A classic After Work was a great idea! On November 15, 2023, at Volkshotel, we gathered to make new connections, share experiences, and enjoy laughter. The event brought together a diverse group of people, including entrepreneurs, students, professionals, newcomers to the Netherlands, and YP committee members. It provided a fantastic opportunity to expand networks, make new friends, and become active members of the Young Professionals community. The After Work was generously sponsored by KPMG Meijburg & Co, who offered a welcome drink and snacks.
We had a fantastic start to the YP season with a presentation about Stromma’s sustainability strategy and a discussion about the business culture differences between Sweden and the Netherlands with the folks at Vattenfall. Now, it was time to relax, mingle, and get to know each other better.
The event was in generous collaboration with:
The Young Professionals community was very excited to collaborate with Vattenfall for this event. The event focused on learning keys to navigate Swedish-Dutch business culture, which generated interesting discussions throughout the evening.
We want to extend a special thanks to Vattenfall for hosting this event, and to the Vattenfall team for contributing a lot of interesting insight into business culture as a Swedish company operating in the Netherlands. We also want to thank our speakers Malin K. Petrocchi, senior compliance manager at Prosus Group, and Jan Coelingh, senior program manager and lead engineer wind resources at Vattenfall, for sharing their personal experiences of Swedish-Dutch business culture.
Moderators:
- Edwin Singerling
- Herman Boerman
Speakers:
The event is in collaboration and hosted by:
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this incredible evening on the Amsterdam canals with Stromma and the Young Professionals network! The highlight of the evening was Stromma’s inspiring presentation about its sustainability strategy. As the city of Amsterdam has the goal to only have zero-emission vessels in 2025, a committed sustainability strategy from Stromma is necessary. We got to learn about both their motivation, challenges, and solutions from CEO Carola Hoekstra, and project manager Floris de Vroe.
About Stromma and their sustainability strategy
Stromma is the leading provider of sightseeing experiences in Northern Europe. Stromma offers experiences that aim to give every guest memories for life. These experiences focus on sightseeing tours, entertainment, and activities for tourists, local residents, and companies. From Stromma Sustainability Report 2022:
“Our ambition is to make sustainability a part of everything we do and integrated in all our business activities. We want to take the lead in the tourism industry and make sustainability a priority. We work towards replacing fossil fuels with renewable fuels, reducing our use of resources, purchase and use raw materials with the best possible environmental performance whenever possible. And we will continuously measure and strive to improve our performance. We want to be an active voice for increased knowledge on environmental issues and take part in discussions that relate to our business, the tourism industry”
Read the Swedish Chamber’s previous Sustainability Insight feature with Stromma here.
- Floris de Vroe, Project Manager at Stromma Nederlands
- Carola Hokestra, CEO at Stromma Nederlands
- Bastiaan Schriemer, Pricing Specialist & Account Manager
- Emma Wergeland, Project Manager for Young Professionals
June 29, 2023
09.00 – 11.00
Volvo Cars Netherlands
Stationsweg 2, 4153 RD Beesd
On June 29, 2023, we had the pleasure of launching the Diversity & Inclusion Breakfast series by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce. This event was hosted by Volvo Car Netherlands BV and aimed to inspire and empower business leaders in creating inclusive and diverse workplaces. The morning began with a delightful breakfast, followed by a presentation from Patricia van Hazendonk, People Experience & Competence and Management Team Member at Volvo Cars Netherlands, who shared insights into Volvo Cars’ Diversity & Inclusion strategy and the Volvo Family Bond Program.
Next, Wendy Broersen, CEO/Founder of Superpeople Company, took the stage. Wendy is an esteemed international expert in gender diversity and inclusion, serving as a guest lecturer at the University of Amsterdam and author of the book ‘NOT for HR.’ With her company, Superpeople Company, she assists organizations both domestically and internationally in attracting and retaining more diverse talent and fostering optimal development. During this interactive session on Diversity and Inclusion, Wendy discussed the different stages an organization goes through on the path to inclusivity, highlighting key focus areas, recommended actions for each stage, and strategies for achieving optimal results. Participants also had the opportunity to reflect on their own organizations, identify their current phase, and determine the next steps to take.
We extend our gratitude to Herrik van der Gaag, Managing Director at Volvo Car Germany GmbH & Volvo Car Netherlands BV, for hosting the Swedish Chamber of Commerce’s first D&I Breakfast. We would also like to thank the speakers and Roger van Polanen Petel, PR & Communication Manager at Volvo Cars Netherlands, for his efforts in organizing and moderating the session.
We are excited to announce that our next D&I Breakfast, which will be a combination event with the Swedish Chamber Tech Table series – Diversity in Tech, will take place on September 14. SKF Netherlands will be hosting this event. For more information, click here.
We look forward to welcoming you!
PROGRAM
08.45
Doors open, a delicious breakfast will be served
09.00
Welcome by Herrik van der Gaag, Managing Director at Volvo Car Germany GmbH & Volvo Car Netherlands BV
09.15
Volvo Cars Diversity & Inclusion strategy, including the Volvo Family Bond Program, and how it has been implemented in the company by
Patricia van Hazendonk, People Experience & Competence and Management Team Member at Volvo Cars Netherlnads
09.45
How to take the first steps towards creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and how to expand it throughout your organization by
Wendy Broersen, CEO/Founder Superpeople Company
10.50
Thank you by Swedish Chamber of Commerce
11.00
End of D&I Meeting
Moderator:
Roger van Polanen Petel
PR & Communication Manager | Consumer Experience | The Netherlands
ABOUT THE SWEDISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVE BREAKFAST
Our aim is to provide a series to discuss strategies with a focus on new perspectives, share real cases and research and to support you with concrete tools to increase and develop D&I within your organization. We will discuss how to get started, which topics to prioritize, and the business case for diversity and inclusion. This will be an interactive event on one of the top priority topics, that we all know we ”should” address, but don´t know ”how”.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
CEO, D&I, HR and Business Senior managers and everyone who would like to start the journey for Inclusion and Diversity.
This event is a collaboration between:
Would you like to host a Swedish Chamber Diversity & Inclusion Breakfast?, contact events@swedishchaber.nl for more information.
Young Professionals Midsummer Celebration
June 15, 2023
Location Vondelpark
Time 18:00-20:00
On June 15, 2023, the Young Professionals of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce celebrated their annual Midsummer Picknick in the Vondelpark, Amsterdam. More than 30 happy YP members, guests and friends gathered together to enjoy strawberry and prosecco, handmade flower crowns and some fun kubb competition in the beautiful summer weather. The Young Professional Committee would like to thank all participants for making the Midsummer event a huge success. We wish you all an amazing summer and we are looking forward to meeting up again in September!
May 30, 2023
18.30-21.00
Hosted by Swe-Cham Patron Member Heussen Advocaten en Notarissen
Young Professionals Meets Sweco
May 3, 2023
18:00-20:00
Meet up at Amsterdam Central Station
The Young Professionals of the Swedish Chamber would like to thank everyone who joined the Young Professionals Meets Sweco Event on May 4, 2023!
We were very happy to connect our networks on a sunny boat ride through Amsterdam and wish to extend a big thank you to our collaboration partner Young Sweco.
We were pleased to listen to insights about Sweco’s organization and its point of view on sustainability.
About Sweco
For more than 130 years, Sweco has been transforming society.
Together with their clients and the collective knowledge of 20,000 architects, engineers, and other experts, they co-create solutions to address urbanisation, capture the power of digitalisation, and make our societies more sustainable.
Today, they are Europe’s leading architecture and engineering consultancy.
“Young Sweco” is Sweco’s vibrant youth network, for people up to 35 years within their organization.’
YP Afterwork– Why are mentorship experiences valuable?
April 13, 2023
18:00-20:00
PRLab
Welcome to YP AfterWork on April 13!
Sign up Today! Looking for a great way to unwind after a long day at work? Look no further than YP AfterWork on April 13!
Join us at the stunning PRLab venue in the heart of Amsterdam for an evening of networking, learning, and fun. Enjoy a complimentary drink as you mingle with members of the vibrant YP community, and be inspired by a fascinating 20-minute talk from renowned mentorship coach Hendrik Jan Guitink and his mentee, Malin K. Petrocchi. Whether you’re seeking personal development or just want to relax and socialize, this is the perfect opportunity to do it all. Best of all, the event is completely free of charge – but spaces are limited, so be sure to register now to avoid disappointment. Don’t miss out on this incredible evening – we can’t wait to see you there!
Testimonial
“You will leave the program with a different maturity as well as a host of new knowledge and tools to help propel your career.” – Malin K. Petrocchi
