Implementation and Transformation
A good strategy is one thing, actually implementing that strategy is quite another. Obviously, the parameters include good people, good leadership, a good HR system. But when it comes to the implementation itself, the past few decades have been a true roller coaster for the chief operating officer (COO) and his/her troops.
At the cradle of this roller coaster are some major trends. At an accelerating pace after the fall of the USSR, companies have started to look internationally for their purchasing and supply chains. Complex factors affect those decisions. Price matters, but so does quality of production, availability of raw materials, other production, and so on. For a few years now, however, the trend of internationalization has been halted: the trade relationship between China, the United States, European countries and Russia has come under increasing pressure.
Both this earlier expansion of the supply chain and the recent setback present COOs with major challenges. First it was ‘am I on the right track?’ Now it is also ‘what if the course I took no longer exists?’ Since 2020 this trend has been reinforced by the threat of pandemics, which can simply endanger companies' access to certain countries: a logistical nightmare.
The second major trend is that of digitalization. That is nothing new, of course. The letter was followed by the wire transfer and then by the fax and telephone. But with the arrival of the Internet combined with fast computers, this evolution has accelerated. ‘Digitalization’ is what we call it, and disruption: business models are changing so fast through digitalization and the rise of artificial intelligence that it is no longer a question of evolution but rather of revolution. It is up to the COO to keep up with this pace in the process of implementation.
This is a hell of a job because it means that such an implementation requires not only its own implementation strategy but also a great deal of entrepreneurship. After all, which IT infrastructure do you choose, does it have to be top of the line or perhaps cheaper than that used by the competition? Do you develop it yourself or do you outsource? Does the same hold for technological progress in production? What about marketing automation, robotization, warehousing, fulfilment and other logistics? How sustainable should your transport be? How local will production need to be?
The COO position may still be a position that, in the hierarchy, is just below the executive board, frequently in the executive committee (the ExCo), but, in terms of responsibilities, the position is not inferior to the top jobs of CEO and CFO.
Paul de Krom (Louwman Group): ‘Mobility Services Are the Future’
The Louwman group is transitioning from car importer to mobility provider. Paul de Krom has been the new CEO of the family-owned company since spring 2023. ‘Our automotive activities are at the essence of this company, but our ambition is mobility for life. We want to offer appropriate mobility solutions to our customers in all stages of life.’
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Offshore wind energy is the primary source of large-scale, sustainable electricity for the Netherlands, forming the backbone of the energy transition. However, the deployment of offshore wind energy is at risk of stalling due to rising costs, high interest rates and a lagging demand for sustainably produced electricity. This threatens the country's decarbonization efforts. To overcome this deadlock, a detailed roadmap for electrification and an adjustment to the offshore wind energy rollout are urgently needed, says Ireen Geerbex, Director of Market Development NL Offshore Wind at Vattenfall.
What benefit does the private sector really have from the government? And what does it need? Johan Kerver (evofenedex) discusses these questions with Ingrid Faber, CEO at Faber Group, and Jan Nooitgedagt, member of several supervisory boards. Both see the value of government leadership and direction, but they feel the government is not fully embracing its role. Collaboration, too, is lacking. ‘The gap between the private sector and government is truly astonishing.’
How Offshore Wind Farms can become Attractive Again
Offshore wind energy is the primary source of large-scale, sustainable electricity for the Netherlands, forming the backbone of the energy transition. However, the deployment of offshore wind energy is at risk of stalling due to rising costs, high interest rates and a lagging demand for sustainably produced electricity. This threatens the country's decarbonization efforts. To overcome this deadlock, a detailed roadmap for electrification and an adjustment to the offshore wind energy rollout are urgently needed, says Ireen Geerbex, Director of Market Development NL Offshore Wind at Vattenfall.
Ingrid Faber and Jan Nooitgedagt on public-private partnerships: ‘Improvement is often simple’
What benefit does the private sector really have from the government? And what does it need? Johan Kerver (evofenedex) discusses these questions with Ingrid Faber, CEO at Faber Group, and Jan Nooitgedagt, member of several supervisory boards. Both see the value of government leadership and direction, but they feel the government is not fully embracing its role. Collaboration, too, is lacking. ‘The gap between the private sector and government is truly astonishing.’
The leaders participating in this round table all work in energy and chemicals. All three see ESG legislation as an ‘enormous opportunity’ to restore the broken trust between industry and society, but they also agree that greater realism is required. ‘We all aim to contribute to solutions, but some preconditions need to be in place. At present the nuance often gets lost.’
Corporate social responsibility and profit maximization do not necessarily have to be opposing interests, argue Hilde van der Baan and Gijs Linse of A&O Shearman, though investors do often differ in their views on the risks of sustainable investments and the timeframe in which they expect these investments to pay off. To further accelerate the transition, a more competitive capital market and consistent government policy are required.
UWV, the public service provider assisting job seekers, is currently seeking new employees. The core of the recruitment campaign revolves around the idea that professionals at UWV get to do meaningful work with substantive challenges. ‘I recommend every company to explicitly mention significance,’ says HR Director Madeline Dessing, who is also an enthusiastic advocate for enhancing the well-being of colleagues.
‘ESG as a Bridge Between Industry and Society’
The leaders participating in this round table all work in energy and chemicals. All three see ESG legislation as an ‘enormous opportunity’ to restore the broken trust between industry and society, but they also agree that greater realism is required. ‘We all aim to contribute to solutions, but some preconditions need to be in place. At present the nuance often gets lost.’
Shareholders as allies in the sustainable transition
Corporate social responsibility and profit maximization do not necessarily have to be opposing interests, argue Hilde van der Baan and Gijs Linse of A&O Shearman, though investors do often differ in their views on the risks of sustainable investments and the timeframe in which they expect these investments to pay off. To further accelerate the transition, a more competitive capital market and consistent government policy are required.
Madeline Dessing (UWV): ‘Meaningful Work Contributes to Employee Well-being’
UWV, the public service provider assisting job seekers, is currently seeking new employees. The core of the recruitment campaign revolves around the idea that professionals at UWV get to do meaningful work with substantive challenges. ‘I recommend every company to explicitly mention significance,’ says HR Director Madeline Dessing, who is also an enthusiastic advocate for enhancing the well-being of colleagues.
Sustainable Design: Eight Phases and a Different Mindset
For a product to be sustainable from cradle to grave, eight phases of the life cycle must be considered during design. However, a strategic plan to integrate design for sustainability into the entire business operation is often lacking. Designing with prolonging of use and end of life in mind is therefore a complex operation that requires strong leadership, argue Remko de Bruijn and Pim Rossen.
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Paul de Krom (Louwman Group): ‘Mobility Services Are the Future’
The Louwman group is transitioning from car importer to mobility provider. Paul de Krom has been the new CEO of the family-owned company since spring 2023. ‘Our automotive activities are at the essence of this company, but our ambition is mobility for life.'
Marnix van Stiphout: 'ING is Not Your Usual Company'
Marnix van Stiphout has been COO and member of the management Board of banking group ING for a year and a half. During this time, he mainly worked on the realization that operations form an extremely important part of the bank.
Trust And Cooperation As Building Blocks Of The Energy Transition
The Challenges in Making the Value Chain More Sustainable
Take Responsibility Of The Chain And Accelerate Progress Together
Transformation Requires Choices
Gerrit Buitenhuis (Sligro): ‘Our Logistics Challenge Is Quite Simple’
Pieter Heij (HEMA) on an Efficient Logistics Chain
The COO Operates Innovatively And Beyond Established Frameworks
Operations is the place where impact is made in terms of reducing scope emissions. That is the firm conviction of Jacqueline van Lemmen, COO of biotechnology company Corbion. She advocates using the available brainpower in operations. ‘Managing centrally from an ivory tower is not a good approach. Precisely in operations is a wealth of ideas.’
Ideally, pension specialist Roos van der Velden would have liked to see a mandatory pension for everyone. But politicians do not dare to do that. In her view, the Future Pensions Act (WTP) is a meager alternative. ‘That the WTP is better suited to the current labor market is an unworldly idea.’
COO Jacqueline van Lemmen Knows That Operations Is Where It Happens
Operations is the place where impact is made in terms of reducing scope emissions. That is the firm conviction of Jacqueline van Lemmen, COO of biotechnology company Corbion. She advocates using the available brainpower in operations. ‘Managing centrally from an ivory tower is not a good approach. Precisely in operations is a wealth of ideas.’
Pension Specialist Roos van der Velden: 'The Real Problem Is Not Being Addressed'
Ideally, pension specialist Roos van der Velden would have liked to see a mandatory pension for everyone. But politicians do not dare to do that. In her view, the Future Pensions Act (WTP) is a meager alternative. ‘That the WTP is better suited to the current labor market is an unworldly idea.’
Daan Kleinloog: 'New Pension System is Not Getting Any Simpler'
Theo Gommer on the New Pension System: ‘It Is Still Too Impersonal’
Saskia Klep (Saxo Bank): ‘An Intense Migration’
Marnix van Stiphout: 'ING is Not Your Usual Company'
Arjen Linders (Mediq): 'Focus on Daily Operations'
