Hans sits on ‘The Bench’ for the strategy discipline. He has worked for sustainable leaders in the corporate world, companies like Unilever, NS (Dutch Railways), and Eneco. After a 28-year career in various commercial management roles, Hans concluded that he needed to focus on supporting ventures and organizations that—unhindered by vested interests or paradigms—want to improve the world. He caught the sustainability bug during the 2000s.
The Need for Sustainability
“My work at Unilever made me realize how many challenges there are in the food chain when it comes to sustainability. At that time, the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan was being developed, but I found it quite challenging to truly make an impact in such a large and complex organization,” Hans explains. During that time, I came into contact with the National Think Tank, a foundation that achieves social impact through groundbreaking solutions. We investigated how the Netherlands could implement more sustainable solutions in the food chain in an economically viable way, and which parties should take the lead. I also served on the board of the Stichting Ideële Reclame (SIRE), with which I developed a campaign about food waste, among other things. My personal desire to make a structural contribution to a better world grew by the day. The sustainability bug took hold of me.
Where would we be without the train?
After Unilever, the Dutch Railways (NS) became the new employer. As Commercial Director at NS, I explored how we could make sustainability a more integral part of our services and operations. Thanks to a groundbreaking contract with Eneco, train passengers in the Netherlands were the first in the world to travel on 100% wind power starting in 2017. To further influence the energy transition, I decided to move from NS to Eneco. There, I was the driving force behind the positioning and commercial strategy to enable ALL residential and business customers to become more sustainable, with the largest portfolio of renewable energy sources and accessible innovations to take the next step in sustainability. Looking back on my career, I have always been fascinated by and a driving force behind the transformation of companies from the ‘old’ economy to a fully sustainable future in the ‘new’ economy.
In his element at Salacia
“These days, I primarily focus on companies that have started in the ‘new’ economy, helping them accelerate and scale. That’s how I ended up at Salacia, where I contribute to market development and commercial strategy. My expertise, which I bring from sustainable leaders in the corporate world, and my network allow me to actively participate in the solution. That’s an intrinsic drive I share with the people behind Salacia. What I love about Salacia? They remove the barriers I encountered with my previous employers and their corporate clients. These are questions like ‘How do you gain insight into your actual sustainability performance in an accessible and engaging way?’ ‘How can we see if we’re truly making progress?’ and ‘How do you justify investments in sustainability?'” says Hans. Salacia can drastically simplify ESG impact tracking and reporting. It facilitates data-driven decision-making around sustainability investments and provides insight into status and progress. Salacia also provides guidance on the right interventions. In other words: #Hansfindsthetoogoodidea.
