INTERVIEW
COFFEE BREAK Among the buildings soaring over Rotterdam’s central station plaza is Delftse Poort. Its tall towers create a cosmopolitan feel at the gateway to RCD and are home to a wide variety of merchants and businesses. Lieke Poppe, Community Manager at Delftse Poort, WTC Utrecht and the UP Office Building in Amsterdam, is devoted to this complex in the Central District and hopes to quickly expand the community in parallel with the location.
20
LIEKE, COULD YOU TELL US
month sabbatical to figure out what
app. These are all elements we’re
ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND?
I wanted. Going from leading a com-
working on, sometimes packaged in
“After graduating with a degree in
pany to regular management is a step
a campaign, like the gigantic stick-
marketing, communication and man-
down, of course, and the work is very
er on the building. They’re always
agement, I wasn’t quite sure what
different – from making policy to exe-
well-received and people get actively
I wanted to do. The wife of the then
cuting it, but it was clear pretty quick-
involved. Aside from that, I’m also a
general manager of CAST - a B2B
ly that this suits me much better. In
listening ear for tenants. I try to get
trade centre for accessories, bags
August 2019 I started as CBRE’s com-
feedback from them about possible
and shoes - put me in touch with the
munity manager. I like to make people
improvements.”
company, and I was there 19 years.
happy, and that’s also what makes me
Though I never planned to stay that
good at this job. Working with people,
WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS
long, things worked out different-
making them happy and surprising
IMPORTANT IN THE CENTRAL
ly. Partly because there are so many
them: that’s what energizes me.”
DISTRICT? “What’s important from my point
TEXT Céline Boute
PHOTOGRAPHY Ruben Stam
things I enjoy, plus I’m not quick to say no. I did every job in the compa-
WHAT EXACTLY DOES YOUR JOB
of view is to enlarge the connection
ny, from organizing trade fairs, event
ENTAIL?
between Delftse Poort and RCD.
management, reception and book-
“A community manager is the soft
Together with Rob, I’d like to inves-
keeping right through to being gen-
added value piece of the real estate
tigate opportunities to link more
eral manager. I was the general man-
puzzle. I organize events, activi-
Delftse Poort tenants with the RCD
ager for six years, but realized fairly
ties, presentations and lots of other
Association. This hasn’t made much
soon that the shoe didn’t fit. I like
things to connect people with the
headway yet because of the lock-
working alongside other people and
building. And not only with the build-
down and long-time impossibility of
being close to the action, and after 19
ing, but also with each other and the
organizing things. In the future I do
years it was time for something new.”
location. There’s quite a lot going on
want to give a little extra attention
here: activities to have fun and un-
to more positive liveliness in RCD to
HOW DID YOU BECOME A
wind, mental well-being groups and
give the people who live, work and
COMMUNITY MANAGER?
also athletic events, and we’re refin-
pass through here a good and proud
“After leaving CAST, I took a nine-
ing and expanding our Delftse Poort
feeling about the district.”
