted VoIP, which uses the internet to carry telephonservices. A major advantage is that the client doesn’t have to maintain its own telephone exchange, which saves money and effort. ‘Our hosted platform is constantly updated, so our clients are assured of the latest features,’ says Jansen. ‘And Hosted VoIP makes international calling up to 70% cheaper. Because it can be scaled-up, it’s ideal for startups with growth perspective. We relieve our clients by organising the whole process from A to Z.’ Fiber optics Apart from hosted platforms, MTTM also offers complete fibre optic internet connections. MTTM.nl distinguishes itself in this market via its ‘footprint’. They can deliver services practically everywhere in the country and are not bound to a specific supplier. We are able to offer the most suitable network that the client needs.’ According to Jansen, fibre optics is the future in connectivity. ‘We can offer band-width on a fibre-optic connection up to 200 Mb. That offers huge possibilities, for example for video-conferencing and HDquality sound.’

Personal Advice Finance the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 75

COLUMN “ Telephone contact is part of marketing”

Photography: Correspondent Media Photo

Setting up customer service as an aspect of a wellthought-out telecom plan

Apart from investing in technical accessibility, companies need to carefully think about the ‘human side’ of connectivity. In other words, they should think about who is answering the phone, what they are telling customers and how. Customer contact is part of a broad marketing strategy, says Geert van Ouwerkerk of VO Consulting. He shows companies how to set up their helpdesks so as to get clients involved in the culture of the company. There’s a lot to do in this area, he says. ‘Customer service departments are the neglected children of companies.’

Geert van Ouwerkerk worked himself up from call centre employee to telecom manager in the course of some decades. He has been responsible for the development of customer service at the cable company UPC. For some years now he has been an independent consultant advising companies on effective contacts with clients and the organisation of their customer service departments. Despite the increase in methods of keeping in contact with clients -companies are mainly reachable via a website or mail but increasingly also via Facebook and Twitter – he says the quality of customer service hasn’t improved in The Netherlands. ‘Telephone contact remains simplest and cheapest,’ he says. ‘You can deal with the customer’s information need very precisely.’ With other communication methods, companies are dependent on the way in which the customer phrases his requests. Since that isn’t always clear, companies often have to make repeated contacts with the client. ‘That demands time,’ says Van Ouwerkerk. Complaints department or marketing method And yet the companies aren’t paying attention to the telephonic customer service. ‘It’s really the abandoned child of business. Often, companies launch a product without calculating service costs into the price. Despite the fact that a great deal of the customer experience comes from service provision. It is an essential part of marketing.’ Many companies regard their customer ser-

vice department as a necessary telephone service to cope with unsatisfied customers, he says. ‘A complaint is largely a problem that escalated,’ he explains. Telephonic customer contact offers the possibility to offer new services and extend contracts. ‘A customer-service department is an information processing factory,’ he says. ‘It works in two directions. A client gives information about his product experience. And the company provides service in its area of work.’ Culture In customer contacts, van Ouwerkerk says, employees have to translate the culture of the company, but also understand the tone of the client. ‘Communications vary according to country,’ he points out. ‘As a Dutch-based company you can’t offer the same form of service you provide in the rest of the world. Clients have other needs.’ Those needs have to be carefully assessed. That’s why a lot has to be invested in service departments, especially regarding recruitment and training. ‘Not everyone is suited to picking up the telephone and dealing with clients.’ Outsourcing How should companies organise their customer service? Mainly, they can do it within their companies, close to the knowledge that resides in the company. ‘Though, with big marketing programmes that isn’t always possible,’ he says. ‘You need more hands on telephones.’ But companies should be very careful when outsourcing customer support.

Bring some extra bags Discover new brands, popular tax-free shops and hidden deals with the vatfree.com shopping guide.

19% tax-free + 5% discount for vatfree.com clients

Save 24%

You can even shop tax-free online at bol.com, wehkamp.nl, apple.com and many more... Find all tax-free webshops in our shopping guide.

empowering you in tax-free shopping

www.vatfree.com/ad

Did you know you can shop tax-free in the EU? With tax-free shopping you can get up to 19% VAT reimbursement over all your purchases. EU regulation states all non-EU residents are entitled to shop tax-free. We at vatfree.com are here to help you reclaim whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s yours, easy and hassle-free. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how:

Collect

Gather all your purchase receipts from the EU. Check if receipts are eligible for a refund at www.vatfree.com

Customs

Before leaving the EU, visit Customs to have your receipts validated (stamped). Be sure to have your goods with you.

Cash

Send us your stamped receipts to receive a cash refund in your bank-, paypal- or credit card account. You can also visit our servicedesk at Schiphol Airport, Departure Hall 2.

Find out more at www.vatfree.com, call our hotline at +31 88 VATFREE (8283733) or find us on twitter, facebook or foursquare.

empowering you in tax-free shopping

Experience

true hospitality

3RI SJ XLI ½RIWX ½ZI WXEV PY\YV] LSXIPW XLEX ]SY [MPP ½RH MR 8LI 2IXLIVPERHW ERH I\GPYWMZI QIQFIV SJ The Leading Hotels of the World 8LI LSXIP MW [MXLMR [EPOMRK HMWXERGI SJ XLI QENSV XSYVMWX EXXVEGXMSRW 8LEROW XS E XSXEP SJ LSXIP VSSQW MRGPYHMRK THE SUITE Q2 JX [I GER TVSYHP] ERRSYRGI XLEX ,SXIP 3OYVE %QWXIVHEQ LEW XLI QSWX PY\YVMSYW LSXIP VSSQW SJ ER] LSXIP MR %QWXIVHEQ [MXL I\XVESVHMREV] ZMI[W 8LIVI EVI X[S FEVW ERH JSYV VIWXEYVERXW X[S SJ XLIQ EVI E[EVHIH F] 1MGLIPMR

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 79

What What Where When Where

When

Photography: Maarten

Bezem

“ my main dishes are strongly influenced by the way I do desserts. I like to use sweet, often forgotten vegetables like salsify and paRsnip.” Chef Peter Scholte of Restaurant Sucre in Amsterdam, page 75

What Where When 80 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

TEFAF 2012: The Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mecca of Art By Jeroen Jansen Photography: Tefaf

Every March, art collectors, gallery-managers, artists and spectators make a pilgrimage to the city of Maastricht as 260 of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top dealers display major masterpieces there at The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF). Some dealers make 50% of their annual sales at this event in the south of The Netherlands. This year TEFAF is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The International Correspondent talked to the man in charge - Willem Baron van Dedem, president of TEFAF and owner of one of the finest private collections of 17th-century Dutch paintings.

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 81

Since 1998 you’ve been president of TEFAF. What role did you play before that? ‘As a collector, I used to visit TEFAF every year and buy one or two paintings. I still do. So I was known to the foundation before they asked me to become their president. Why me? I think, as a foundation without pecuniary gain, they wanted someone from the outside to be their president and chairman of the board of trustees. Someone who was not an art-dealer, but mainly a connoisseur. I fitted the profile.’ Did TEFAF change a lot under your presidency? ‘Oh, it did. We witnessed some serious growth and internationalization. Currently TEFAF is the leading international art fair that covers all art disciplines and not just one. When we started, the share of Dutch art dealers was nearly 50 percent. Now only 19 percent of our participants are Dutch. We have more than 260 participants altogether, which is the absolute maximum. Also, we grew from 17,000 visitors to 70,000. People from all over the world visit TEFAF to complete their collections.’ Looking back on fifteen years of presidency, what accomplishments are you most proud of? ‘I can only think of one thing and that’s the unflagging high quality of the art collections. Year after year we offer the best choice of the very best in fine art. Nowhere else will you find such an elegantly displayed selection of genuine masterpieces from over 260 of the world’s most prestigious art and antiques dealers. This is only made possible by our exceptionally high standards and rigorous investigation of the quality, condition and authenticity of those masterpieces. Every item is checked by one of 26 vetting committees made up of over 150 internationally respected experts. We have become a benchmark for other art fairs, which refer to our standards when it comes to their credibility. Some say they are “just as thorough as TEFAF”, which, in all fairness, is almost impossible.’ Is it not difficult to attract art dealers from over the world because of these rigorous investigations? ‘On the contrary. Everybody wants to be at TEFAF. During these ten days in March, some dealers make over 50% of their annual total sales. And they all meet “future buyers”. That’s why we have this huge waiting list. If we had more space, we could easily increase the number of participants.’ Can you give us some examples of the remarkable masterpieces TEFAF exhibited in recent years? ‘Last year we had an American art dealer with only three paintings to exhibit. One of them being Rembrandt’s remarkable 1658 masterpiece ‘Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo’, with a rarely seen price tag of € 34,-

million. We had four paintings by Frans Hals as well, plus several works by impressionist master Renoir. Two years ago, one exhibition stand only showed works by Picasso. In fact, we see these works every year. It is not exceptional anymore.’ What can we expect this year? ‘As for the paintings, we have work from Matisse, Jan Steen, Picasso, Chagall, Mesdag, Degas, Kandinsky and Henri de ToulouseLautrec. But also some of Rembrandt’s famous etchings, including ‘The Great Jewish Bride’ and ‘St. Jerome in a Dark Chamber’. But there is so much more, you can’t even imagine.’ What has been the biggest sell in the history of TEFAF? ‘I honestly cannot tell you that. Not that I don’t want to, but I simply don’t know. I think nobody knows, except the dealer and his client. This is something between the two of them. They don’t brag about it and, even when they do, you’re not sure if they tell the truth.’ You are an impassioned art collector yourself, and also a buyer at TEFAF. What masterpieces are you interested in? ‘My own collection includes Flemish and Dutch masters from the 17th century. So, as a visitor, these masterpieces have my special interest. But every year I am tempted to buy other pieces as well. We call this ‘cross-pollination’. It happens all the time that something completely different catches your eye and sometimes you just cannot resist the urge to purchase it.’ Is TEFAF suffering from the economic crisis? ‘Not really. There will always be buyers. And with a crisis going on people tend to invest more in art than in stocks. Genuine masterpieces will never decline in value. Right now TEFAF attracts a lot of Chinese people. Until a few years ago, the Russians bought a lot. I cannot say whether they really like the art they are buying, or they just see it as an investment. But it happens, especially with contemporary art, which requires less knowledge from the buyer. What counts is the name of the artist. Every two or three editions you see new buyers coming from emerging markets. But luckily there is a lot of interest from genuine art lovers as well. And also from the directors and curators of museums all over the world. Please let me emphasize that TEFAF not only offers expensive art. There are a lot of affordable pieces as well, starting from just a few hundred euros.’ What do you think of investing in art? ‘I personally don’t like it when people buy art as an investment. Many pieces are sold every two years, especially at auctions. The investors are widely exaggerating the prices of fine art,

sometimes to ridiculous proportions. But that’s just my personal opinion.’

During TEFAF There will be a range of cultural events and special activities in Maastricht while TEFAF is running. From concerts to lectures and exhibitions within the fair as well as in and around Maastricht, they provide the ideal way to entertain and be informed about the wider issues of the world of fine art. The city of Maastricht also offers a During Tefaf Festival, with an international programme of dance, jazz, classical music and theatre. Various shows, from classical to modern, will take place at Theater aan het Vrijthof. TEFAF visitors can take advantage of a limited number of tickets. For more information see www.tefaf.com

TEFAF takes place at the Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Centre (MECC, Forum 100) from 16 – 25 March. Admission: € 55,- per person/€ 90,- per two persons.

What Where When 82 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

UPCOMING EVENTS Be animated Founded in 1985, the Holland Animation Film Festival (HAFF) has been an annual event since 2009. For the 15th edition (from 28 March to 1 April 2012) the old centre of Utrecht will be transformed into a world of animation. The festival aims to bring high-quality animation film to the attention of a wider audience, as well as to stimulate the screening of these films in cinemas and on television. During HAFF, national and international talents compete for awards in various competitions. The categories include international competitions for European students, features, shorts, commissioned films and web films. Films with a maximum length of 60 minutes are eligible for the MovieSquad HAFF Award, awarded by a jury of youngsters. Film makers from all over the world can compete. HAFF also presents thematic programmes, as well as talk shows, master classes, debates and an educational programme.

www.haff.nl

Get shorty From 14 to 18 March, the city of Nijmegen “goes short”. Over 280 short films are to be screened in and around Cinema LUX in the old centre. Go Short is one of Europe’s leading festivals for short film. Apart from screenings, there are exhibitions, workshops, performances, parties and more. This year, the festival focuses partly on Daniel Mulloy, who has won over 70 awards including a BAFTA. In his films, the British director explores relationships between people in extreme situations. Music videos and other short films with a focus on music will also feature heavily in this year’s programme. Fans of Polish cinema will appreciate the program of Polish shorts in cooperation with the Krakow Film Foundation, including a short documentary programme. For a complete programme and timetable, visit:

www.goshort.nl

The success of Dutch Design Dutch Design is world famous for its cutting-edge, innovative approach. Dutch designers and labels such as Piet Hein Eek, Marcel Wanders, Droog Design, NgispeN and Studio Job are among the best in the world. If you want to know how the Netherlands became so successful, then visit the exhibition Connecting Concepts at Designhuis in Eindhoven, the Dutch city of Design. The exhibition has already featured at various venues in India, China and Turkey and stays in Eindhoven until 30 April 2012. Connecting Concepts focuses mainly on the processes behind the designs. It is these processes, including the partnership between the designer and commissioning party, the use of new and different technologies and the willingness of those involved to ‘reinvent the wheel’, that make design from the Netherlands so distinct and unique.

www.premsela.org

Chef ’s table the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 83

Desserted A la sucre By Marco de Vries Photography: Maarten Bezem

Last year the unique Amsterdam-based dessert restaurant Sucre moved from a small spot on the Amstelveenseweg to a monumental building in the Hobbemastraat. Lots of things changed at the same time. But one thing stayed the same. Chef Peter Scholte still does what he is best at: creating tastebud- blowing desserts. A restaurant with a menu composed of only desserts. That was what Peter Scholte dreamed of for years. But, usually, dreams don’t come true out of the blue. So, till he thought he was ready to open his own place, Scholte travelled the world working for some of the greatest chefs and learning the tricks of the trade. Then, in 2008, inspired by the Espai Sucre restaurant in Barcelona, he opened his own dessert restaurant in Amsterdam. ‘That was something unheard of in The Netherlands at that time, and some people were really pessimistic about our chances of survival’, he says whilst selecting fresh ingredients for a dessert. ‘In the beginning guests came out of curiosity. But the word spread that our desserts were definitely worth trying and slowly we gathered a loyal following. Up to ten desserts wasn’t a problem for some of our regulars.’ But what is the secret behind Scholte’s desserts? He is crystal-clear about it. ‘My desserts are so much more than only sweetness! All desserts consist of sweet, sour, salt and bitter ingredients. The bitter element could be a touch of orange, the sweet part the bottom of caramelised cheesecake, the sour ingredient marinated raspberries and the salty element the salt in the filo dough. With that I create a complex taste bud experience.’ Asked where he gets his inspiration to create a dessert, Scholte says that at the moment he is totally inspired by the American hype for desserts in a specific colour. ‘We

serve them in white, purple, yellow, black and green and I really like it! And not just for the good looks’. He shows me the tropical ingredients that make his yellow dessert: mango, passion fruit and ginger. Apple and pistachio form the main components in his green dessert, for the purple one he uses blackberries and lavender and the black one consists of chocolate, black sesame and espresso. Scholte emphasizes that he likes this way to compose desserts. ‘It also gives me the opportunity to mix classical French cooking with influences from other parts of the world. Needless to say what I learned while working at elBulli plays an important in it. Like the nuance of textures: I like to play with that in desserts.’ Patisserie ‘marks’ Although, at the beginning, the majority of his clientele just chose a dessert, later on more and more guests asked for normal dishes. ‘And yes, my main dishes are strongly influenced by the way I do desserts. I like to use sweet, often forgotten vegetables like salsify and parsnip’. In the same way he started doing starters. ‘I like the one with lobster with a sweetsour mango chutney and a foam made from lemon grass and ginger. I think it is a good example of a starter with lots of patisserie ‘marks’ on it.’ Over the years the menu of Sucre kept

growing. Not surprisingly, the restaurant on the hectic Amstelveenseweg became way too small and it was time to move on to something bigger. So last year Sucre opened up in a monumental building on the Hobbemastraat, just around the corner from the glitzy PC Hooftstaart. The building that in the past housed the prestigious but surprisingly short-lived Vossius restaurant of Robert Kranenborg. ‘This building made it possible to enlarge my dream,’ says Scholte. ‘Now you can choose between the low key loungy sitting room where we serve desserts or you can have a high tea with a ‘dessert’ twist, or just have a cocktail after work. The restaurant on the second floor caters for guests who come for a full dinner. But if you’re in for a quick coffee –some say the best organic coffee in townor ‘take away’ a freshly made dessert you go to the small shop next door. Did this change the way Scholte is cooking? ‘Not at all. I still do everything with the special Scholte dessert touch!’ SUCRE Hobbemastraat 2, Amsterdam, 020-4701910, www.sucrerestaurant.nl Course menu: € 69,Desserts from: € 7.50 3-course lunch from: € 25,High tea: € 22 ,- p.p.

What Where When 84 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Places to go, things to do By Marco de Vries

SOFA, Maastricht

Taste of Okura, Amsterdam

Hi/Lo, Utrecht

Last autumn, after a cycling race, my wife and I were looking for an easy going but good restaurant in Maastricht. So we called a mutual friend who lives there. Go to Sofa, he answered, before I even could explain what kind of restaurant we were looking for. And so right he was. Just think of the location. It is located a on small peninsula in the river Maas next to a chateau -just 3 minutes away from the old city centre. First of all, we relaxed in front of the fireplace with a drink and snacks or ‘borrelschotel’ as they call it. Then we moved on to the brasserie because we were not in the mood – better said, too tired- for a full menu in the restaurant. But if we had known that the coach-house of the nearby chateau houses seven unique suites, we would have planned our trip a little better and stayed over for the night, slept late and had lunch on the beautiful terrace of Sofa.

Would you like to learn how to cook like a Michelin-starred chef? Or at least give it a try? Then read on. You’ll find the perfect venue to do this in the basement of the Hotel Okura in Amsterdam. It’s called the Taste of Okura and starred in-house chefs, such as Akira Oshima of Yamazato and Onno Kokmeijer of Ciel Bleu will take your hand and lead you on your way to cook something you wouldn’t even dream of trying at home. The beating hearts of the Taste of Okura are the three ivory-white cooking islands. Around these units, the Okura chefs and their assistants give cooking workshops at every level. Together with Ronald Oud, the Taste of Okura’s permanent chef, you’ll prepare the dishes. As a result of the culinary diversity within the Okura, workshops focus on Japanese (traditional and teppanyaki), and French, as well as international cuisine. And, of course, afterwards you’ll enjoy the fruits of your culinary labors together with your friends or colleagues.

Ask people overseas what they know about Holland and one of the things they certainly come up with is the so-called coffee shop where you can have a ‘smoke’ without having to explain about it at the police station. But usually the coffeeshops are a bit dodgy, with brown, uninspiring interiors. Not the brand new Hi/Lo coffee shop in Utrecht! Interior-wise local architects Workshop of Wonders have delivered very well, presenting the coffeeshop as an altogether new and positively agreeable ‘smoking club’ concept. The first floor has a very contemporary design and the basement is inspired by an opium kit. Hi/Lo is a place where you can have a smoke or just a drink or two while you listen to jazz music instead of good old Bob Marley. When you decide to go there, and you should, don’t be surprised if you bump into guys in pinstripe suits. As it happens, the Rabobank’s headquarters is just around the corner. After all, this is Holland!

Hoge Weerd 6 Maastricht, 043 367 1337, packages from € 140,- p.p. including dinner and breakfast. www.sofamaastricht.nl en www.kasteeldehoogenweerth.nl

Croeselaan 213 Utrecht

Reservations: 020 - 678 74 50

www.hi-losmokingclub.com

www.tasteofokura.nl

What Where When the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 85

Sweet spot Holland

SWEET SPOT HOLLAND By Thomas Dieben Photography: Thomas Dieben

Back in the 13th century some Dutch aristocrats played a game with a stick and a leather ball. The objective was to put the ball in a certain target within the least number of strokes. Some say this is the origin of the golf game. Nowadays Holland is not often mentioned for its golf courses. With more than 150 golf courses there is a lot to choose. For this spring edition of the golf column we’re going across the border. But don’t worry - you don’t have to travel far. The golf course reviewed in this article is located about 20 km from Nijmegen or Arnhem.

The attractive course at Schloss Moyland Golfresort is a member of the ‘Europe’s Finest’ holding. In May 2011 it was selected to host the European Professional Development (EPD) Tour. The course is located within 175 acres of impressive landscape and beautiful scenery. This explains the name ‘Moyland’ which means ‘beautiful country’. It offers a fantastic atmosphere for enthusiastic golfers. The facilities offered include an extended driving range, putting green, pro shop, golf academy, buggy/cart rentals, fitness center, clubhouse and a restau-

rant, called “Alte Post”. The restaurant offers meals for each part of the day served in a cozy brasserie, an elegant restaurant, or even on the course while playing. On the website Golfbreak.nl you can find an attractive ‘Winter Package’. This offers a great way to explore this course on an affordable basis. It includes coffee or tea upon arrival and an 18 holes green fee in combination with a three course dinner in Restaurant “Alte Post” for only € 65,-. Are you looking for an overnight stay? Then the Golf & Stay package can be a great deal.

Schloss Moyland Golfresort Moyländer Allee 10 47551 Bedburg-Hau Germany Phone: 00 49 2824 95250 E-mail: info@schlossmoylandgolf.de www.schlossmoylandgolf.de

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 87

Dutch Style

Photography: Maarten

Bezem

“ mine are not protest paintings. I recognise all too well that I’m a part of the world I paint. “ Artist Gerdine Duijsens, page 86

Dutch Style 88 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

“ I am still educating myself to survive in the fashion business” By Karine Bloem Photography: Claes

Iversen

Being an independent designer is a challenge, and even more so when you’re attempting that career in a country that is not originally yours. Rapidly adopted as an upcoming talent by the Dutch fashion critics, Claes doesn’t take the easy path to glory, but sticks to his work ethics and principles. “I started my own label right after graduating. No one taught me about the business side of it. Unlike someone who starts his career at a label, I have to learn the hard way. I am still educating myself to survive in the fashion business.” Claes Iversen is originally from Denmark. His initial plan was to visit the Netherlands during a post-college sabbatical about 15 years ago, but life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. Iversen stayed to pursue his creative education here. This wasn’t much of a culture shock for him; Northern European mentalities are quite similar and the multicultural character of Amsterdam made him feel at home. But there is a difference in how the fashion culture in The Netherlands is perceived in comparison to Scandinavia. ‘The Dutch have a purist and Calvinist take on fashion,’ says Claes. ‘They don’t care much for aesthetics except to show off on special occasions. In Denmark one may have a cheap car parked outside, but inside the house there’s a Bang&Olufsen audio set and designer furniture. Respect for quality and design is in our nature.’

It explains his vision as a fashion designer, and his choice to produce made-to-measure for women, which he sells only on appointment at his showroom. Impeccable execution, a perfect fit and emphasis on details are his unique selling points. This is a talent with a hunger for a bigger international audience. Iversen doesn’t easily make concessions that might lead to commercial success. ‘It is not that I completely oppose it,’ he says, ‘but I prefer to adjust my schedule or personal needs rather than make sacrifices in the creation of my collections. Brand-extension is a way to increase income –most renowned brands couldn’t survive without- but even that could be challenged with a creative approach’. Developing accessories or even a fragrance to extend his label are thus still part of his dream scenario.

Dutch Style on the streets Photography: Elisah

Jacobs

Where? At Amsterdam Fashion Week Who? Edwin Goudens van den Handel Business/Marketing & PR Director at Backstage Fashion Reports www.backstagefashionreports.com What do you wear? Hat: Stetson Shirt: Arrow Bow tie: JC Crew NY

Cardigan: bought in Japan Trousers: COS Shoes: bought in Japan Bag: Louis Vuitton Keepall What do you think about the Dutch Style? The younger generation is getting much more involved in fashion, and that is a good development. It increases the quality of the streetscape. Though I think the Dutch can still learn from big cities like New York, Milan, Tokyo and Stockholm.

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 89

Shopping:New season trends By Karine Bloem

Men - Reminiscing about the good ol’ days, and inspired by streetstyle blogs like the Sartorialist, he dresses like a gentleman again. But with innovative materials and a reinterpretation of traditional tailoring. G-STAR RAW Coloured soles Price €100 Why not define your style with coloured soles? It’s a new trend G-Star RAW was quick to capture. It gives any classic shoe a bold and modern edge and fits G-Star’s philosophy: Shape Favours Function. Non-conformistic and suitable for daily use, where advanced knowledge creates luxury shoes with street cred. Classic models have been combined, reinterpreted and corrected. www.g-star.com

TOMMY HILFIGER Preppy does it Price €399 US brand Tommy Hilfiger has made a succesful business from the re-invention of prep style. Their S/S ’12 collection revolves around the ‘Modern Prep’ with a splash of Milan and even a bit of Tokyo street savvy. This navy duffle coat is a good basic starting point to create your own eclectic style and keep you warm during the crisp Dutch spring. www.tommy.com

PROPERTY OF... Comeback of the backpack Price € 218,A backpack is a dubious item. Isn’t it something we’re happy to exchange for normal bags after high school? Yet, a backpack is functional. Especially for those who travel by bike through the Dutch weather. Singapore-based label Property of...was created over a few cups of coffee by the owners of a cafe: ‘The daily changing cast of characters, the activities, events and ‘life’ that unfold within these urban oases are a constant source of ideas and inspiration.’ www.thepropertyof.com

BURBERRY PRORSUM Rain down on me Price € 215,Britains’s most popular heritage brand -for which trenchcoats and umbrellas were the core business in another era- proves it has become a very fashionable label without losing sight of what made it grand before. Defying the rain was never as chic as with a Burberry umbrella.

Dutch Style 90 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Family business By Niala Maharaj Photography: Maarten Bezem

Gerdine and Fleur Duijsens never thought they would go into business together. Gerdine began her career as an artist quite late in her life. Her daughter Fleur studied law with the intention of being a banker. At the end of 2010, however, Fleur abandoned her job at Rabobank to open the ‘Fine Fleur Art Gallery’ in Amsterdam, where she sells work by her mother and other artists. It’s paid off. Gerdine Duijsens’ work – a collection of amusing assemblages of ‘fat ladies’- attract increasing international interest.

the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 91

You started your career really late I studied at the Art Academy in Utrecht. But I didn’t like the training I received. It focused too much on expression and not enough on expanding your skills. So I gave it up, got married can concentrated on raising my three daughters. When the youngest went to secondary school in 1994, I registered for the five year programme at the Academy of Fine Arts in Arendonk, Belgium. You learned to paint there? Yes. I always drew a lot. At the academy I learned to work with a lot of materials. Paint was immediately wondrous. You can work with paint in various thicknesses. And mix colours. And then there’s the way you set the paint on the canvas, that also has an influence on the work. You can see in my work that I shift about a lot in making a painting. There’s a lot of effort involved. Your work found a market practically immediately. Even before your training ended you were discovered. While I was studying, I once walked in to the Holland Art-gallery. It was a very accessible place in a number of Bijenkorf outlets. I thought: if they don’t want my work, I haven’t lost anything. I painted horses. And they were extraordinarily interested. The work sold very well. Were you so insecure about whether the public would be interested in your work? While you are studying, you recognise that you have skills. But I was never convinced that the public would value my creativity. I always feel uncomfortable calling myself an artist. You paint very jolly scenes with people eating, very colourful. Gerdine Duijsens: I like to sketch festive scenes Fleur Duijsens: And they are beautiful. Gerdine Duijsens: ‘Beautiful’ isn’t a word that’s valued in the world of art. Fleur Duijsens: I feel you have to be able to hang the painting over your sofa, or in your kitchen or study. You have to be able to look at it every day. If it is very affecting, but too depressing to have on your wall... what can you do with it? What are you trying to express in your work? My work is a bit mocking towards the wealthy

lifestyle. The well-dressed ladies in my presentations are devoted to luxury and excess. They are showing off. I’m against conformity. But mine are not protest paintings. I recognise all too well that I’m a part of the world I paint. Is that dislike of conformity the reason why you opened a gallery, Fleur Duijsens? No. It may seem unexpected, but it’s a very conscious choice. I studied law in Leiden, became a banker, worked at Rabobank’s headquarters in Utrecht. But at a certain point I couldn’t see a position in the bank where I wanted to develop further. I just wanted to do something different, and opening the gallery to sell works like my mother’s looked like a fantastic opportunity. Does selling your mother’s work create extra stress? No, on the contrary. My mother’s work is very popular. I manage to present it in a very attractive way. And I have other artists’ works. My banking background has given me a good feel for entrepreneurship. And I’ve always had a strong relationship with art. I got that at home. Gerdine Duijsens: It’s a great advantage for me that my daughter sells my work. I hear the reactions of the buyers, what they think. What do you see in the future? Growth outside The Netherlands in the coming years. My work is being sold in scores of galleries in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France and Italy. And I was honourably mentioned at the Florence biannual. You’re not afraid of so much success? That you’ll be influenced by public demand and neglect your own creative instincts? Not at all. My ‘fat lady’ pieces are popular but I experiment a lot with other things. The greatest threat to my work doesn’t come from my creative limitations but from outside. With commercial success you get a lot of imitators. That feels like an attack on your creativity. We recently prosecuted an imitator in the Hague courts. Imitators are growing in number. Is that because of the crisis? I think so. I hear that other artists are being copied as well. The art world has difficulties because of the economic problems. Some galleries have to sell copies to survive.

Dutch Style

92 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

STUDIO GLITHERO By Thierry Somers Photography: Studio Glithero

My favourite Discovery Channel program is How It’s Made, a documentary series showing how common, everyday products are manufactured. It’s scintillating to witness how a Spanish guitar, zippers or mirrors are actually made. The designers of Studio Glithero took the idea of the making of a step further and made artistic films about their extraordinary products that are almost like a meditative experience to watch. On their website you can see the ‘making of’ Bench Mould Furniture, a line consisting of tables, shelves and mirror frames made by using the traditional and obsolete technique of creating the plaster cornices found in classical architecture.

‘It’s our quest to produce objects where the dichotomy of product and process strive to be one and the same,’ explains Dutch designer Sarah van Gameren, who founded Studio Glithero with her partner, Tim Simpson. They use film to provide an understanding of objects, the creative process, origin and material. Another enthralling film is Big Dipper with its intriguing soundtrack and dramatic staging wherein a frame is dipped into hot wax to create an all-wax chandelier. However abstract Glithero’s ideas may sound, in practice their designs are functional, wondrous and playful. Prestigious galleries such as Vivid in Rotterdam, Fumi in London and Nilufar in Milan have approached Glithero to of-

fer to sell their work. For their next project, they have bubbles on their mind. ‘We’re trying to make an object whereby the skeleton exists but the inside doesn’t.’ Van Gameren says the project is akin to a David Copperfield mystery. Simpson adds: ‘There are amazing experiments you can make with simple wire frames. When you dip them into a bubble mixture, it reveals a sort of faceted and magical geometry. Around that technique we’re thinking of a new product, which is a riddle we’re trying to resolve.’ Can’t wait to see the making of... www.glithero.com

Tailor made suits

From â&#x201A;Ź 379,Pakkend Amsterdam Roelof Hartstraat 5 1071 VE Amsterdam 020 470 11 29

Pakkend Zakelijk Throughout the Netherlands zakelijk@pakkend.nl 0800-PAKKEND

Pakkend Den Haag Frederikstraat 58A 2514 LL Den Haag 070 363 72 36

Gadgets Toys for Boys & gizmos 94 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Gizmos and Gadgets Tough tablet The new rugged Panasonic Toughbook H2 is without doubt the most macho tablet around. This tablet meets the U.S. military’s standards for shock, dust, heat, water and cold resistance. Outdoor workers will profit from the 10.1-inch display with Panasonic’s TransflectivePlus, a technology that reflects sunlight and uses it as a backlight. It also includes a complete range of embedded wireless features, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and optional 4G LTE or Gobi™2000 3G mobile broadband.

Price: € 2,200,-

www.panasonic.com

IPad scanner It looks like a docking station, but there is no music. Instead, the iConvert Scanner will tame the paperwork jungle in your life by scanning your notes, photos and other documents directly into your iPad. The scanner works with a free downloadable app at the App Store and is simple to use. Place your iPad tablet on the scanner and choose between scan, save or delete. While scanning, your document appears directly on the screen before it’s stored in JPEG.

Price: €150,-

www.brookstone.com

Music without cables Looking for a wireless speaker with an amazing sound? Then try iTeufel’s Air, a bookshelf style speaker that allows streaming over Apple AirPlay technology. Inside, there’s room for two independent 20Watt two-way speakers and a 30cm 40Watt subwoofer for brilliant highs, full midrange and deep bass. It does not feature a physical docking station, but for those wanting to connect other devices, there is the Aux-in connection. With its tapered shape and curved stand, this speaker can fit anywhere.

Price: € 500,-

www.teufelaudio.com.

Toys for Boys the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 95

Testing, 1,2,3... Health gadgets By David Lemereis

Nothing is more important than your health. Here are three gadgets that help you keep track of those important body metrics right from your home. The old phrase ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ still holds true. Eat healthily, drink with moderation and exercise plenty - and you increase your chances of a long and healthy life. But, even so, you still have to visit the doctor every now and then, if only for a general health check. But that is about to change. In the last few years, we’ve witnessed the explosive development of smartphones in combination with sensor technologies that allow us to automatically monitor our general health without a visit to the doctor. The data, monitored by heart rate monitor straps, step counters, digital blood sugar monitors, accelerometers and digital scales, is wirelessly uploaded through your Smartphone. Intelligent algorithms analyze the data and turn it into easy-to-read graphs that give you detailed and up-to- date insight into your wellbeing. These three gadgets will help you track your weight, activity, blood pressure and sleep.

VitaDock TargetScale The beautifully designed VitaDock TargetScale is the ultimate weight management device. Step on it with bare feet and the TargetScale will send the data to any iOS mobile device through bluetooth. The VitaDock will analyze your body composition and visualize your bone mass, body fat, body water, muscle mass and Body Mass Index. You can also do a balance test, note exercise and food consumption. The TargetScale recognizes up to 8 different individuals. You can share your statistics with family, friends or you doctor via email. The app also works with VitaDock’s glucose monitor, contactless digital thermometer and blood pressure monitor. € 149,99

www.medisana.nl Withings blood pressure monitor If you need to keep tabs on your blood pressure, this may be for you. It’s incredibly easy. Wrap the monitor around your arm, plug it into your iPhone or iPod and press start. The Withings blood pressure monitor inflates itself. Put it into auto-mode and it will automatically take 3 measurements in a row, giving you the mean average of your systolic, diastolic blood pressure and BPM. You can also take a single measurement. The app shows your historic blood pressure in clean graphs, or you can view them online on your Mac or PC. The time of measurement is critical and the app allows separate morning or afternoon reading. You can share your readings with your doctor via email. € 129,-

www.withings.nl BodyMedia LINK FIT Though there is a proliferation of all-in-one activity trackers that monitor your activity, calories and sleep patterns by measuring body movement through an accelerometer, the BodyMedia FIT armband sets itself apart by using four sensors instead of just one. Devices that only measure activity with an accelerometer integrated into an armband tend to be inaccurate at times. Imagine whipping eggs by hand in the kitchen. These devices interpret this as rigorous exercise. The FIT however, not only measures body movement but also skin temperature, how much you sweat and how fast your body dissipates heat. This gives a much more accurate insight into your daily activity. The FIT also monitors the quality and quantity of your sleep. You can view detailed graphs on your online profile. The Android or iOS apps allows you to keep track of your food consumption. The FIT, however, does require a monthly online Activity Monitor subscription fee that sets you back € 6,95. $149,99 (Amazon)

www.bodymedia.com

Take your loved one on a journey into magical history!

Win a romantic weekend on the castle hotel in the Czech Republic

Take your loved one on a journey into magical history!

Have you ever wished to disappear from reality and spend at least one then drive to the medieval hotel Dětenice. Press forged handle and enter weekend in a fairy tale? Do you dream of a romantic night in the castle the room with wooden ceiling. The past breathes here from every chamber. chamber in the bed with baldachin and magnificent view to the gar- Experience the magical atmosphere and enjoy a romantic vacaden? Then stop dreaming and go! CzechTourism gives you a unique tion in the Czech Republic. The cheapest castle room you can get chance to win luxury weekend at Chateau Liblice in the Czech Republic. from 40€, while the luxury apartment in Chateuau Mcely will cost Czech Republic is not only Prague and beautiful nature but also history and ro- you almost 800€ per night. And you can naturally stay in the homantic castles. Enjoy a unique opportunity and win the romantic weekend at the tel opposite to the castle. The castle view can be also very romantic. Chateau Liblice. W hat do you have to do? Just answer the quiz on www.vakantie- Did you know there are about 668 castles in the Czech Republic. This inhetkasteel.nl. Chateau Liblice is beautiful baroque castle 30 km from Prague. means that if you stand anywhere in the Czech Republic, you should 'LVFRYHU WKH KLVWRU\ RI WKH FKDWHDX[ DQG FDVWOHV RI WKH &]HFK 5HSXEOLF <RX ZLOO GHĺQLWHO\ QRW JHW ERUHG ButCzech there are much more in the Republic than Chateu Liblice. find or at aleast one castle The Republic will castles pamper you,Czech whether you come for your honeymoon romantic stay. in the circle of 6 km around you. UnfortunateOne of the most luxurious is Chateau Mcely, the former residence of the ly not everywhere you can rent a castle suite. Some castles are open only family Thurn-Taxis. This eco chic five-star castle hotel is the first and only of as museums, others only reminds their glory. The map of all castle hoits kind in the Czech Republic. If you’re more attracted by the Middle Ages, tels in the Czech Republic you can find on www.vakantieinhetkasteel.nl

Take your loved one on a journey into magical history! www.czechtourism.com 'LVFRYHU WKH KLVWRU\ RI WKH FKDWHDX[ DQG FDVWOHV RI WKH &]HFK 5HSXEOLF <RX ZLOO GHĺQLWHO\ QRW JHW ERUHG The Czech Republic will pamper you, whether you come for your honeymoon or a romantic stay.

www.czechtourism.com

Last words the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 97

What to read Bluff your way in Dutch literature By Martin van Geest, Joost van Kleef

When the talk at a party turns to Dutch writers, you might feel somewhat lost. It’s easy to get to know the famous painters and architects of The Netherlands, but getting into Dutch literature requires a knowledge of the language. But fear not. The International Correspondent has a few tips to help you at least follow the conversation and discover some of the authors whose work has been translated from Dutch. Arnon Grunberg, De Joodse Messias Until recently, the best-known and most prominent Dutch author was Harry Mulisch (1927-2010). Two of his works have become true classics and part of the world’s great literary canon: De aanslag (The Attack) and De ontdekking van de hemel (The Discovery of Heaven). Those two novels have been translated into almost any language you can imagine, from Korean to Hebrew. One could argue that Arnon Grunberg is Mulisch’s successor. Since his debut Blauwe maandagen (Blue Mondays) was first published in 1994 and translated in twelve languages, including Japanese: Getsuyoubi wa itsumo buru,

every single book he produced has become a bestseller. The handful of novels he wrote under the pen name Marek van der Jagt sold equally well, even though no one knew Grunberg and van der Jagt were the same person. Quite a feat. Holland’s premier business magazine Quote recently estimated his net worth at € 4,- million. We recommend De Joodse Messias which came out in 2004 and is available in English (as The Jewish Messiah), German and French. His newest work Met huid en haar is equally worthwhile, but hasn’t been translated yet.

Herman Koch, Het diner Holland has its own Stephen King. His books may be a little less blood-soaked and horrorlike than the thrillers of his American colleague, but they’re just as filled with suspense and allusions to the supernatural. The Dutch Stephen King is Herman Koch (1953). In the nineties and early noughties, Koch’s absurdist sketch comedy show Jiskefet was one of the most popular programs on Dutch television. When Jiskefet ended in 2005, Koch decided to devote his time and talent to literature. And with immense suc-

cess. His well-received thriller Het Diner (2009) sold 750,000 copies in The Netherlands alone. An incredible number, considering Holland’s population of 17 million. Het Diner also became a hit in French, German and Catalan. If you want to read Het Diner (literally: The Supper) in English, you’ll need a little patience. Last January, the publishing rights for North-America were sold to The Crown Publishing Group in New York for ‘a record-breaking seven figure sum’, according to Koch’s Dutch agent.

Kluun, Komt een vrouw bij de dokter Kluun is Raymond van de Klundert’s nom de plume. Before his life as a writer, van de Klundert was an advertising executive. But even though his agency Project X (sounds like a book title, doesn’t it?) had quite a number of lucrative clients, Kluun really hit it off financially with his novel Komt een vrouw bij de dokter (2003). It’s the best-selling Dutch novel of all time with over one million copies sold. Nonetheless, the book was lambasted by the critics. The reason for that is mainly in the leitmotif of the story. Van

de Klundert writes about a married man who sleeps around with any woman he can talk into bed, while his wife is terminally ill with cancer and on the brink of dying. This man really exists, though: it’s van de Klundert himself. Puritanical Holland loves to chastise the writer for his actions, but everyone has read the book. At night, underneath the blankets, without telling anyone. Komt een vrouw bij de dokter is available in 27 countries; the English title is Love life.

Column Fenna Ferwerda

98 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Photography: Fenna Verwerda

Lose your job skilfully. It’s payback-time In these tumultuous economic times, holding on to your job seems your only guarantee for having a roof over your head in the coming years. Employment rates are falling all over Europe, house prices are under pressure and consumer confidence is plummeting. But in times of economic downturn excellent opportunities to start new enterprises also present themselves. If you’ve got a great idea in your head and always wanted to take the leap, now is your time.

To work on your business plan, talk with your bankers, call your lawyers and do all those other things that need to get done to make it happen. You will need a lot of time and dedication. With co-workers at home suffering burn-out, clients nagging about unrealistic fee quotes and a broken coffee machine that just can’t seem to get fixed, it can be hard - very hard - to find all that time and dedication. Of course, you can put in the extra hours at nights and during weekends -if you weren’t already doing so. You can motivate yourself by fantasising about how utterly cool it would be to have a business card with the name of your own company. But if that sounds like Mission Impossible 5 to you, take a shortcut. Maybe it doesn’t sound fair to your employer. But think of all the grief your boss gave you when things were still busy around the office. Yet another night of sour-smelling sushi (“Fenna, don’t charge that to the client, the fees are already going through the roof without you ordering in all month!”), waking up at 5.30 am with your face in yesterday’s make-up, the ink of unreadable notes imprinted on your forehead like a shiny new facial tattoo, your boyfriend screaming into the phone that you’re an insane workaholic (and here I was, thinking that only girls could get so emotional). Face it: you have given your employer the best years of your life. So please don’t feel sorry for the firm. Feel sorry for yourself instead and act while it’s not too late - it’s payback-time. Don’t be a fool and just quit. The magic words are: get fired. When you lose your job skilfully, you won’t have to worry about early foreclosure on your apartment or eating watery porridge

for days. That’s unemployment the old-fashioned way. Getting yourself busted will help you pay the bills in the coming months and provide you with the time to set up shop. It’s difficult and expensive to fire someone in the Netherlands, so build a good case for yourself. Our social welfare system doesn’t fare well with employees that are summarily dismissed, so you have to be annoying and non-income generating on the one hand, but move steadily but slowly on the other hand. Advice: don’t overdo it and steal from your employer or punch your boss in the face with a stapler. Start by underperforming and crying in front of your boss. On weekdays, come in late, but not too late. On Friday, do sleep in a little. Make a few obvious mistakes in a due diligence report, right before the deadline. That report won’t be with the client on time: just like anything else you touch over the coming weeks. When the partner calls you to her office for the third time in just six weeks, expecting yet another glare when she tells you off, don’t gloat. Keep your face in check and your eyes on the ball. Don’t blink when she announces that the firm will do anything to help you find another job. Roll your eyes and say: I’ll have my laywers call your lawyers. She will be handing over the exit-agreement before you can say Jack Robinson. So think of that great app you’re gonna develop, or that fantastic ITconsultancy firm you’re gonna start. Think of all the time you’re going to put into it for you - instead of for your boss. Get your pen out and sign. Sign that contract. And remember: the time is now. You may gloat.

FENNA FERWERDA works as a corporate lawyer for an international firm at theZuidas, Amsterdam’s financial heart. Sometimes amused, sometimes bewildered, she observes the comings and goings in this square kilometre of Dutch high-rise. Fenna is not her real name.

Elegance is an attitude “It’s time to give a little bit of your time to others.”

Andre Agassi

The Longines Master Collection

www.longines.com

Longines supports the Andre Agassi Foundation