Dutch Excellence - Dutch Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

April / May 2013 

Volume 163 

Dutch Excellence 

Interview with a Chief 4 

Lilianne Ploumen, Minister for Foreign Trade and 

Development Cooperation, Government of the Netherlands 

Dutch Business Awards Gala 10 

Hong Kong Fairy Tales Become Reality 

Dutch Chamber Committees 20

The magazine for members of the Dutch 

Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong 

Unit 2402B, 24th Floor 

Great Eagle Centre 

23 Harbour Road 

Wan Chai 

Hong Kong 

E-mail: info@dutchchamber.hk 

Website: www.dutchchamber.hk 

Skype: Dutchchamberhk 

Editorial Committee 

Alexander de Nerée tot Babberich (Chairman) 

Candice Lee 

Willem van den Ende 

Mirjam Achthoven 

Editor 

Kristen Beattie 

Desktop publisher 

Jean Michel Caille 

General Manager 

Jacqueline Baud 

Cover Design 

Marleen Walz, TWIG 

Advertisers 

ABN AMRO 

BLUE 8 PREMIUM 

HEINEKEN 

HKWJ TAX LAW & PARTNERS LTD. 

ING COMMERCIAL BANKING 

KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES 

KPMG 

LOYENS & LOEFF 

ORANGEFIELD ICS 

PHILIPS 

RABOBANK 

ROYALE INTERNATIONAL 

WINESHOP ASIA 

Contents 

3 Chairman’s Note 

4 News and Views 

Interview with a Chief 

10 Dutch Business Awards 

20 Dutch Chamber Committees 

26 Lifestyle 

30 Members' Corner 

32 Events 

34 Enquiries and Information 

35 Go Green 

World Environment Week 

36 Dutchcham Information 

z This magazine is distributed free of charge to all members and relations of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. 

z For annual subscription, please mail your business card and a crossed cheque for HK$490 to the above address. Cheques should be made payable to “The Dutch Chamber 

of Commerce in Hong Kong”. 

z The content of this magazine is largely based on information from third parties. The editors do not necessarily agree with the views expressed therein. All rights are 

reserved by the Dutch Chamber of Commerce. Permission may be granted for reprints in any format upon request. 

z To enable us to improve our service and avoid multiple mailings or errors with company details, please send us your latest information so that we can update our database. 

1

DutchCham Board of Directors 

Mr Robert Scholten 

Chairman; Managing Director & Country Manager Greater China 

of ING Commercial Banking 

Mr René Theil 

Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the SME Committee; 

Managing Director of Blue 8 Premium 

Mr Arend Oldenziel 

Treasurer; Principal of KPMG 

Mr Alexander de Nerée tot Babberich 

Chairman of the Public Relations & Publication Committee; 

Local Partner, Stibbe 

Mr Harold van Kooten 

Co-Chair of the China Committee; 

Special Counsel, Baker & McKenzie 

Mr Daniël de Blocq van Scheltinga 

Co-Chair of the China Committee; 

Managing Partner of Polarwide Ltd. 

Mr Tom Voûte 

Chairman of the Membership Committee; 

Chief Executive Officer of Algorithmic Trading Group Ltd. 

DutchCham Advisory Board 

Mr Wilfred Mohr 

Chairman; Consul-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands 

Mr K. K. Yeung Chairman of KK Yeung Management Consultants Ltd. 

Mr Wiebo Vaartjes Chairman of Philips Electronics Hong Kong Ltd. 

Mr Paul Zimmerman Founding member of Designing Hong Kong 

Southern District Councillor 

Mr Dennis Ziengs Senior Advisor, SwissRE 

Mr Frank Koster CEO ING Insurance Asia Pacific 

Mr Lodewijk Lamaison van den Berg 

Senior Vice President of EFG Bank 

DutchCham Office 

Mrs Jacqueline Baud 

General Manager 

Ms Mirjam Achthoven 

Marketing & Communication 

Manager 

Mrs Helen Yong 

Office Manager 

Excellence Prevails 

Finally in March after months of 

preparation, secret rounds of nominations 

and general excitement, it 

was time for the Dutch Chamber of 

Commerce in Hong Kong’s “Hong Kong 

Fairy Tale Business Awards Gala”. 

If the feedback we got is anything to go by, this event was unanimously 

received very positively. Not in the least because of the wonderful 

program which kicked off with the world famous keynote 

speaker, Jim Thompson, founding father of the Crown Group. His 

story of how he grew his company from a small office in Japan is 

an inspiration of excellence for anyone; Dutch or otherwise. 

Our emcee, Case Everaert, seamlessly and expertly joined the 

different parts of the evening together and our eloquent Daniel 

Scheltinga finally relieved us from the suspense by revealing the 

award winners with great gusto. 

The real stars of the evening were of course the four extraordinary 

award winners. These examples of Dutch ingenuity overseas show 

us that wherever you are and whatever state the economy is in, 

excellence prevails. Congratulations to our winners: Ricco 

deBlank of Sun Hung Kai Properties, Randstad, Pieter Onderwater 

of the Orange Tree and Manó Markovits of 3 P.M. These stories 

of excellence were even picked up by the Dutch press; glowing 

reviews of the Gala appeared in the Dutch paper De Telegraaf and 

the magazine Quote. Many thanks to all involved in making this 

event happen; not in the least our sponsors. 

Having barely recovered from the Gala, the Chamber welcomed 

Mrs Lilianne Ploumen, Minister for Foreign Trade and 

Development Cooperation during her successful visit to Hong 

Kong in early May. We are especially thankful to her for taking 

part in the insightful interview with us, featured here on pages 4- 

5. During her stay in Hong Kong, Mrs. Ploumen has very successfully 

promoted Dutch expertise in environmental protection 

and safety (including waste management technology); something 

which has not gone unnoticed by the Hong Kong government. 

We hope to welcome her again during her time in office. 

It is not all fun and games at the Dutch Chamber. On 19th of June 

2013 we will explain to all our members what we have achieved this 

year and what we hope to gain in the next year during our AGM. 

I hope that many of you will join this meeting; for which 

Rabobank was so kind as to lend us their office. I would especially 

like urge all our new members - and there are many this 

year - to take part. Your suggestions and views will be invaluable 

in setting the direction for our Chamber; which now is also 

yours. Separate invitations to come in due course. 

Happy reading and I look forward to seeing you on the 19th June. 

Robert Scholten 

DutchCham Chairman 

Chairman’s Note 

3

News and Views 

Interview with a Chief 

Lilianne Ploumen, Minister for Foreign Trade and 

Development Cooperation, Government of the Netherlands 

In November 2012, Lilianne Ploumen was appointed Minister 

for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, 

Government of the Netherlands. We caught up with her to 

find out more about her new position, her views on the new 

monarchy and the importance of foreign trade and development 

cooperation just as she is about to embark on her first 

official visit to Hong Kong and China. 

z By Kristen Beattie 

How has your career path progressed over the years? 

My career kicked off while I was still at university – I 

began working as a community outreach worker in the 

Crooswijk area of Rotterdam. Two years later I joined 

the Institute of Psychological Market Research (IPM), working in 

the statistics department and as a research project leader. In 1995 

I founded the Ploumen Projecten, an organisation specialising in 

market research and innovation for commercial and non-profit 

clients and also began fundraising for ‘Mama Cash’, an 

international fund supporting women’s initiatives, going on to 

become director of the organisation from 1996 to 2001. 

My career then took me to the development organisation 

Cordaid, first as head of quality and strategy and later as 

director of international programmes. I was Chair of the Labour 

Party (PvdA) from October 2007 to January 2012 and on 5 th 

November, 2012 I was appointed Minister for Foreign Trade 

and Development Cooperation in the Rutte-Asscher 

government. 

What does your day-to-day work consist of? How 

much travelling do you do? 

Every day is different, but they are all dedicated to supporting 

Dutch companies abroad in their trade activities, international 

cooperation and expanding the mutual benefits of free, fair and 

sustainable trade relations. Most of that work can’t be done 

from behind a desk and requires me to travel intensively. This 

year, I have some forty international trips planned. 

Your Queen will abdicate on 30th April and hand over 

the crown to her son, Willem Alexander. Have you met 

the new King to be, Willem Alexander? How do you 

think his monarchy will be different? 

Just like his mother, Queen Beatrix, Crown Prince Willem 

Alexander is a huge contributor to the excellent relations the 

Netherlands has with other countries. Most visible is their 

4 

Lilianne Ploumen 

leadership of numerous state visits and trade missions all around 

the world. Over the past months I have accompanied them on 

missions to Singapore, Brunei and Brazil. And the next one will 

be soon after the coronation: to Germany in June. 

The Netherlands currently has a high unemployment 

rate. How can foreign trade and development cooperation 

help the Dutch economy? 

Our unemployment rate is around 6.5 percent, higher than we 

are used to and indeed higher than China’s at 4.5 percent or 

Hong Kong’s 3 percent. But it is moderate in comparison to the 

Eurozone average of 12 percent or even the OECD average of 

over 8 percent. Still, every unemployed person is one too many. 

For the Dutch economy, trade is our way out of the crisis. 

Foreign trade creates domestic jobs. We remain strong in being 

the gateway to Europe, but for growth and economic 

dynamism we look beyond our neighbors to countries like 

China; and even beyond the BRICs to new markets in places 

like Africa. 

I believe you are planning a visit to China and 

Hong Kong soon? 

Yes, in early May I will visit Hong Kong and China. This will be 

my first visit in the capacity of Minister for Foreign Trade and 

Development Cooperation. 

What do you hope to achieve during your visit to 

Hong Kong? 

During my visit, I want to learn more about the Hong Kong 

economy and its synergies with ours. Trade relations between 

Hong Kong and the Netherlands are already vibrant and 

there is potential for much more. Already around 200 Dutch 

companies have an office in Hong Kong; many of which use 

it as a hub to service the rest of China and the wider Asia- 

Pacific region. Strengthening these relations is in our mutual 

interest.

Minister Ploumen visits Dutch drinking water company 

PWN-Techologies in Singapore 

To give an example, it seems there are 

great opportunities for closer cooperation 

in the waste management sector. Hong 

Kong has sizable plans to overhaul its 

waste management policies. It wants to 

move away from landfills and focus more 

on recycling and waste2energy plants. 

During my visit some of our companies 

and knowledge institutions will present 

state-of-the-art technical solutions that can contribute to 

implementing these plans. 

How do you hope to develop the bilateral relationship 

between the Netherlands and China? 

Our relations cover a broad range of areas. The Netherlands is an 

open, reliable and innovative country and foreign trade is crucial 

to our economy. We are the second largest European trading 

partner of China and we wish to further increase our cooperation. 

Our knowledge and expertise in sectors like water, agro/food and 

creative industries are well known all over the world. These are 

also important sectors in China. With our expertise and 

technology we can support China’s efforts to manage 

urbanization, sustainability and technological development. 

During my visit I will explore possibilities to increase cooperation 


A Philippine entrepreneur 

explains her social business 

model to Minister Ploumen 

in these fields. I look forward to establishing a good relationship 

with the new Chinese minister of Commerce and to work together 

on promoting trade and investments between our countries. I will 

visit Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu during my visit to the 

mainland and intend to make regular visits to China. 

What are you most looking forward to on this trip? 

An important focus of my policy is making trade and economic 

growth more sustainable and socially responsible. The world 

faces an increasing number of problems that no state, company 

or international organization can solve on its own, such as 

climate change, extreme poverty, food insecurity and water 

safety. China is an indispensable partner in this regard and I look 

forward to exchanging views on how these problems can be 

tackled. 

5


Good Food Made in Holland 

Dutch Excellence - Leading in Innovation – Health and Sustainability – 

Solutions for Global Issues 

z By Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands 

The Netherlands is the second-largest exporter of agri-food 

products in the world, only after the United States which 

is 296 times bigger than the Netherlands. The Dutch 

annually export 7.5% of global food exports. Hard work and 

smart working practices have resulted in the highest added value 

per FTE in Europe. 

Priority sector 

Companies, knowledge institutes and government work together 

in the top team agri-food. The aim of this team is to help the 

sector to continue to strengthen its sustainable, innovative and 

internationally competitive edge. The agri-food sector generates 

€ 48 billion in added value, which equals almost 10% of the 

Dutch economy, and employs 660,000 people in total. 

Europe or global? 

More than 80% of the Dutch exports are destined for Europe, 

primarily Germany and other neighbouring countries. However, 

Dutch companies are venturing increasingly further abroad, 

especially to the green fields of Asia. Everyone in Hong Kong has 

heard of Friesland Campina. Except perhaps for the carefree Lan 

Kwai Fung singles who deliberately ignore baby formula… 

Safe urban food 

In 2050, 70% of the world’s population will live in cities. This 

puts enormous pressure on food production and food safety. 

Metropolitan food security is therefore high on the international 

agenda of researchers and governments. Dutch researchers are 

making plans for sustainable urban food clusters on a global 

scale. Wageningen University, for example, is advising on the 

construction of Ecovalley on the outskirts of Beijing. 

It is always a nice pastime to look at the websites of large 

corporations and to read company slogans or pay-offs. Where 

‘Sense and simplicity’ can be seen as a rather clear and practical 

approach, ‘Make.believe’ (Sony) is already more spiritual. ‘Life’s 

Good’ may be nicely abbreviated to its owner LG, but doesn’t 

give any distinction at all. And could you tell what companies 

use(d) the slogans: ‘Where do you want to go today’, 

‘Imagination at work’ and ‘High Performance, Delivered’? 

I believe a good slogan should set a company apart from the rest. 

However, only few companies use such slogans. The reason 

behind might be that most companies are having a hard time in 

determining what their distinction is. What makes them excellent 

innovators, manufacturers, distributors or service companies? 

A good slogan is appealing, but also explains the unique selling 

point of the company. Ebay makes it easy to trade: ‘Buy it, Sell 

it, Love it’. Nescafe uses ‘Coffee at its Best’. M&M has ‘Melts in 

6 

It tastes like chicken 

Flexitarians eat less meat than average or than they used to, 

which means they can still eat more meat than the average 

person… The Dutch company Ojah received the Dutch SME 

Innovation Award for cleverly mixing compressed flour and 

water. This product, called Beeter, is made from vegetable 

proteins that take on a structure similar to meat when heated at 

a high temperature. Beeter formula: 

flour + water + heat = almost chicken. Great food for 

flexitarians. 

Crisis, what crisis? 

Despite the economic difficulties of the last years, the Dutch 

agri-food continues to grow. With growing awareness of food 

safety and increasing purchasing power in Asia to buy the best 

and most trusted foods and brands, the Dutch agri-food sector 

will continue to thrive – and deliver quality food products to 

Asian consumers. 

Further reading: 

Top Institute Food and Nutrition: www.tifn.nl 

Dutch Federation of Agriculture and Horticulture: www.lto.nl/english 

www.hollandtrade.com/business-information 

Striving for Excellence Through Partnerships 

z By Alfred Griffioen, Alliance Experts 

your mouth, not in your hands’. And Nokia was ‘Connecting 

people’, until Facebook started to help people not only to 

connect, but also to share. 

Creating a really unique proposition requires focus. Focus on 

what your company can excel at. Medium-sized and smaller 

companies especially need to direct all their efforts on their 

cutting edge. If this is innovation and product development; then 

find a partner for production and distribution. If you have a 

distribution network, then find a partner who can provide you 

with the right services. 

What a pity for the marketing communication boys and girls! 

The slogan should not be leading the company, it should just 

follow what the company is good at. Whether it is ‘I’m loving it’, 

‘Everything we do is driven by you’ (Ford) or ‘Specialists in 

partnerships’, it starts with defining your own excellence and 

leaving the rest to others.


Nederlandse Vereniging 

in Hong Kong 

z By Rinske Kuiper & Ente Breed 

Together with the Dutch Chamber and the Consulate 

General, the Nederlandse Vereniging (Dutch Association) 

forms the Dutch triangle in Hong Kong. And together we 

make it very easy for the 6,000 Dutch people to survive in this 

city! 

The Nederlandse Vereniging was founded as a Dutch social 

centre and to promote solidarity amongst the Dutch in Hong 

Kong. The eight board members of the association and an 

enthusiastic group of other volunteers put in a lot of effort to 

make this happen. Together we do all we can to organise great 

events, but it’s the more than 800 association members who 

turn whatever we put on the calendar into successful 

happenings. 

Each of our board members has their own specific 

responsibilities, which reflect the many duties of our 

association. Gouke van Voorst is responsible for a smooth 

organisation of all our events; the most crucial service to our 

members. Mariska Kes practically knows all association 

members by name, since she spends many hours working on the 

membership administration. Hilde Kerstens is in charge of the 

finances; she makes sure the costs we make are in balance with 

8 

the (moderate) membership fees and generous sponsor 

donations. Ente Breed takes care of our communication on 

Facebook, on www.nedverhk.com and in our digital newsletter. 

He also is responsible for our magazine, the Hollandse Nieuwe, 

which is created by a talented group of writers and designers. 

Yen Fai Chau has been our faithful registrar for years; he 

prepares our board meeting, takes its minutes and makes sure 

we’re properly administered with the authorities. Yukki Ngay 

keeps in touch with our sponsors, without whom our 

association wouldn’t be able to thrive. Since the beginning of 

this membership year, we have been working hard on creating a 

new website. Roald Andersen has taken charge of this nice 

project. And last, but not least, Rinske Kuiper has been our 

chair for almost two years now. She keeps the board motivated 

and helps the association stay healthy and growing. 

All of the board members are involved in organizing events in 

one way or another. With the help of many other volunteers, we 

for instance arrange each year for the hero of all Dutch 

children, Sinterklaas, to visit Hong Kong. We also go iceskating 

and we hunt for Easter eggs in the garden of the Consul- 

General. Knick knacks in need of a new owner are sold at the 

Vrijmarkt, which takes place around Queensday (Kingsday 

from next year). 

Every first Thurday of the month, all Dutch Hongkongers and 

their friends can meet at Linq on Pottinger Street for a drink 

and a chance to meet new people. We also try to show a Dutch 

movie each year. Last year we watched De Heineken 

Ontvoering and this year we enjoyed Alles is Familie. You 

definitely want to clear your calendar for our big events like 

“Leids Ontzet” and our Orange Ball. This year, because of the 

abdication of Queen Beatrix, the ball is named “Kroningsbal” 

(Crowning Ball). It will be held on May 11 th and it’s promising 

to be one very special night. Other things we organize include 

excursions, comedy, coffee mornings, and Dragon Boat racing. 

Besides all the events, we also make sure everyone is kept up-todate 

on Dutch things that are going on in the city. We send out 

digital newsletters with information we get from our members, 

the Dutch Chamber, the Consulate-General, and other 

interested parties. The magazine Hollandse Nieuwe is published 

four times a year. It displays pictures and stories about the 

events, and other subjects that connect Hong Kong with the 

Netherlands. 

It’s great being part of this group of Dutch enthusiasts who 

share the ins and outs of the city that they have gotten to know. 

Let us know you if would also like to participate! 

Nederlandse Vereniging in Hong Kong 

vz@nedervhk.com - nieuws@nedverhk.com 

www.nedverhk.com 

Facebook.com/nedverhkBy Rinske Kuiper & Ente Breed

ING Commercial Bank 

When and where did you company start? 

In the 19th century, ING Insurance started in its first venture in 

Xiamen, China. The Hong Kong office has been open for more 

than thirty years. 

How many employees do you have in the Hong Kong 

office? 

ING Asia works with the concept of Greater China, consisting 

of 3 branches in Taiwan, Shanghai, Hong Kong and a 

representative office in Beijing. Around 200 employers work in 

these four locations. On top of that, we have a minority stake in 

the Bank of Beijing, the largest city commercial bank in China. 

We were also the first bank to open a representative office in 

Mongolia five years ago, which is a token of ING’s 

entrepreneurship in Asia. 

What makes your company unique? 

ING has been active in this region for more than twenty years. We 

are proud to say that a large part of our client base has been with 

us for that same period of time. We have grown with our local 

customers, which started as small, local players and have now 

become large, global players. What makes ING stand out is its 

excellent network in Europe and in Asia. Since we have long and 

strong connections with our clients in both regions and have 

extensive knowledge of their markets, we can come up with tailormade 

solutions for Asian clients who would like to expand their 

business in Europe and vice versa. What also makes ING different 

is its loyal staff (many employees have been with us for more than 

Business Awards Gala Sponsor 

Robert Scholten and Jean-Charles Casier of ING talk to us about the history of the company, what makes them unique, about their 

business in Hong Kong and why they are an example of Dutch Excellence. 

10, 15 and in some cases even longer than 20 years (that's our 

Chairman, Robert Scholten). 

What is your company’s specialization in Hong Kong? 

We are a true commercial bank with investment banking capabilities. 

Main strengths include our international network, and expertise in 

commodity finance (as do Rabobank, and ABN AMRO) and deep 

understanding of sectors such Telecommunications, Transport, 

Natural Resources and the Utility sector. Our client base is a mix of 

state-owned enterprises, commodity traders, MNCs, financial 

institutions and Blue Chips in HK and China. 

What does Dutch Excellence mean to you? 

Dutch Excellence means that we focus on building long-term 

trust with our clients. Mutual understanding is very important to 

us, as well as quick, direct and pragmatic execution of work. 

Why is your company an example of Dutch 

Excellence? 

We do not only build trust and mutual understanding with our 

clients, but also find it very important to build up a good 

communication between the different departments within the 

bank and across the offices in our cluster. The front office, 

middle office and back office all work aligned, and together 

form a very efficient chain. Collaboration is key. 

What are your company’s future ambitions in Asia? 

We want to be the preferred European bank for our customers. 

9

Dutch Business Awards 2013 

Hong Kong Fairy Tales Become Reality 

On Friday the 15th of March, 2013, the Dutch Chamber of 

Commerce hosted its biggest, most prominent event of 

the year: ‘the Hong Kong Fairy Tale Business Awards 

Gala’. After entering the beautiful Star Room of the Langham 

Place Hotel, sipping glasses of sparkling wine and greeting our 

Prince on the White Horse, our Dutch kings and queens were 

seated at one of the fifteen Fairy Tables. At their tables, our 

guests could enjoy excellent wines and a five-course dinner, while 

listening to the jazzy sounds of our live band and watching the 

hilarious improvisational comedy show by 'The Three Dudes'. 

The program of the night was opened by our honorary guest speaker 

Mr. Jim Thompson, Founder, of the Crown Worldwide Group. 

Starting off with only 1,000 USD in his bank account in 1965 and 

having managed to expand his company to the largest privately 

owned company in international removals today, Mr. Thompson’s 

story is the perfect example of our idea of the Hong Kong Fairy Tale. 

Inspired by stories like Mr. Thompson’s, we invited our own 

Dutch companies and business leaders to share their fairy tales 

with us. Over the past months, our jury interviewed many 

different businesses and individuals, in search of examples of real 

‘Dutch Excellence’ in Hong Kong. 

We were very proud that on this Fairy Special Evening, we could 

award two companies and two individuals for their outstanding 

achievements and successes in this vibrant, fast and challenging city. 

The Awards went to the following businesses and individuals: 

• Dutch Multinational 2013: Randstad Hong Kong 

• Dutch SME 2013: OrangeTree Restaurant 

• Business Leader 2013: Mr. Ricco deBlank, 

CEO of Sun Hung Kai Properties Hotels 

• Special Achievement Award 2013: Mr. Manó Markovits, 

Founder & CEO of 3 P.M. 

The stories of these four winners have all made a unique and 

inspiring contribution to the Dutch business community in Hong 

Kong. Warm thanks go to all the other nominees who took the 

challenge of sharing their fairy tales with us. We are proud to 

have so many examples of Dutch excellence in Hong Kong, and 

hope that this gala has inspired each of you to make your own 

fairy tale become reality. 

This fairy special evening could not have been possible without 

the generous contributions of our sponsors. We would like to 

thank our Frog Prince Rabobank, our Cinderella sponsors Loyens 

& Loeff, ABN AMRO, Orangefield, ING and KPMG and our 

Snow White sponsors Philips and Randstad. A big thank you also 

to our fairy event sponsors: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Garuda 

Indonesia, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Mandarin Oriental, Philips, 

Sun Hung Kai Properties Hotels and Wineshop Asia. We would 

also like to thank everyone who helped make this evening a great 

success: our MC Case Everaert, the Gala Organisation 

Committee, the Gala Jury Committee and the Jury. 

Last but not least, we would like to thank all of you who 

attended this event. Together with you, we made the Hong Kong 

Fairy Tale Business Awards an unforgettable evening! 

The net proceeds of the lucky draw ticket sales (39,400 HKD) 

were donated to Bring me a Book Hong Kong. 

10


11


Manó Markovits, Founder & CEO of 3 P.M. 

Winner of the Dutchcham Special Achievement Award 2013! 

We talked to Manó Markovits, Founder & CEO of 3 P.M. about the 

challenges he faces operating a factory in Mainland China and as a 

foreign investment company there, his company’s future ambitions in 

the Region and how his family is settling into Hong Kong life. 


Can you tell us about your business? 

3P.M. China Manufacturing Ltd produces mainly two types 

of products (1) protective cases or accessories for mobile 

phones (2) Display Phones which are the none working 

mobile phones you find for example at SmartTone or other 

telecom shops. 

How long has your company operated in HKG? 

3 P.M. Limited, a Hong Kong Trading Company, was found in 

1996. In 2004 we established 3 P.M. China Manufacturing Ltd, 

our manufacturing activities in China. In the mean time we 

opened offices in the USA, Japan and soon in Korea. 

What are the main challenges you face daily operating 

a factory on the Mainland? 

Ha Ha, I can write a book about the challenges I face in 

Manufacturing. Running a factory in China makes it even 

more adventurous. Our objectives is to translate the overseas 

customers idea’s / requirements and design / build high end products 

in a short period of time at a competitive price level. Translating the 

Japanese or Western requirements and having it executed in mass 

production by operators in the assembly lines require proper process 

and tight process control. Furthermore, the ongoing manufacturing 

costs increase, cost control and resource planning require a lot of 

attention. Being a foreign investment company in China makes it 

more challenging as our mainland competitors interpret the laws 

and regulations in a different way than we can. 

12 

We hear you family has recently joined you to live in 

Hong Kong – how are they settling in? 

Yes indeed, Barbara and my 11 years old twin daughters moved 

to HKG. In 2009 we had a 3 months trial period and in 2010 we 

moved to HKG for a “short” period. We are having a very good 

time in Hong Kong and I’m very pleased to spend much more 

time with the family than before. The very first year 

was definitely the most difficult one for the three ladies at home 

because of numerous reasons. Now the Markovits Family are 

enjoying the Hong Kong lifestyle and love to explore the Asia 

Pacific region during the holidays. The pollution in Hong Kong 

is the main down side. 

What are your company’s future ambitions in the 

region? 

We initiated activities in Korea and we expect to have our own 

office in Seoul later this year. Furthermore, we see a healthy 

increase in demand which would mean that we need to expand 

our production capacity by means of a 2nd factory. Having that 

said, we not that long ago learnt that the demand can plunge in 

a very short period of time too. So we carefully look at short 

term flexible capacity increase and long term solutions. 

Any advice for budding entrepreneurs trying to set up 

manufacturing in China? 

Make sure you have good people around you who you can trust 

100% and who have faith in your strategies.

Were you in Hong Kong before you started at SHKP 

Hotels? 

Iwas in Japan for 6 years before moving to Hong Kong; 

although I did live in Hong Kong for my first time in the late 

90’s. Having been here for the past 4 years I guess this is the 

place I like to stay. 

It is rumoured your style of management is ‘hands off’ 

– how does this translate to your day-to-day activities? 

I think that a strong leader is one who does not micro manage 

the business and has great managers around him or her. So my 

day-to-day is rather spent on more strategic matters instead of 

on organizational and operations issues. 

Are you involved in executive hiring decisions for the 

group's hotels? What qualities do you look for in your 

staff? 

Yes, I interview all our general managers of our hotels and look 

for leaders that are hard workers and are committed to 

delivering excellence. IQ is good but EQ is also equally 

important. They have to be a people person. Lastly, I ask myself 

if I would enjoy spending the evening having dinner with this 

person - and if the answer is yes, I would probably know this 

person would be a good fit. 


Ricco deBlank, CEO of Sun Hung Kai 

Properties Hotels 

Winner of Dutchcham Business Leader Award 2013! 

We caught up with Ricco deBlank, CEO of Sun Hung Kai Properties 

Hotels to find out more about his particular style of management, 

what he looks for in an employee, which hotel he is most proud of 

and how feels about winning this award. 


Which hotel in your portfolio are you most currently 

most proud of and why? 

That is a tough and unfair question, like asking which of my two 

kids do I love more? But let me refer back to many years ago 

when I met Enzo Ferrari and I asked him which of his Ferrari’s 

was his favorite? I expected him to say the 1956 GTO …but he 

said: The next one: it will always be better, stronger, faster, more 

efficient, etc. So I guess my answer will be: My next hotel! 

What does Dutch excellence mean to you? 

Dutch excellence means people that are flexible, who can move 

at a second notice, who will work very hard for a company 

which they admire and stay with that company even if there are 

other offers being presented. Dutch excellence is about having 

fun and loving what you do. We, the Dutch don’t take ourselves 

that seriously but we take our work very seriously. In general, 

whenever one knows there is a Dutch person at the helm, you 

can bet you are going in the right direction. And because we are 

very competitive, in the most efficient way with the least effort 

possible. 

How did you feel about winning the award? 

It is a great honor and my family were especially very proud. 

Thank you. 

13


The Orange Tree restaurant 

Winner of the Dutchcham Dutch SME Award 2013! 

We talked to Pieter Onderwater, Owner and Head Chef at The Orange 

Tree restaurant in Hong Kong about how he has managed to keep his 

business going and profitable over the years in such a tough market and 

what Dutch excellence means to him. 


How did you end up in Hong Kong? 

Whilst working on a cruise ship as a cook, I came to 

Hong Kong, really liked it and decided to stay. I found 

a job at the Jockey Club as a chef where I worked for 

a number of years. 

How long has the Orange Tree been in business in HK? 

We opened in September 1997 – it was the perfect time to set up 

my own business. We are located high up on the Midlevels 

escalator between Caine Road and Mosque Junction in Soho. 

What kind of food does the restaurant serve? 

The restaurant serves high quality Dutch and Continental food 

made with the freshest imported ingredients available. 

How have you managed to keep your business profitable 

in such a tough market? 

By being hands on in every aspect of the business, good 

communications with suppliers, landlord and staff helped us 

through tough times. The restaurant business in Hong Kong is 

highly competitive so it is not easy for a small ‘niche’ restaurant 

to run a profitable business. 

What does Dutch Excellence mean to you? 

Just try to do things as well as you can. 

14 

What percentage of your clientele is Dutch or European 

versus local? 

We are very lucky that 50 % of our guests are local, that has 

always helped us. 


Long overdue! No just joking, I feel very privileged to receive the 

SME award, there are so many Dutch SME’s in HK, and it’s 

great publicity. 

Any plans to open another restaurant in Hong Kong – 

or even in Singapore? 

Not at the moment, but if the Orange Tree has to close at its 

present location we will open elsewhere in Hong Kong. 

Orange Tree Restaurant 

17 Shelley Street 

Mid Levels 


Restaurant@orangetree.com.hk 

Tel 2838 9352 

Fax 2524 0688 

Opening Hours 

Daily from 6pm 

A private room is available for parties up to 20 guests

Randstad Hong Kong 

Winner of the Dutch Multinational Award 2013! 

What is Randstad’s main business? 

Randstad specialises in the field of recruitment and 

HR solutions. We are taking the lead in shaping the world of 

work, by matching people with companies that will help 

them develop their potential, and matching companies with people 

who will work to develop their business. In addition, we support the 

creation of modern and flexible labour markets around the world. 

In Hong Kong, we cover 95% of the labour market and 

currently in growth mode with our team and financial 

results tripling in the last twelve months with continued growth 

planned for 2013. Our business operations in Hong Kong are 

focused on banking and financial service, information 

technology, retail and luxury brands, procurement and supply 

chain, accounting, human resources, sales and marketing, 

business support and construction property and engineering. We 

also provide a number of HR and recruitment solutions 

including Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Managed Service 

Programme, payrolling, employee development and 

psychometric solutions to mention a few. 

How long has Randstad operated in HKG? 

We have grown from a “start up” with just under 50 headcount 

and a revenue of $9M HKD in 2009 to over $40M HKD in 2012. 

What makes the Hong Kong market unique? 

Numerous benefits make Hong Kong unique, but at a practical 

perspective it would be the ease of doing business, from setting 

up a company swiftly through to engaging clients and driving 

revenue. Also, in Asia companies and people are not afraid to 

work hard, grow, develop, and improve themselves and the 

company they work for. It gives great opportunities for 

companies (and its people) to achieve above expectation. In this 

vertical city, literally ‘the sky is the limit’. 

Why is Randstad a good example of Dutch excellence? 

It has been said for many years that people, not capital, is an 

organisation’s most important asset. With this in mind we play a 

critical part in assisting local, regional and global organisations 

in finding the best talent, retaining and developing their people. 

Throughout history, the Dutch have been recognised as avid 

traders, bringing knowledge and goods to distant continents. For 

over 52 years, we have shaped the world of work in the 

Netherlands and have proudly ‘exported’ best practice labour 

knowledge and research to the rest of the world. We provide this 

information through our ‘World of Work’ annual report, 


We talked to Peter Yu, Associate Director - Banking, Financial 

Services, HR & Information Technology at Randstad Hong Kong about 

the Company, what makes the Hong Kong market unique and the 

significance of winning this award. z By Kristen Beattie 

quarterly ‘WorkMonitor’ reports, regular thought leadership 

events (i.e HR Director Luncheons), the ‘Randstad Award’ 

employer branding research and surveys as well as other 

qualitative and quantitative data and Whitepaper publications. 


Our mission is ‘Shaping the World of Work’, so both globally 

and locally having a positive impact on our community is an 

important part of what makes Randstad unique. We are 

immensely proud to have been recognised as one of the most 

influential Dutch businesses in the Hong Kong community and 

winning along-side well established Dutch brands like KLM, 

Heineken and Orangefield ICS is a feat in itself. 

What are your company’s future ambitions in the region? 

Firstly, success is measured in a number of ways; financial 

success (exceeding budgets and forecasts) is only one part. We 

also measure people success in our engagement surveys. Brand 

success is measured through analysing our brand recognition 

and ‘share of voice’ in the media against our competitors. 

Secondly, we operate in cyclical markets with structural growth. 

Randstad aims to further strengthen its positions in the countries 

we already operate in and indentify potential growth markets to 

enter. Ultimately however, our strategy has been designed to 

capitalize on the structural growth in the markets in which we 

operate, while shaping the world of work as a whole, adhering 

to our founding ethos ‘to know, to serve, to trust’, and always 

applying our core value ‘striving for perfection and simultaneous 

promotion of all interests’. 

15


Rabobank Hong Kong 

Rabobank talks to us about their main business in Hong Kong, their area of specialization, the significance of Rabobank’s Dutch roots 

in shaping it to the company it is today, their presence in Asia, what makes them unique, the importance of sustainability and more. 

How long have you been operating in HK? 

Our presence in Hong Kong began 27 years ago, when we started 

as a rep office which later became a full serviced bank. 

What is Rabobank’s main business? 

Rabobank International is the Rabobank Group’s international 

banking wholesale and retail banking division, primarily focusing 

on servicing food and agribusiness (F&A) companies and 

commodity traders around the world. In 2012, EuroMoney 

voted Rabobank the best soft commodity finance bank. 

Rabobank has extensive knowledge at every step of the F&A supply 

chain, – more F&A specialist knowledge than any other 

financial services company in the world. That’s because 

Rabobank has been financing agriculture for over a century, and 

understands like no other the natural cycles of the F&A industry. 

To what extent have its Dutch roots allowed Rabobank 

to become the company it is today? 

Rabobank has been funding farming and agriculture for more 

than 110 years, since it was first established by farmers as a 

Dutch co-operative in the 1890s. Today Rabobank Group is a 

global leader in financial services, recognised for its F&A focus, 

sound capital structure and sustainable business practices. 

How strong a presence do you have in Asia? 

Rabobank has more than 25 years’ experience financing food 

and agribusiness in Asia, reflecting established networks, a deep 

knowledge of and long term commitment to the region. Today 

Rabobank has offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan, 

Indonesia, Malaysia and India. Singapore services Thailand, the 

Philippines and Vietnam, while the Shanghai business services 

South Korea and Taiwan. 

What makes Rabobank unique? 

Rabobank is owned by 138 member banks in the Netherlands. 

Our cooperative structure is founded on sustainable business 

principals where customers come first. Our international network 

connects food and agribusiness companies in Asia,- the 

epicentre of food trade flows and the global demand for food – 

to the rest of the world. 

We partner with customers to provide innovative structured 

finance and commercial banking solutions throughout the supply 

chain. We have a deep understanding of Asia’s food and agribusiness 

challenges and the needs of food and agribusiness customers. 

16 

Rabobank’s expertise lies in the Food and Agribusiness. 

What are you doing to leverage on this expertise? 

The food and agribusiness sector is in Rabobank’s blood so we’re 

passionate about its future. Looking to 2050, the Asia region will 

be home to 56% of the world’s population with the average consumption 

of food per person expected to increase with income 

growth in the future. Helping Asia’s food and agriculture sector 

to grow efficiently and sustainably to meet this demand is a very 

exciting opportunity for Rabobank. That’s why we’re sharing our 

specialist food and agriculture knowledge, developing new 

finance solutions and creating new strategies - to help Asia’s food 

and agribusiness companies grow for tomorrow. 

Rabobank International has a dedicated Food & Agribusiness 

Research and Advisory team (FAR) comprised of a global team of 

food and agribusiness professionals, offering clients local on-theground 

Asian market knowledge. The FAR team analysis specialises 

in seven commodities sectors - Animal Protein, Beverages, 

Dairy, Grains & Oilseeds, Farm Inputs, Sugar and Value Added 

Processing. We use this deep industry knowledge to benefit our 

clients, sharing industry insights to enable clients to foresee market 

developments and advising them on strategic business decisions. 

Where in China are you operating? 

China is one of the largest agricultural producers in the world. 

Naturally, we are committed to growing our business in China. 

Currently we have offices in Shanghai and Beijing. 

How important is sustainability at Rabobank? 

Sustainability is one of Rabobank Group’s core values. Our 

roots in agriculture and co-operative structure means we are 

especially aware of the need for sustainable development. We 

specifically have a variety of teams dedicated to sustainability: 

Renewable Energy & Infrastructure Finance, providing for sustainable 

investment solutions and sustainability in the F&A supply 

chain to name a few. 

Why did you sponsor the Dutchcham Business Awards 

Gala? 

Rabobank is a Dutch bank and we feel that it is important to support 

Dutch businesses in the local market where we are located. 

Contact details: 

Jeroen Nijsen – CEO Asia, Rabobank International 

Claire Worp – Corporate Communications Manager

How Excellent Are We? 

Ihad a whole thing written about how excellent our banking system is and 

how utterly crap the banks in Hong Kong are. Our banks are a breeze to 

work with, internet banking is simple and ATM cards are not suddenly taken 

off the Cirrus network making it now possible to withdraw money while in Iraq 

or Yemen, but leaving you penniless after having arrived at Schiphol Airport 

(yes, HSBC, I am talking to you!). 

But just when I wanted to submit my piece, ABN and especially ING 

experienced nothing but trouble with their online banking, SNS Bank fell over 

due to idiotic managers and our savings are no longer… safe. Back to the 

drawing board! 

When meeting foreigners, the first thing they will mention, is that we are 

excellent football players. And we are. Or actually, they are, because I can’t 

play to save my life. But then I recollected the horrible Euro-campaign in 

Poland and Ukraine last year…. 

The Dutch are multilingual? Well, most try to be and unashamedly speak 

Dutch loudly with a German accent and then claim to be fluent in German. I 

have come across Dutch who will still ask for the ‘card’ or the ‘map’ in a 

restaurant… And everyone knows someone having lived in Hong Kong for 

over 5 years who still doesn’t know how to ask for the bill in Cantonese. We 

are not afraid to speak a language, but fluently….? Not really. Nowadays, 

there are even Americans that speak Putonghua rather well! 

Are we great diplomats then? The last international diplomat we had will 

mainly be remembered for allegedly pinching ladies’ behinds. I think Belgians 

are the true diplomats as they never feel the need to tell everyone how things 

are or should be. We just have very big mouths that get us places and make 

sure we are not forgotten, but our straightforwardness often makes us step on 

some toes over and over again. Still, we are adventurous and boldly go where 

no-one has gone before; although society in the homeland is very 

discouraging and disapproving of anything out of the ordinary. 

But, I hear you say: in the 17th century we sailed the seven seas and fought 

the many beasts! The VOC was the first multinational and we…. yeah, yeah, 

but if Abel Tasman had not been such a slacker, Australians and Kiwis would 

speak Dutch by now and don’t get me started on Manhattan... Who trades 

New York City for Suriname, a great city for great food? Not sure. 

Finally, I found it! Inventiveness!! To name a few Dutch inventions: the 

microscope, telescope, fire hose, submarine, stock market, 4WD car, speed 

camera, electric shaver, cassette tape, Laser disc and the CD-player all came 

from Dutch minds. How excellent is that? I wonder what will be next. 


By Mark Scholz, 

ms@presenttime.com 

17

ABN AMRO 

Capability-led Growth - ABN AMRO 


Financial turmoil has reshaped the financial industry in the last few years. ABN AMRO today is a new entity created from 

the legal merger of ABN AMRO’s former Dutch business and Fortis Bank Nederland in 2010. We have emerged as a smaller 

but stronger and focused institution with scale and international growth ambition. We are a leading retail and commercial 

bank in the Netherlands with a dual international strategy of supporting the activities of our Dutch clients around the world, 

while also building the global positions of our capability led businesses: Energy, Commodities & Transportation (ECT), Private 

Banking and Clearing. Today, we have 23,000 employees across 23 countries and territories, serving some 6.8 million clients. 

Hong Kong, with all the above business lines present with significant and growing market positions, is a unique foothold of ABN 

AMRO. One of the world’s premier financial centres, Hong Kong, has historically been one of the ABN AMRO’s most important 

markets, particularly considering its role as gateway to and from China. Our goal is to continue this tradition and to grow ABN 

AMRO in Hong Kong in line with our international ambition of capability led growth. In 2012, ABN AMRO opened a new 

representative office in Shanghai focusing on supporting the clients in the region. The latest addition to the ABN AMRO Hong 

Kong family is Escrow & Settlement, a vital service for all our clients in the above-mentioned businesses. 

Aiming for excellence always, our clients in 2012 voted ABN AMRO the ‘Best Commodity Trade Finance Bank in Asia-Pacific’ 

in Trade Finance Magazine’s Awards for Excellence. ABN AMRO Private Banking Asia holds the title of ‘Overall Best Private 

Bank in Singapore’ as well as the ‘Top 5 Best Global Private Banks’ in the Asiamoney Private Banking Poll 2012 – both awards 

which are based on the votes of our high net worth individuals. In 2012, Datamonitor – which undertook a competitive 

benchmarking and ranking of the world’s largest private wealth managers, also named ABN AMRO, one of the top 10 global 

players in the Wealth Management Super League. 

With a strong growth ambition in Asia and the Middle East, we continue to strive to offer our clients the best opportunities 

presented by the regions’ growth, by combining our global strengths and local knowhow. 

Left & top right: ABN AMRO office in the Netherlands Bottom right: ABN AMRO office in Hong Kong 

19

Dutch Chamber Committees 

Focus: Dutch Chamber Committees 

China Committee 

z By Harold van Kooten and Daniel de Blocq van Scheltinga 

As one of the oldest committees of the Dutch Chamber, the 

China Committee aims to inform the Dutch Chamber’s members 

of the latest developments in Mainland China in the economic, 

social, environmental and political field. 

From its early days years before the handover to the present, 

the members of the committee strive to uphold this aim by, 

among other things, organizing the annual China Seminar 

and a various, smaller events informal events. 

Topics of the various events therefore tend to reflect current 

affairs on the other side of the Sheung Shui border. Recent China 

Seminars dealt with the increase of purchasing power of consumers 

in Mainland China, the PRC’s blueprint for its development 

based on its eleventh five-year plan, and, most recently, with 

China’s ambitious outbound investment plans and its implications 

for various regions that are on the receiving end of this 

investment. The more informal events touched upon matters as 

registration of a corporate China presence, practical strategies to 

deal with disputes submitted to the People’s Courts, and tips on 

investing in Chinese modern art and French wines. In all, a broad 

range of subjects in each instance addressed by experts in the relevant 

field, from CEOs, senior business executives from household-name 

multinationals, economists and individual business 

owners, to globe-trotting diplomats and reputable journalists. 

Indeed, a diversity in topic and speakers that reflects the different 

aspects of the PRC, the members of the Dutch Chamber and the 

background and composition of the China Committee members. 

The China Committee currently has seven members, being five 

volunteers from the business community and Dutch Chamber 

members Jacqueline Baud and Mirjam Achthoven. It is one of 

the few committees that actually is co-chaired, namely by Daniel 

de Blocq van Scheltinga, a seasoned banker and entrepreneur 

with contacts in highest business circles in Beijing, and Harold 

van Kooten, a jurist who has been dealing with legal issues in the 

PRC for the last 17 years and currently is plying his trade with 

Baker & McKenzie. Both chairmen spend considerable time in 

the mainland, resulting in the decision to share the responsibility 

to manage the China Committee. Other members include 

Connie Leung of Intertrust and Maarten Koning of ING, who 

both are based in Hong Kong. Diederik Maessen of De Brauw 

provides support from the capital from time to time. 

20 

Every blue Monday, following good Dutch tradition, people 

tend to challenge the relevance of the Dutch Chamber having a 

China committee. The argument often is raised that everybody 

tends to be far more familiar with China if compared with the 

early days of the Dutch Business Association and that a focus on 

a country rather than on a specialty or business sector therefore 

seems to have outlived its usefulness. These dissenting voices are 

useful and always welcome. (Who doesn’t like to win an argument?) 

Although the title of this article actually already sums it 

up quite nicely, it does not seem the right place to provide a 

rebuttal. For those readers that are not convinced, it might be 

best to keep an eye out on the activities that the China 

Committee organizes and attend! Rest assured that if not the 

event itself, then any member of the China Committee present 

will be able give you your money’s worth and something to 

remember. 

SME Committee 

We talk to René Theil, Chairman of the SME Committee about 

how he got involved in the Committee, what its goals are and 

what the Chamber means to him. 

Ihave been in Hong Kong since January 2000.When I arrived 

I was in the personal finance business which I left around 

2005 to start my own companies. We are distributor in Asia 

for a few niche Promotional / Premium Products which we 

design and personalise in house. After years of operating as 

PromoClip Asia we recently rebranded to BLUE 8 PREMIUM 

LIMITED. 

My function on the board is Vice Chairman. This was born from 

the fact that our Chairman travels quite a bit and therefore I 

could step in to attend functions and chair the chamber in his 

absence. I have been active quite a number of years now indeed. 

The goal of our Committee is predominantly to organise useful 

and topical events for our SME Members - events that really 

bring new knowledge and insights to our members in an 

environment where they also have the chance to network and 

connect with people. We also feel it our task to have our 

members know each other’s businesses so we initiated the 

‘Munch on the Move’ where companies can show (off) their

office, their business and share what they do and how they 

achieved this all. 

Then we make sure there are a few social events a year that do 

have a business touch but are mostly to socially engage with one 

another and have some drinks. 

In the years I have been with the Chamber I have seen quite a 

number of changes. We changed our mission statement and 

really focussed on serving our members the way they like to be 

served. We created many events bringing people together to 

connect to share knowledge and develop business relationships. 

Other changes are that we added new “special interest” 

platforms for our members. The need for this is changing all the 

time with people wanting to focus, network and connect with 

likeminded others. 

The Chamber means quite a bit to me. As a Dutchman in Hong 

Kong and a business owner, it is great to network, connect and 

build relationships with other Dutch businesses and share and 

exchange knowledge, feedback that is helpful to run our 

business in this very dynamic and fast moving city. I have the 

privilege to be part of bringing people together through my 

functions in the Chamber, something which is also fulfilling on a 

personal level. Then of course there is also the fact that it is 

sometimes nice to just “talk Dutch” and drink beer with fellow 

Dutchmen and women! 

Women in Business 

Find out more about what the Women Committee does, why our 

members feel it’s important for women to have dedicated events 

for women and details of some of these events: 

Agroup of executive women within the Dutch Chamber of 

Commerce, Jacqueline Baud, Henrike Hartemink and 

Maaike van Meer, have taken the initiative to organize 

dedicated events for women as the “Dutch Chamber - Women in 

Business”. The goal of this group is to network and socialize and also 

to support leading business women in Hong Kong. 

This initiative coincides with initiatives in Hong Kong to promote the 

participation of women in boards. Following a market consultation 

in the Autumn of 2012, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing 

decided last December it will require all listed companies to report on 

their board diversity policy as of September 2013. Other initiatives 

followed, such as the launch of the 30% Club in Hong Kong by the 

Women’s Foundation in March of this year, established by 41 

Leading Chairman as founding members, which aims to support 

sustainable business-led voluntary change to improve the current 

gender balance on Hong Kong boards. 


A first luncheon was held on November 7, with guest speaker Dr. 

Nirmala Menon, Head of South Asia at ING Insurance Pacific. 

Before moving to Hong Kong, Dr. Nirmala Menon was the wellknown 

first female CEO of ING Insurance Malaysia. She has been 

running diversity programs within ING and shared her journey with 

a group of over 20 business women. 

Maaike Steinebach, Country Executive ABN Amro Hong Kong, was 

the guest speaker of the next Women in Business luncheon, an 

invitation-only event held on April 17. The theme of Maaike’s 

presentation was Leadership dilemmas. 

Membership Committee 

Membership Committee’s Chairman, Tom Voûte talked to us 

about his role within the Chamber, what it means to him and 

the activities and goals of the Membership committee. 

What is your name, what do you do and how long have 

you been in Hong Kong? 

I’m Tom Voûte. My company is Algorithmic Trading Group 

(ATG) Ltd since 2009 with 15 employees in Hong Kong and an 

office in The Netherlands and Curacao. My wife and I have been 

in Hong Kong for 6 years now and have 3 children of 6, 4 and 

2 years old. 

21


What is your function in the board and why? 

I am the chairman of the Membership Committee and I am a 

member of the board because that chairman is by default a 

member of the board. 

How long have you been active within the Chamber? 

I became a member of the Dutch Chamber in 2009 because I felt 

that Dutch Chamber was the business version of the Dutch 

Association. I prefer to talk business over beer rather than 

housing and children over beer. 

Have you seen a lot of change within the Chamber 

while being a board member? 

I like the quality of the activities. Not only content wise, but also 

the caliber of the participants makes these a great networking 

opportunity. 

What does the Chamber mean to you? 

To me, the Chamber means learning and networking. 

What are the activities and goals of the Membership 

Committee? 

The Membership Committee is made of Matthew Hoyle, Ellen 

van Haandel, Bram Eijsbouts, Baud, Mirjam Achthoven and 

myself. We market the Dutch Chamber to new and old business 

people in Hong Kong – to allow them to expand their 

knowledge and network. We invite anyone interested in finding 

out more, for drinks every last Tuesday of the month. 

If you know any people interested, bring them along. We start at 

6pm. Normally there are 10-20 people and we don’t go home early! 

22 

PR & PUB Committee 

For seventeen years Jean-Michel Caille has published and 

printed the Dutch Chamber magazine; making him one of the 

most enduring elements in the Dutch Chamber history. About 

time we speak with Jean-Michel in detail about his work. 

When did you set up your company, Encre de Chine? 

In 1992, I set up my first company Printing in Asia Limited in 

Hong Kong; then Encre de Chine Limited in 2001 when we 

moved to Dongguan City. 

Before you moved from France, did you also work for a 

printer there? 

I am from a printing family. My grandfather started the business in 

1953 and my father followed his footsteps. I worked as an 

apprentice in the family factory in order to learn the trade from an 

early age. I started with folding & binding sheets of paper to setting 

up a 4-colour print press. After I graduated I worked in the family 

business for 7 years until the plant burned down in an accident. 

I learnt desktop publishing from my mother using a machine 

called “Compugraphic”. This machine could print text on film 

directly. After that we would mount the film together with the 

photo film registration by hand and make the offset plates 

necessary for printing. 

Our main business in France at that time was catalogues for 

Auctions with reproduction of the paintings. My father’s company 

was one of the appointed printers of the Auctioneer Chamber in 

Paris. When I move to Hong Kong, I invested in an Apple computer.

What are the advantages and disadvantages 

of having your company based in 

Dongguan? 

The advantage is the proximity to many types of 

factories in the Guangdong area with a decent 

quality standard. It is very important because we 

can conduct tight and frequent quality controls on 

our projects and respond faster in case of 

problems. 

Here’s a story. In 2007, the labor shortage started in 

Southern China. Even our main partner scaled down 

from 10,000 to 1,500 workers. That year we had a 

tender of 12.5 millions gift packets to be produced 

within 2.5 months during the summer peak season; a 

project with a value of 1 million euros. The designs were 

complicated and involved difficult materials and a lot of 

handwork. 

One month and half before the deadline, my printing partner 

could only put 10 workers on this project instead of the 500 

originally planned. The only solution to meet the deadline was to 

split the job among several sub-contractors. So we worked 16hour 

days to control the quality and monitor the progress of those 

6 suppliers, around over Shenzhen and Dongguan. During those 6 

weeks, we drove over 20,000 km for the daily rounds. We 

managed to make the deadline, and client was happy with the 

quality. 

We even flew to the client’s warehouse in Paris when the twelve 

40’HC containers had arrived - just to make sure that the 


products were physically there 

and in good shape. The 

warehouse manager took a 

photo of us in front of the 

open container, which he 

framed and kept in his office. 

After that project we stopped 

bidding for this tender as the 

labor shortage persisted and 

the risk was too high. 

The disadvantage is that we 

have to travel almost 2 hours 

back to Hong Kong for good 

restaurants. 

In what ways did you contribute to making the Dutch 

Chamber magazine as it is today? 

I always enjoy the energy that the editor and the Dutchcham 

team put into the magazine. It is a team effort that makes it what 

it is and it’s been a pleasure to be part of the team. 

Is there a funny story you would like to share with us 

about working with the Dutch Chamber through the 

years? 

Not a funny story, but a fortuitous one. I remember for the first 

Award Event, Lottie my business partner (who’s also an artist) 

did some sculptures of tulips as the Award trophies, and I made 

the packaging boxes. After that project, our gift packaging 

business started to bloom and we produced about 1,500,000 box 

sets in these few years. The tulip turned out to be a lucky flower! 

23


Loyens & Loeff 

When and where did your company start? 

After about half a year of preparation, Loyens & Loeff started 

in February 2012 with a grand opening in our brand new office 

on the 28th floor on 8 Wyndham street, Central. Ambassador 

Rudolf Bekink and Consul General Robert Schuddeboom 

officially opened our office, together with our managing partner 

and myself in the presence of some 200 guests. We have been up 

and running since. 

Our roots go back to the beginning of the 20th century. Since the 

merger in 2000 between the tax advisers of Loyens & Volkmaars 

and part of the law firm Loeff Claeys Verbeke, we are the largest 

firm to offer widespread integrated legal and tax advice in the 

Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. 

How many employees do you have in the HK office? 

As the largest Benelux law firm, the vast majority of our lawyers 

and advisors work in the Netherlands and also Luxembourg and 

Belgium. In the eleven offices outside the Benelux, we work with 

smaller teams to assist clients in the local market. We found it 

utmost important to start with a full legal team in Hong Kong 

lead by two senior partners and currently have three associates. 

The team is supported by one office manager, so six in total. 


We are an independent international full-service law firm 

specialised in providing legal and tax advice to enterprises, 

24 

financial organisations and governments. The unique 

collaboration between our tax and legal advisers works to the 

client’s advantage, as issues are tackled from different angles, 

creating synergy and increasing efficiency. The combination of 

transaction capabilities and deal (and group) structuring from 

a tax perspective, is unmatched in our field. 

What is your company’s specialization in Hong Kong? 

We particularly focus on advising multinational corporations, 

major financial institutions, private equity and real estate 

investment funds, fund managers, high-net-worth individuals, 

and others doing business in Asia on their cross border 

transactions, in particular outbound investments. 

Why is your company an example of Dutch Excellence? 

Loyens & Loeff has a long history of exploring possibilities 

abroad. About 40 years ago we were one of the first foreign 

law firms to set up an office in New York. 

Many others followed us since. We have continued this ever 

since. Also in Hong Kong, we were the first Dutch law firm to 

open here in Hong Kong and focus on a new market in Asia: 

outbound investments. 


We want to increase our Asian client base and build-up the same 

reputation we have in the Benelux and other countries we are 

present in.

Orangefield ICS 

When and where did your company start? 

Our history as Orangefield began in the late 1970s with ING Trust 

in The Netherlands. A decade later, the Hong Kong office was 

established. In 2001, ING Trust acquired the Dutch company Intra 

Beheer, and ING Trust Luxembourg later merged with BBL Trust in 

2003. Supported by an investment company in 2007, the activities 

of ING Trust worldwide continued under the name of Orangefield. 

Since then, we have strategically expanded our network with offices 

across Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe and the Caribbean. Our head 

office remains in the Netherlands, Amsterdam. 

In 2012, Orangefield Hong Kong acquired ICS Trust, and 

renamed it to Orangefield ICS. Adding to our global offering is 

over 30 years of experience in Doing Business in China. 


It is not a cliché that the people makes the company, especially 

in the services’ industry, and in our case, it really does, which 

ultimately comes from us being part of a global group that is 

Dutch based whilst being tolerant of the various customs and 

cultures whilst doing business. Moreover, we feel that our 

entrepreneurial, “can do” attitude meets the needs of our client. 

Why is your company an example of Dutch Excellence? 

We continuously aim to build upon our international reputation 

by being an expert in our field of business and in providing 


exceptional service to all our clients across the world. With 19 

offices spanning the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, Caribbean 

and still expanding, we are in an excellent position to serve our 

clients with a range of tailored solutions while still remaining a 

Dutch organization with Dutch staff in key positions within our 

company 

As a global company and global citizen, we actively play a part 

in bridging the different cultures whilst taking advantages of 

opportunities that arise to facilitate a global marketplace. One of 

our core services, Doing Business in China, creates a channel 

that connects western companies with China, and similarly, 

China with the outside world. 


Towards 2013, Orangefield ICS has plans for both the global 

and local markets in relation to Asia. Globally, to provide 

support to the many Canadian and European clients that are 

doing business in China for the first time. Locally, we launched 

a Shanghai office last year and will be looking to open more 

offices in China soon to assist mainland businesses in exploring 

international markets. 

Further, we pay a lot of attention to the developments within 

China and the opportunities this will bring to us to support 

Chinese clients doing business abroad. We have seen similar 

developments with other countries in the region (Japan, 

Korea, Taiwan) and will strive to create successful 

relationships with clients and business partners in these 

emerging economies. 

25

Lifestyle 

Of Course We Play Rugby 

z By Case Everaert 

Diederik Blanken and Mick van den Heuvel of Valley Fort U6 

with England Player Mike Ellery. 

The question is always the same and almost sounds like an 

accusation: “Case, why on earth is a Dutchman running 

the mini rugby in Hong Kong? You guys don’t even play 

rugby.” 

Of course we play rugby! I was always a bit low on ammunition 

to tackle this statement until the recent 2013 Hong Kong Sevens. 

That’s when the Dutch Ladies Sevens team showed up in Hong 

Kong and thrashed Singapore and China to make it to the Cup 

semi-final. Unfortunately, the girls were beaten by Australia or 

we would have had a Dutch team play rugby in Hong Kong 

stadium for the first time since 2003. The Dutch Sevens Ladies 

went on to win the bronze medal, a great effort from the team. 

The success of the Dutch Ladies in Hong Kong may come as a 

surprise to some but Holland have had a good ladies Sevens 

team for quite some time now. Our girls are well on their way to 

Olympic qualification and are within shouting distance of a 

bronze medal. 

26 

Dutch Sevens Ladies 

The Sevens Ladies with the young Dutch rugby 

crowd on the staircase of the residence. 

HKSRFUR Level One Referee Ralph Ybema and his 

daughter Anjalika of the South Lantau Buffaloes. 

It was therefore appropriate that Consul-General Wilfred 

Mohr invited the Dutch Ladies to his residence when they 

arrived in Hong Kong before the Sevens. A larger than 

expected crowd awaited them there: the Dutch rugby playing 

children and their parents had been invited to come to The 

Peak to welcome the team and they turned out en masse. At 

one stage the garden looked like a rugby field as the national 

team started throwing an oval ball around with the kids. It was 

great to watch. 

There are many Dutch youngsters playing rugby in Hong Kong. 

Youth rugby consists of mini rugby (age 5 through 12) and colts 

rugby (age 13 through 18). Quite a few people arriving from 

overseas will be surprised at the popularity of the mini rugby 

programme in Hong Kong and the enormous amounts of kids 

that play it. The Hong Kong Mini Rugby Football Union 

(HKMRFU) is the Guinness World Record holder for most 

children ever playing rugby together in a tournament (2,610) 

which was set in October 2010.

Double Dutch: HKMRFU Chairman Case Everaert 

and Hong Kong U19 National Squad player Sjors Laurijsen 

The HKMRFU consists of 20 mini rugby clubs, spread all over 

Hong Kong. No matter where you live, there’s always an 

opportunity for a child to play rugby. In the south there’s Valley 

Fort in Stanley, up north close to the border with Shenzhen you 

will find the Flying Kukris, in the east reside the Sai Kung 

Stingrays and in the west you will find the Discovery Bay Pirates 

and South Lantau Buffaloes. All these clubs have Dutch kids 

playing for them. 

Some of them play very well. Julian Onderwater was part of the 

Discovery Bay Pirates team that won the Richard Hawkes Cup, 

Lifestyle 

We’re not only active on a 

playing level. On an 

organizational level Ralph 

Ybema has become a Level 

One referee who refereed 

at the Youth Showcase 

during the recent HK 

Sevens 

the season trophy for U12, and Joeri Brons won 

the Bowl for the same club. And we can all be 

excited that there is a Dutch player representing 

Hong Kong at U19 level: Sjors Laurijsen 

recently went on tour with the Hong Kong 

national squad to Taiwan where he won “Man 

of the Match”. 

We’re not only active on a playing level. On an organizational 

level Ralph Ybema has become a Level One referee who refereed 

at the Youth Showcase during the recent HK Sevens while I have 

been chairman of the HKMRFU for the past two years. 

In the coming years I expect more and more Dutch players to 

make their mark on the local rugby scene, including girls. And 

you never know, one of them may eventually be able to join the 

Dutch Ladies Sevens team and represent The Netherlands at the 

2016 Olympics in Rio. 

27


Wineshopasia.com - Hong Kong's newest 

online wine shop 

Special Promotion for Dutch residents – 20% off most wines! 

Wine Shop Asia is a new Hong Kong-based online shop, selling wine to Hong Kong customers. 

With around 700 products from over 50 family-owned wine labels, Wine Shop Asia exclusively imports well-known brands such as 

Antinori, Tignanello, Guado Al Tasso, Louis Roederer, Cristal, Torbreck, Shaw + Smith, Louis Latour, Billecart-Salmon, to name a few. 

A large portfolio of wines is available from over 50 family-owned wineries from all major wine regions. 

Wines range from $40 to $400,000! 

Wine Shop Asia’s climate-controlled Hong Kong warehouse stocks all of the listed wines which can be delivered anywhere in Hong Kong 

within 24 hours after your order has been placed. 

Register on the site as a member to receive special offers and invitations to wine tasting events and dinners with winemakers! The Vice 

President of Louis Roederer champagne, Mr. Michel Janneau, will be hosting a lunch on May 3 rd . Ms. Alberia Antinori, 27 th Generation 

owner of Italy’s famous – and world’s oldest winery - Antinori wines, will be guest speaking at another lunch on May 31 st . Don’t miss 

out! 

Check out Wine Shop Asia if you are looking to buy wine in Hong Kong! 

www.wineshopasia.com – Tel: +852 3621-0456 – Email: enquire@wineshopasia.com 

Mailing Address: 18/F, 200 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong 

28 

Use this promotional code upon 

checkout: WSAFRIENDS 

*not valid for accessories, 

items on sale, specials or some wines

Lifestyle 

Third Culture Kids (TCK’s) 

z By Barbara Markovits-Spaans, Managing Director of the Dutch School De Oranje Sampan Hong Kong (directeur@oranjesampan.org). 

Children in Hong Kong know all about achieving 

Excellence, which is the subject of this year’s issue of 

DutchCham Magazine. Upon my arrival in Hong Kong, 

now 3 years ago, I was very surprised to see young children 

receiving extra tuition at the age of 3 in order to excel, be it at 

the English language or playing the violin. 

Still, it turned out to be contagious, because no parent wants 

their child to be behind in their development. If you are hoping 

to be accepted at a good international school in Hong Kong, 

tuition could be considered an important part of preparation. 

Further, extra Dutch language lessons are important to keep 

their Dutch roots while growing up as a Third Culture Kid. 

Since the term Third Culture Kid (TCK) was coined by 

sociologist Ruth Hill Useem in the 1960’s, TCKs have become a 

heavily studied global subculture. 

After WWII more and more people started moving away from 

their home countries. Initially this was mostly military staff, but 

this shifted gradually with more and more executives who took 

their families to exotic places. 

TCKs are children who live abroad with their parents. They are 

exposed to a wide diversity of cultural and educational 

influences causing them to become internationally-oriented. The 

child is developing and does not identify with the first or second 

culture (stipulated below). TCK’s have more in common with 

one another, regardless of nationality, than they do with non- 

TCK’s from their own country. 

1. The first culture is about citizenship 

2. The second all about which countries they live in. 

3. The third is all about community, others with the same 

experience growing up internationally. 

The advantages of these global citizens are that they connect 

with others easily, they are generally highly sociable as well as 

having the ability to speak several languages. They observe, 

adapt easily and appreciate diversity. 

Disadvantages of this lifestyle may become apparent during 

adolescence or when TCKs go back to The Netherlands for their 

further studies. They are often not familiar with the Dutch 

cultural norms. Many TCKs take years to readjust to their 

passport countries. They often suffer a reverse culture shock 

upon their return, and are often perpetually homesick for their 

adopted country. Many third culture kids face an identity crisis. 

The sense of identity and culture is lacking, they experience 

problems figuring out who or what they are, where they belong 

and where they are from. 

Culture is learned behaviour which influences our way of 

thinking, feeling and our behaviour in general. Culture even 

influences our perception and our judgment of others. If we, as 

parents don’t spend enough attention raising our children with the 

Dutch language and culture, they will eventually disassociate from 

their background. Continue to speak Dutch at home, expose them 

to Dutch language by reading to them or having them read Dutch 

books themselves, play Dutch music in the car, watch Dutch TV 

like ‘Jeugdjournaal’. Besides language skills, cultural values can be 

taught by honouring Dutch traditions and customs and by going 

on holiday in the home country. All these tools combined can help 

children to continue to identify with their background. 

In Hong Kong, there are three Dutch schools which offer Dutch 

language and culture lessons to children aged 4-12 years. We 

offer Dutch library books, Computer Assisted Learning and an 

opportunity for children to socialize with other Dutch children. 

The home environment is paramount and for that reason a 

prerequisite for acceptance is that Dutch is spoken consistently by 

at least one parent and that the child has a foundation in the 

Dutch language with reasonable age appropriate vocabulary. It is 

wonderful to see that several Dutch fathers with foreign wives try 

their best to have their children attend Dutch School every week! 

Of course the students don’t always feel like coming after a full 

day at the international school, but attending Dutch lessons does 

provide opportunities for them. A good alternative to attending 

Dutch School is the educational programme “Edufax” through 

the Internet. Language is culture too! This has been a reason for 

me as a parent to become involved with the Dutch School and to 

continue to stimulate children to stay connected with Dutch 

language and culture. This way, they can achieve Excellence in 

their native language! 

Books to read about this topic: 

• David Pollock and Ruth van Reken; “Third Culture Kids” 

(the experience of growing up amongst worlds)” explain 

what these children and youngsters experience when 

transitioning to their passport culture, university and young 

adulthood. 

• Marjanne Simons; ‘Opgroeien in het buitenland’, and ‘Terug 

naar Nederland’ (for parents) 

• Marjanne Simons; ‘Ik heb het niet bedacht...’ (for 10+ 

children) 

• A beautiful documentary in English: “Les Passagers: a TCK 

story” by Kalen Haymen. It is about what TCK’s are and 

their search for their “home”. 

Websites: 

• www.en.wikipedia.org 

• www.drieculturen.blogspot.hk (interesting for teens and parents) 

• www.Edufax.nl 

Children in Hong Kong can be guided by means of a playful 

workshop. A child behaviour specialist and Dutch psychologist 

have developed workshops to stimulate confidence in children. 

More information: www.happykids.com 

29

Members’ Corner 

NEW SME MEMBER 

Roger KAM – R & T Consulting Group 

R & T Consulting Group is a professional consulting firm 

comprising of experienced Professional Consultants 

specialized in business consulting and compliance services. 

Through our Hong Kong headquarters and our branches in 

Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing, our regional teams focus 

on delivering local knowledge and global reach to assist 

global clients to manage local compliance and reporting 

obligations. Our bespoke compliance services include, but 

are not limited to, business set up and maintenance, 

accounting, tax reporting and consulting. Other business 

consulting services include M&A and transaction advisory, due diligence, investment 

advisory, business restructuring, cross-border tax optimization, financial advisory 

and cost management services. We operate together with our twin core firm, Roger 

Kam & Co. Certified Public Accountants (Practising) (www.rogerkam.com). Thanks 

to our China offices R & T Consulting Group can benefit from a strong presence in 

the Chinese market, providing our clients with the best expertise for business 

consulting and regulatory compliance. In addition to our service portfolio, our 

regional teams in China are able to provide the most effective solutions for company 

set-up and maintenance and local taxation compliance, in full accordance with 

outstanding legislation. Most of our clients come from overseas, including major 

European and Asian countries. We are also a founder member of a strategic alliance 

in major Asian cities and have a strong joint venture with a renowned European 

consulting group for providing global business advisory services to our international 

clients. All these enable us to offer a truly comprehensive solution to your business. 

• Room(s) 301-303, 3/F., Golden Gate Commercial Building, 

136-138 Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kownloon, Hong Kong 

Tel. +852 3105 8968 – Fax +852 2381 3938 

info@rnt-consulting.com – www.rnt-consulting.com 


Oscar SALET – Alliance Experts 

Alliance experts is a unique consultancy that focuses 

on creating and optimising partnerships and strategic 

collaboration. We are headquartered in The 

Netherlands with branches in Hong Kong and 

Singapore. 

Strategic collaborations and partnerships can have 

benefits to almost any type of business that seeks 

expansion or growth; with limited investment, a 

company can build a partner network for product 

development, distribution or for achieving economies of scale. Alliance 

experts has developed tools, workshops and benchmark data to simplify 

and add transparency to the partnership strategy, search and development 

process. With our focus on partnership advice, we are a leading party in the 

field in East Asia. 

The Hong Kong branch facilitates incoming business development projects 

out of the EU and ASEAN, advising clients on their China strategy and 

paving the way for their expansion. It also acts as the front office for East 

Asian clients that need strategic advice and assistance with business 

development into ASEAN and EU markets. 

• Room 907, Silvercord Tower 2, 30 Canton Road, 

Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong 

Tel: +852 5348 5336 - oscar.salet@allianceexperts.com, 

www.allianceexperts.com 

30 


Mars MA – Trans Global Logistics Group Ltd. 

As a 15 year veteran of the Logistics industry, I 

recently joined Trans Global Logistics, a leading 

Asia-based 3PL based company. With our expansive 

network in Asia and in the US, TGL is uniquely 

positioned to service the ‘Gateway to Europe’, the 

Netherlands, through a strategic partnership with a 

leading Dutch based logistics company. 

Having spent a considerable part of my professional 

career developing logistics solutions to and from the 

EU, I am acutely aware of the challenges associated with this region and the 

ability to address those opportunities with a company that specializes in the 

U.S. and Asia trade lanes is something I am extremely excited about. 

My colleagues and I can provide comprehensive and customized solutions 

to help your company get your products to the right market at the right 

time. 

For more information, please feel free to contact me at 

mars_ma@tglogistics.net or visit us at www.tglogistics.net 

• Unit 2512 - 25, 25/F, Metro Plaza Tower One 

223 Hing Fong Road, Kwai Fong, Hong Kong 

Tel. +852 2375 5922 – (+852 2375 5755) 

mars_ma@tglogistics.net – www.tglogistics.net 

NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBER 

Arthur SCHOOF – APM Terminals 

My name is Arthur Schoof and I am Client Director 

for APM Terminals. APM Terminals is one of the 

top-3 leading container terminal operators in the 

world and part of the A.P. Moller Maersk Group 

based in Copenhagen (Denmark). APM Terminals 

has its global headquarter in The Hague since 2005 

and operates a sales office in Hong Kong to cover its 

Asian customers. I moved to Hong Kong in mid 

2012 after having lived in Shanghai for 3.5 years. 

APM Terminals operates more than 60 ocean terminals at all continents 

except Australia, and even more inland facilities as container depots, repair 

and reefer inspection facilities. My job is to work close to five of our Asian 

customers to attract their business to any of the facilities we manage in the 

world. In Rotterdam we are already operating a container terminal, while 

we are developing a new fully-automated facility at Maasvlakte II. 

• 10/F, Miramar Tower, 132 Nathan Road 

Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong 

Tel. +852 3765 2276 – Fax +852 2972 0627) 

arthur.schoof@apmterminals.com – www.apmterminals.com

NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBER 

Odette UMALI – Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. 

Odette came across the Dutch Chamber of Commerce 

when she led the coordination of the Global Field Study to 

the Netherlands by her Executive -MBA class at the Chinese 

University of Hong Kong (CUHK). She is set to complete 

the program by July 2013. She also recently completed the 

Adult Training and Education Course from the Hong Kong 

University. 

However, Odette is not a professional student. She has been 

connected with Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. for more than 

15 years and is currently a Learning and Development Executive in its In-flight 

Services Department. She has handled flight attendant training for First Class, 

Business Class and Economy Class as well as some specialized courses. 

Odette likes to learn continuously and share her learnings with others. She is one of 

the founders of SeaTack Ltd, a venture dedicated to making sailing as a corporate 

team building and leisure activity. She is also an Anusara-certified Yoga instructor. 

• 2nd Floor Central Tower, Inflight Services Department 

N0. 8 Scenic Road HK Int'l Airport, Lantau, Hong Kong 

Tel. +852 2747 2541 – Fax +852 2141 6614 

odetteaaa@gmail.com – www.cathaypacific.com 

NEW MEMBERS OF THE DUTCH CHAMBER 

NEW CORPORATE MEMBER: 

TELSTRA GLOBAL 

Contact: Martijn BLANKEN – Managing Director 

Address: 43/F, One Island East, 18 Westlands Road, Quarry Bay, 


Tel: +852 2531 0588 – martijn.blanken@team.telstra.com 

Website: www.telstraglobal.com 

NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBERS: 

NUTRECO ASIA CO. LTD. 

Contact: Rik VAN WESTENDORP – Finance Director 

Address: 3304, 33rd Floor AIA Tower, 183 Electric Road 

North Point, Hong Kong 

Tel: +852 9878 6725 – rik.van.westendorp@nutreco.com 

Website: www.nutreco.com 

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS STANDARD 

CHARTERED BANK 

Contact: Lodewijk MEENS – Managing Director 

Address: 25/F Standard Chartered Bank Building 

4-4A Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong 

Tel: +852 2820 3789 – lmeens@gmail.com 

Contact: Maaike VAN MEER 

Address: House E, 37 Tung Tau Wan Road, Stanley, Hong Kong 

Tel: +852 9682 5515, maaike_van_meer@hotmail.com 

NEW OVERSEAS MEMBER 

Rob CRINS – GBO PROJECTS BV. 

Members’ Corner 

GBO PROJECTS is a full service production company 

founded in 2008 in extension to the services of GBO 

DESIGN, founded in 1989. GBO PROJECTS takes care of 

product implementation, tooling, production, assembly, 

packing, quality control, logistics, warehousing and 

financing. 

Having worked with experienced production partners in 

Europe and Asia for years and years, the whole process 

from design to production is safe with us. GBO 

PROJECTS’ one-stop-shop approach has reinforced our current network of suppliers 

and partners. This network enables us to lead projects from offices in the 

Netherlands, Belgium and Hong Kong under Dutch management. These projects 

include professional and consumer products, components, premiums and 

packagings. 

Clients are multinationals and SMEs like Bavaria, Bosch, Bruynzeel Storage Systems, 

Campbells, Coca Cola / Chaudfontaine, Dagravit, DCVF, Dremel, eldoLED, 

Ergonomique, Fatboy the Original, FrieslandCampina, Mutracx, Neways, PostNL, 

Print Point Displays, Royco, SeeMe Displays, Smaac, Spirotech, Tele2, Van de Velde, 

Van Gansewinkel, Vemedia etc. 

• NL Office: Wethouder den Oudenstraat 6 

5706 ST Helmond, The Netherlands 

B Office: Vlaamse Kaai 76, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium 

HK Office: Fu Fai Commercial Centre, 27 Hillier Street 

Sheung Wan, Hong Kong 

Tel. +31 492 599555 

rcrins@gbo-projects.eu – www.gbo-projects.eu / www.gbo.eu 

NEW SME MEMBERS: 

PERFORMANCE BY PEOPLE LIMITED 

Contact: Aleida MIENSTRA – Director 

Address: Unit 3709, 37/F, Tower II, Lippo Centre, 89 Queensway 

Admiralty, Hong Kong 

Tel: +852 9665 5217 – aleida@performancebypeople.com 

Website: www.performancebypeople.com 

DOPPER ASIA LTD. 

Contact: Lisa CHRISTENSEN – Co-Founder & CEO 

Address: Level 2, 10 On Wo Lane, Central, Hong Kong 

Tel: +852 2868 5585 – lisa@dopper.com 

Website: www.dopper.com 

BLUE FUZION GROUP LTD. 

Contact: Simon Kim VAN DER HART – Business Director 

Address: 303 Laford Centre, 838 Lai Chi Kok Road 

Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong 

Tel: +852 2335 6700 – svdh@bfgroup.asia 

NEW YOUNG PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS: 

GLOBALEYE 

Contact: Charles WOOD – Business Development Manager 

Address: Suite 504, Level 5 Two Exchange Square 

8 Connaught Place, Central, Hong Kong 

Tel: +852 5689 8102 – charles.wood49@gmail.com 

Website: www.globaleye.com 

TWIG LIMITED 

Contact: Marleen SPREEUWENBERG-WALZ – Director 

Address: House 2, Silver Shore Villas, 33 Cheung Fu Street 

Cheung Sha, Lantau, Hong Kong 

Tel: +852 6351 8923 - marleen@twig-design.com 

Website: www.twig-design.com 

31

Events 

52nd Young Professional Cocktail 

The52nd Young Professional Cocktail was organized by the Austrian and New Zealand Chambers. The event was attended by 450 

Young Professionals from different Chambers of Commerce. The InterCham cocktails are organized every quarter and are a perfect 

networking opportunity. The event proceeds have been donated to the Home of Loving Faithfulness. 

32 

Wednesday 6 February, 18:30 – 20:30, Beijing Club, 2 Wellington Str., Central, Hong Kong 

Dutch Creatives Talk by Paul Mijksenaar 

The Dutch Creatives attended a lecture by information designer Paul Mijksenaar. In his talk ‘Why we get lost’, Mijksenaar spoke about the 

way travellers try to find their way and often fail out of anxiety. His speech included aspects like orientation, routing and information in 

public space and buildings, all seen through the eyes of the laymen users like ourselves. 

Wednesday 27 February, 18:00 - 19:00, Room A122 (Courtyard), School of Design, PolyU, Hung Hom, Hong Kong 

InterSME Event: How to use E-Commerce in your Marketing Strategy? 

This sold-out InterSME event was organized by the Dutch, Swedish and Italian Chambers and co-hosted by ten Chambers of Commerce. 

A panel of four speakers focused on the topic of E-commerce by exposing some of the tools and strategies as well as providing practical 

examples that can help SMEs to boost their E-commerce business. 

Thursday 28 Feb, 12:30 – 14:00, The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Kellett Island, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong 

Finance Lunch with Vincent Piket 

The finance committee invited Vincent Piket, Head of Office of the European Union to Hong Kong and Macau, to come and present his 

thoughts on the Future of the Eurozone and the European Union. Vincent is a senior EU diplomat and during this lunch he shared some 

interesting insides into the workings of the European Union. 

Thursday 28 Feb, 12:30 – 14:00, 208 Duecento Otto, 208 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

The World of Wine 

Events 

The China Committee and the Finance Committee joined forces together to organize The World of Wine. Andrew della Casa, director of 

The Wine Investment Fund presented his strategies and knowledge on wine investments, after which Hugo Spencer, Senior Fine Wine Broker 

at Corney and Barrow, hosted an interactive wine tasting session. 

Wednesday 6 March, 17:30 - 20:00, Residence of the Dutch Consul General, 24 Mount Cameron Road, The Peak, Hong Kong 

MUNCH on the Move to Stibbe The lunch was sponsored by Stibbe 

Alexander de Nerée tot Babberich and Jan Bogaert, two local partners of Stibbe (a leading full-service Benelux law firm) provided insight 

on the functioning of a law firm, spoke about the issues their clients face in the region, and elaborated on their own experiences in setting 

up a new branch of a law firm in Asia. 

Thursday 7 March, 12:30 - 14:00, Stibbe, Suite 1008-1009, 10/F, Hutchison House, 10 Harcourt Road, Central, Hong Kong 

Joint Business Community Luncheon 

The Honourable John Tsang, Financial Secretary of the HKSARG 

Mr Tsang gave a speech to the Hong Kong business community to eludicate his budget speech for 2013-2014. The Financial Secretary shared 

his plans on how we can sustain economic prosperity for future growth and maintain Hong Kong's competitiveness. 

Monday 18 March, 12:15 - 14:00, Convention Hall, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre 

Kick-Off Event for Inspire!, Young Professionals of the Dutch Chamber 

The new young professional programme of the Dutch Chamber, Inspire!, was launched on the 27th of March in Libertine. We celebrated 

this new programme together with YPs of the French, Swedish and Italian Chambers, and invited guest speaker Vincent Piket to share his 

experiences on his career within the EU. 

Wednesday 27 March, 19:00 - 21:00, Libertine, 26 Aberdeen Str., Central, Hong Kong 

Upcoming Events - See on page 34 

33

Enquiries & Information 

Upcoming Events 

w Interactive guided art tour at Art Basel with Jeanette ten Kate 26 May, 11:00 – 12:00 AM, HK Convention and Exhibition Centre 

w 10th InterCham Connecting People Cocktail 28 May, 18:30 – 21:30, WET Deck, 76/F, W Hong Kong – Kowloon 

w Annual SME Spring Event - The Travel Edition 31 May, 19:00 – 22:00, SME Spring Event, The Royal HK Yacht Club 

w AGM 19 June, 19:00 - 21:00, Rabobank Office, 32/F Three Pacific Place 

w Rabobank Herring Party 26 June, 18:30 – 22:00, Orange Tree Restaurant 

TRADE SHOW CALENDAR 

IN THE NETHERLANDS 

Electronics & Automation 

Location: Jaarbeurs Utrecht Hall 8 

Date: 28-30 May 2013 

Exhibit: ICT & electronics 

Organizer: FHI 

Email: i.van.der.zwaag@fhi.nl 

Website: www.eabeurs.nl 

PLMA’s World of Private Label 

Location: Amsterdam RAI 

Date: 28-29 May 2013 

Exhibit: trendy & fashion 

Organizer: PLMA International Council 

Email: visitorinfo@prima.nl 

Website: www.plma.nl 

Smart City Event 

Location: Amsterdam RAI 

Date: 29-30 May 2013 

Organizer: Euroforum BV 

Email: g.de.boer@euroforum.nl 

Website: www.smartcityevent.com 

Regio Business Dagen 

Location: Jaarbeurs Utrecht, Hall 7,8 &9 

Date: 29 & 30 May 2013 

Exhibit: business in general 

Organizer: Organisatie Groupe Zuid 

Email: daatje@ogz.nl 

Website: www.rbdutrecht.nl 

Vakbeurs Gebouwbeheer 

Location: Jaarbeurs Utrecht 

Date: 5-7 June 2013 

Exhibit: building management 

Website: www.vakbeursgebouwbeheer.nl 

IN HONG KONG / CHINA 

Hong Kong International Medical Devices 

and Supplies Fair 

Location: HKCEC 

Date: 14-16 May 2013 

Exhibit: medical & healthcare devices 

Organiser: HKTDC 

Email: fina.mc.yeung@hktdc.org 

website: www.hktdc.com 

Hong Kong Entrepreneur Day 


Date: 31 May and 01 June 2013 


Email: entrepreneurday@hktdc.org 

website: www.hktdc.com/eday 

Hong Kong Fashion Week for Spring / 

Summer 


Date: 8-11 July 2013 


Email: exhibitions@hktdc.org 

website: www.hktdc.com/fair/hkfashionweekss-en 

Hong Kong Book Fair 


Date: 17-23 July 2013 


Email: exhibitions@hktdc.org 

Website: http://hkbookfair.hktdc.com 

These trade enquiries were received by the Economic Section of the Consulate-General of 

the Netherlands in Hong Kong. Interested parties may approach the companies directly 

or contact Betty Liu, the Consulate’s trade officer, on (852) 2868 0690, by fax to 

(852) 2868 5388 or via email economic.section@netherlands-cg.org.hk 

Hong Kong Agents/ Importers wanted 

Hong Kong Suppliers wanted 

TRADE ENQUIRIES 

Miffy LED lamp 

Dangoo Electronics 

Phone: 86 21 5426 4979 – Email: chenmeng@dangoo.com.cn 

www.dangoo.com.cn – Contact: Ms. Regina Chen 

Organic baby care product 

Kaap Bossie 

Email: info@kaapbossie.com 

www.kaapbossie.com – Contact: Ms. Wilma Oudshoorn 

34 

PVC placemats / coasters 

Braun Uitgeverij 

Phone: 31 06 26 12 4516 – Email: info@braunuitgevers.nl 

www.braunuitgevers.nl – Contact: Mr. Frits Braun 

Solar panels 

SolarNow Services Ltd. 

Phone: 256 788 916 601 – Email: Ronald@solarnow.eu 

www.solarnow.eu – Contact: Mr. Ronald Schuurhuizen

World Environment Week 

z Presented by Ecozine.com and Dutch Design sensation, Dopper! (June 5-8th, 2013) 

Merijn Everaarts, The Founder and Owner of 

Dopper, riding the 'Dopper Plastic Wave' in San 

Francisco on World Water Day at the Dopper US 

and Canada Launch on March 22, 2013 

Organized by Ecovision Asia, World Environment Week 2013 

will bring together international thought leaders, local 

heroes, NGOs, academics, companies and the community to 

celebrate sustainability and highlight a powerful, positive approach 

to the environmental issues we face. 

The event is sponsored by Dopper, a Dutch designed sustainable 

reusable water bottle, produced with a net zero carbon footprint, free 

of BPAs. 

Having recently won honourable mention at the prestigious Red Dot 

Awards for design, Lisa Christensen, CEO and Founder of Ecovision 

Asia and The Hong Kong Cleanup is delighted to bringing the 

product to Asia. “The Dopper is set to be the trendiest eco-product 

in Hong Kong, and will literally change the environmental waste 

landscape by directly reducing the amount of single use plastic that 

winds up choking our precious oceans ”, she says with a big smile. 

Dopper was founded by concerned father, ocean lover and 

environmental entrepreneur, Merijn Everaarts. He made a choice 

three years ago to leave the corporate world and follow his true 

passion, to make the world a better place. In 2010, he held a 

crowdsourcing design competition for a sustainable reusable water 

bottle, and Rinke van Remortel was the winner. The Dopper was 

profitable in less than three years, and now at least 3% per cent of 

the Dutch population does not leave home without their Dopper. 

Aside from its ingenious design, the Dopper is also a vehicle for good. 

10% of all net proceeds from Dopper bottle sales go to the Dopper 

Foundation, an organization that aims to bring clean water to those 

who need it and educate the public on matters of waste management. 

The Foundation currently funds several projects in Nepal. 

With 1.1 million kg’s of plastic enter our worlds’ oceans every hour, 

choking our seas, and killing marine life, we must CHOOSE TO 

REUSE. Fresh drinking water is the most sustainable thirst-quencher 

there is, with 0 calories. What’s more, it’s free! 

Gold medal Dutch beach volleyball team, Meppelink and Van Gestal 

are proudly representing Dopper! 

Go Green 

The World Environment Week series, which will serve to launch the 

Dopper and also kick off the 2013 Hong Kong Cleanup, will include 

the following events and much more: Film Premiere: A glittering redcarpet 

movie night, featuring the award-winning film, Trashed 

TEDxCentral: A high-profile symposium of inspiring speakers with 

ideas worth sharing Party with a Purpose: The eco-friendly social 

affair of the year! 

The Dutch community will be invited to join in this celebration of 

sustainability and use the opportunity to learn, share, and take action. 

For more details, please contact Ecovision: (852) 2868-5585 or 

info@ecovisionasia.com. 

35

DutchCham Information 

We are a member 

driven organisation 

enabling our 

members to share 

knowledge & to 

develop business 

relations in and 

between the 

Netherlands, 

Hong Kong, Mainland 

China and the Asia 

Pacific Region. 

Unit 2402B, 24th Floor 

Great Eagle Centre 

23 Harbour Road 

Wan Chai 


Tel.: (852) 2815 2801 

E-mail: info@dutchchamber.hk 

Website: www.dutchchamber.hk 

Skype: Dutchchamberhk 

36 

OUR SERVICES 

The Dutch Chamber of 

Commerce in Hong Kong offers 

advice and assistance to its 

members. Areas where we can 

help include: 

• Providing organising and 

networking facilities; 

• Planning programmes 

for student groups 

and overseas delegations; 

• Providing updated information 

on legal systems; 

• Preparing specific promotions 

or organising tailor-made 

seminars; 

• Providing updated information 

about financial systems; 

• Using our members' know how; 

• Invitations to annual functions 

such as the Dutch Business 

Awards Gala Dinner and the 

China Seminar; and 

• Providing useful information 

on our website. 

MEMBERSHIP & 

ANNUAL FEES 

• Gold Member 

HK$ 20,000 

• Corporate Member 

HK$ 8,500 

• SME Member 

HK$ 3,500 

• Associate Member 

HK$ 3,500 

• Young Professional 

HK$ 1,500 

• Overseas Member 

HK$ 2,500 

NO JOINING FEE 

GOLD, SME & CORPORATE 

MEMBERS ENJOY VOTING 

RIGHTS 

PR AND PUBLICATION COMMITTEE 

• Alexander de Nerée tot Babberich (Chairman) 

• Kristen Beattie (editor) 

• Willem van den Ende 

• Candice Lee 

• Mirjam Achthoven 

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE 

• Tom Voûte (Chairman) 

• Matthew Hoyle 

• Ellen van Haandel 


• Bram Eijsbouts 

CHINA COMMITTEE 

• Harold van Kooten (Co-Chairman) 

• Daniël de Blocq van Scheltinga (Co-Chairman) 

• Connie Leung 

• Diederik Maessen 

• Maarten Koning 

• Jacqueline Baud 


SME COMMITTEE 

• René Theil (Chairman) 

• Bas Fransen 

• Hans Pompen 

• Tom Uiterwaal 

• Ester van Steekelenburg 

• Oscar Venhuis 


TAX COMMITTEE 

• Sytske Kimman (Chairman) 

• Carola van den Bruinhorst 

• Jochem Temmerman 

• Eric Kampman 

• Willem Hoogland 


WOMEN’S COMMITTEE 

• Maaike van Meer 

• Henrike Hartemink 


FINANCE COMMITTEE 

• Harmen Overdijk 

• Lodewijk Meens 

• Sander Holman 

• Pieter van der Schaft 

• Hidde Baars 


CREATIVE COMMITTEE 

• Mike de Regt (Chairman) 

• Caitlin Lam 

• Candice Lee 

• Marleen Walz 



DUTCHCHAM COMMITTEES

Dutch Excellence - Dutch Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

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