Our people
Our people
Our people make the difference. They are the heart of our organisation, and their shared knowledge and expertise are the driving force behind our furniture collections and the services we offer. Below, you’ll find interviews with three of our colleagues, sharing their thoughts on their work, what inspires them, and their ambitions for the future.
Meet Circular Hub manager - Robert Heesakkers
We'd like to expand our Circular Hubs internationally.
"The transition to a circular economy is essential to combat climate change. In a circular rather than linear economy, we reuse materials that are already in circulation. This way we can save a lot of CO2 emissions.
Moreover, it is wonderful to give products a second, third or even fourth life. Why would you buy a new chair when you can get a used product with the same quality and warranty, that feels like new? In the Circular Hub, we are continuously working on industrialising refurbishment. In other words: becoming more sustainable and achieving cost savings. This is possible because we have our own factory and our own engineers with a lot of expertise."
Meet Gispen's interior designer - Kim Lantwaard
Farewell to waste: we design without discarding.
"The ideal working environment is more than just a variety of spaces. The interior that Gispen aims to create together with all stakeholders is 'More than an office'. Now more than ever, reuse and refurbishment form the foundation of this interior vision. We view the challenges this brings as opportunities. Taking it step-by-step, yet remaining circular and flexible.
By utilising our extensive toolkit and the expertise of our specialists, clients, and users, we collaboratively achieve an interior design where the user is always the central focus. For those sectors where the future truly matters, we also offer a Gispen Interior Vision for 'More than education' and 'More than healthcare'."
Meet Works Council chair - John Meijs
The biggest impact we make comes from working together — strengthening each other through openness, understanding and shared purpose.
"I have been a member of the Works Council since 2022, first as vice-chair and now as chair. I wanted to see what goes on in a works council and to play an active part in shaping everything that happens within Royal Ahrend. A lot of time is spent reading documents and consulting with others, sometimes with external parties too.
Together with the management, we work towards what is best for the company. This can sometimes lead to differences of opinion, and it is important to understand each other’s viewpoints. In practice, we strengthen one another and we need each other."
The Works Council of Royal Ahrend
The Works Council represents all employees of Royal Ahrend in the Netherlands. The main task of the Works Council is to ensure that employees’ voices are heard within the organisation. The Works Council contributes to strategic decisions, ranging from new working processes to terms and conditions of employment. The council also provides advice and submits proposals on topics such as health, safety and job satisfaction.
The Works Council has the right of approval and the right to advise and consent, giving it a formal voice in all decisions affecting employees of the Royal Ahrend group. In this way, it acts as a bridge between employees and management.
The current Works Council
Ahrend’s Works Council currently has seven members, including Chair John Meijs. Its areas of focus are divided across various subcommittees, from the Finance and Sites Committee to the HSE and HR Committees. The Works Council meets every month, while the joint meeting with the board takes place every two months. In addition to matters affecting the entire Royal Ahrend group, the various committees also provide updates during these meetings.
Key topics
Key topics addressed by the Works Council over the past year include Project Connect, the implementation of a new ERP system, changes in the board and the working-from-home policy. The Works Council’s influence has been clearly felt in practice: following open conversations and constructive discussions about the arrangements for working from home, management adjusted the policy.