June - July 2013 - Association of Dutch Businessmen

Association of Dutch Businesspeople in Singapore
www.adb.org.sg
Jun/Jul
2013
EVENT
Doing business in
Myanmar
MITA 373/03/2001
BUSINESS
Interview with Jan Wolter
Oosterhuis - Dockwise
TRAVEL
Destination: Myanmar

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PROLOGUE
Board Members
Mark Leenders
President
Market Director South East Asia,
Greater China and Korea Nespresso
goodbye and
welcome
Marleen Dieleman
Vice President
Visiting fellow NUS Business School
Kuan Yoe The
Honorary Secretary
Business Development Manager
Intertrust Singapore
Martijn Schouten
Honorary Treasurer
Business Development Manager
Vopak
Frank Kuijsters
Member / Chief Editor
Director Digne Consult Asia Pacific
Nico Derksen
Member
Director International Tax
Management
Jan Benes
Member
Business Development Director
Philips Healthcare APAC
Nynke Kinderman
Member
Market Development & Innovation
Exploring opportunities
Ay Wen Lie
Member
Senior Manager Transaction Services
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Secretariat
Zsuzsika Oostinjen - Belovics
Owner / Freelance Consultant
I Interim - Marketing,
Communication & Projects
Dear ADB Members,
On 15 April 2013, fifty members attended an intimate and
exclusive event at the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. How
does one run a not-for-profit organization as a business
and what are the roles and responsibilities of the Board
of Directors? After the theoretical introduction, Maestro
Tsung Yeh, the Music Director, and Mr Quek Ling Kiong, the
Resident Conductor, explained the instruments and Chinese
classical music. This was followed by a performance by
the SCO Ensemble. It was a truly local and cultural event
appreciated by all.
Totally different in character but also enthusiastically
welcomed by almost one hundred members was the May
event ‘Doing Business in Myanmar’. Myanmar is the new, hot
destination for businesses. The country recently opened up
and lacks everything we take for granted; from mobile phones
to infrastructure, from good coffee to health systems. It can
be a challenge finding your way in the bureaucratic, legal and
political maze of this country. The panel shared insights on
their experiences, including the many do’s and don’ts, while
dealing with the many government institutions and local
population. You can read more in this issue of the magazine.
As already mentioned via email, ADB has lost its ever
enthusiastic and energetic secretary, Lineke van Nederpelt,
who recently decided to step down after nine years of loyal
service. The Board again wishes to express its gratitude
and admiration to Lineke who has performed so many and
such varied functions over the years. We are also happy to
announce that Zsuzsika Oostinjen–Belovics has taken over
Lineke’s tasks as from 1 May. Welcome on board, Zsuzsika!
The ADB Board wants to thank Rinske Bloemendal, our
Membership Board member, for her contribution over
the last year. Rinske has decided to step down and will be
succeeded by Nynke Kinderman. To strengthen the Board
further, Ay Wen Lie has joined us as well, bringing the
new Board to nine members in total. With the support of
our new secretary, we aim to provide a continued flow of
valued events and activities for members, as well as our ADB
Magazine and online information.
The results of the recent ADB survey will be published in the
next ADB Magazine. My thanks to all participants for their
valuable input.
“The ADB provides opportunities for Dutch business
people to meet, interact and share knowledge by
means of company visits, lectures, networking events
and membership communications.”
Mark Leenders
1

Contents
Vol. 23 / No. 3 / Jun-Jul 2013
Prologue 1 By Mark Leenders, ADB President
EXTRA 3 Lineke bedankt!
Events 4 Singapore Chinese Orchestra
A peep behind the scenes
8 Doing business in Myanmar
Business 12 Car racing in Singapore and Malaysia
Interview with Wijnand Schagen
14 Realising the inconceivable
An interview with Jan Wolter Oosterhuis - Dockwise
EXTRA 18 Life of a Dutch INSEAD student in Singapore
Know Your Tax 20 Unravelling the Gin and Tonic Myths
Bizz News 22 Dutch business news
Column 24 Labor day
travel 26 Destination: Myanmar
nOt to miss 28 Things to do in Singapore
Embassy News 29 Latest news by the Dutch Embassy
adB News 29 Announcements, member info and more
Cover photo: Frank Kuijsters
P8
During the ADB Myanmar panel
discussion insiders shared their
insights on working and doing
business in Myanmar in an
informal and open setting.
P14
Read about Dockwise’s ability to
achieve the inconceivable, about
the things they do and their
international orientation.
P26
Interested in going on a holiday
where your brain is on all the time
because everything you see invites
further questions, visit Myanmar.
2

LINEKE BEDANKT!
“Hey Mark, do you have five minutes for me?”
If somebody asks me this question, I know what it is about
and normally the people asking the question will present me
with an envelope containing their resignation letter.
Lineke asked me if I had five minutes after the 2013
Annual General Meeting was finished.
During the almost one and a half years I have been
working with Lineke, I must have received hundreds of
emails from her, a few per day at least. On top of her
‘normal’ job, Lineke had a hawk-eye for details concerning
ADB. She was in total control, wanted to be in total control
and was in control around the clock, 7/24/365. Total
commitment and dedication to this degree is seldom seen
as far as I know. Her employer must be totally pleased with
her and even more so now that she has finally started to
disconnect as ADB’s passionate secretary.
How would I describe Lineke?
During my months as chairman of ADB she was my brain,
right and left side. Reminding me of my obligations and
appointments, whispering profiles and names in my ear
(she knows all 450+ ADB members by face and name,
profession and hobbies, gossip and payment behavior). She
also was involved with providing background information
on speakers, organizing events, Dinner & Dance editions,
assisting and supporting ADB Magazine, initiating
and updating the ADB website, trying to improve the
membership administration, liaising with our partners and
so on and so forth.
Lineke could also be grumpy if things did not work out
or did not take the direction she wanted it to go. A very
normal and human reaction if you put so much of yourself
behind it, I guess.
So often I received feedback on statistics and other info
immediately or a few hours after major events had finished,
simply meaning that Lineke would work until sunset to
deliver her impressions, points for improvement, advice for
the next board meeting etc.
When we spoke after the AGM Lineke explained her real
job took too much time to remain fully committed to ADB’s
secretariat in the way she wanted to perform this crucial
function.
I can imagine that after nine (!) years of 100% dedication
you want to have a good night’s sleep without thinking
about filling the grey cells of your chairman.
When we spoke after the Myanmar event she confessed
she had difficulty filling her free hours.
Lineke, once cured from the addiction called ADB,
all members and I are convinced you will come up with
something new and exciting. For now, relax and enjoy your
regained spare time.
I take my hat off to you and take a deep bow as a token
of my sincere appreciation for everything you have done for
our Association.
Truly yours,
Mark
Extra
3

Events
Singapore Chinese Orchestra
A peep behind the scenes
Text Aleid van der Schrier
Photos Lineke van Nederpelt
On April 15, around 50 ADB members paid a visit to the
Singapore Chinese Orchestra at the Singapore Conference
Hall, located in the Central Business District. It turned out
to be an enchanting evening, filled with an interesting
blend of Asian and Western music. And one thing is for
sure, it made us curious for more!
The host of the evening was Ferry de Bakker,
who volunteers as a consultant for SCO. The SCO was
inaugurated in 1997 and is Singapore’s only professional
Chinese orchestra. It aspires to be a world renowned
Chinese Orchestra with a uniquely Singaporean
character. To achieve this, SCO is working on getting more
international recognition. One way to do that is to invite
different types of business groups to networking sessions,
where SCO can present itself.
Chinese classical music and instruments
The evening started with a presentation of Chinese classical
music and instruments by Mr Quek Ling Kiong, resident
conductor. In a Chinese orchestra, there are four groups of
instruments: wind instruments, plucked string instruments,
bowed string instruments and percussion instruments. The
wind instruments contain amongst others the ‘bangdi’,
which is a kind of bamboo flute, the ‘suona’, also called
a Chinese trumpet and a ‘sheng’, which is an ancient
Chinese instrument, made of several small pipes, similar
to an organ. The plucked string instruments are unique to
a Chinese orchestra and are played by using the fingers.
The ‘yangqin’ is a kind of laying harp, while the ‘quzheng’,
which has 21 strings, is the Chinese harp. This section
also consists of different string instruments of different
sizes, including the ‘pipa’, the ‘ruan’ and the ‘sanxian’. The
largest section in a Chinese orchestra is the bowed string
instrument section, which makes up 50% of the orchestra.
In this section there are two Western instruments, the
cello and the double bass. The Chinese instruments are the
gaohu, the erhu and the zhonghu, which all look the same,
but have a different tonal range. The last section consists of
the percussion instruments.
During the presentation, ‘You Tube’ videos of SCO
performances were shown to illustrate the abovementioned
instruments. When I heard the music of SCO,
I was amazed. It did not sound like Chinese opera and it
did not sound like Western classical music. It sounded like
4

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fusion. By combining Chinese and Western instruments
and by recomposing scores from Western and Asian
composers, SCO has created its own unique sound that is
easy to relate to.
When the sounds of SCO’s music faded, Mr Patrick
Goh, the director of SCO, took the floor. He passionately
explained that the Chinese Orchestra only has a 60 year
history. Although Chinese music is at least 5,000 years old,
it was mainly written for solo instruments. With the gradual
opening up of China after World War II, composers started
to put the solo instruments together in works for orchestras.
Mr Goh also explained that it is very expensive to
maintain an orchestra. The expenses are around $14 million
per year. Currently, the SCO has 78 full time musicians. They
perform in 110 concerts yearly. “But”, Mr Goh added, “The
income from ticket sales is never enough to cover the costs.”
In addition to the concerts, the musicians also perform in
smaller groups at schools, hospitals and community centres.
In this way they bring music to all people.
Running a non-profit organisation
The next item on the agenda was a presentation by
Mr Terence Ho, who is the general manager of SCO. He
manages 40 administrative staff and has 121 people on the
pay-roll. Of the total expenditure of SCO, around 70% is
covered by government grants.
In the organisational structure, SCO looks more like
a private company than a non-profit organisation. First
of all, there is a board of directors, who are volunteers,
appointed by the minister. They serve a 2 year term.
The directors decide on the strategy for SCO, while the
management team operates the orchestra. Supporting
the management team is a large number of committees,
such as the artistic committee, the audit committee, the
finance committee, the human resource committee and
the marketing & sponsorship committee.
Mr Ho compared running a non-profit organisation with
his favourite pastime, running. With an average mileage of
2,500km per year he is an expert runner. And as he said,
“Running speeds you up, age slows you down”. So, you
really have to keep running when you are managing a nonprofit
organisation.
Next, Mr Ho introduced us to the dreams, inspiration,
imagination and aspirations of SCO. Their aspirations
cover 8 dimensions, which are audience, brand,
employer, management, music, musicians, orchestra and
place. These dimensions should work together to deliver
the desired outcomes, which are artistic excellence and
international stature; broader audience base and more
sophisticated demand; organisational excellence and
financial stability. And just like private companies, these
desired outcomes are measured using key performance
indicators, for example, number of commissioned and
arranged works, number of ticketed performances,
number of internships or earned income excluding
grants.
Panel discussion
After this quick introduction to SCO we were given the
opportunity to put all our burning questions to a panel,
consisting of Mr Patrick Goh, Meastro Tsung Yeh (music
director), Mr Terence Ho and Mr Ferry de Bakker.
Where are the compositions sourced, given the short
history of Chinese Orchestras?
Of course, there is a lot of material from the 5,000 year
long history of China. These scores are being used as a
basis for compositions. There are a lot of composers from
China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and even
the UK. Western composers are flown in to Singapore to
learn about the Chinese instruments, so that they are
able to include these instruments in their compositions.
In addition to that, SCO has its own scores library, which
contains more than 8,000 pieces. Local Chinese orchestras
(more than 200!) source from this library.
What percentage of the musicians are locals?
Most of the musicians are Singaporean or naturalised
Singaporean, just a small percentage have a work pass or
are permanent residents.
Where do you source your musicians?
In Singapore Chinese instruments are very popular. The
huge number of local orchestras provides an enormous
source of talented musicians. For auditions, SCO normally
attracts three to four hundred candidates. SCO also
operates the Singapore Chinese Youth Orchestra (SCYO),
which currently consists of 98 musicians.
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How are scores that were written for individual
instruments adapted to scores for a complete orchestra?
Meastro Tsung explained that in the 50’s a traditional
melody was taken, which was combined with a western,
functional melody. In the 70’s and 80’s more sophisticated
techniques were used to blend Eastern and Western
compositions. Singapore developed its own blend, which
today is known by the name of ‘Nanyang flavour’. Another
source of compositions is the composition competitions,
which were held in 2006 and 2011.
Does SCO perform internationally and does this add to
the income stream?
Yes, SCO performs internationally. Over the past few years
there have been performances in Europe (Budapest, London,
Newcastle, Paris), Taiwan and China. The tour to Edinburgh,
where SCO performed at the Edinburgh Music Festival, was
very special, because SCO was the first Asian orchestra ever
to be invited to this festival. Normally, SCO gets invited to
ethnic or folk festivals, but this invitation made clear that
SCO is now considered a mainstream orchestra.
Of course, these international concerts help to
introduce SCO to a broader audience. However, the fees for
these concerts cannot make up for the costs of the trips.
Usually the Singapore government supports the musicians
by covering their travel costs.
four groups of Chinese instruments. First, the sheng
(mouth organ) was played, followed by the erhu (string
instrument). Then a dazzling performance on the
zhongruan (kind of guitar) was given, expressing a sword
fight. A powerful drum (percussion) ended the introduction
and made the Singapore Conference Hall shake to its
foundations. Last but not least, the ‘Fantastic 4’ treated
us to a combined performance, leaving us with a good
impression of what SCO and its music is about.
Experiencing the SCO Nanyang flavour
Curious for more? As Mr Goh stated in his introduction,
“The only way to experience the excitement of the
instruments is to visit a concert.” More information on
SCO can be found on their website, but Mr Ho pointed
out that SCO also has its own app, available for free from
the App Store. The app contains information on SCO, the
performance calendar, free music downloads and you can
even book tickets for the performances via the app, which
directs you automatically to the Sistic website. There is
only one way to experience the SCO ‘Nanyang flavour’-
book a ticket, sit down and enjoy. Try it!
Bronze sponsors:
Live performances
The evening was concluded by an introduction to the

Events
Doing Business in Myanmar
text Nynke Kinderman photos Ay Wen Lie
After almost half a century of isolation, Myanmar is now
emerging as the hottest investment destination in the
region, maybe even the world. Business opportunities in
Myanmar are plentiful. However, to be successful, it is
crucial to understand the cultural, regulatory, political, tax
and financial challenges one faces when doing business in
Myanmar.
To support its members in understanding this business
potential, as well as the challenges, ADB hosted the panel
discussion on ‘Doing Business in Myanmar’, moderated by
Nico Derksen, on 20 May 2013. The Myanmar insider panel
shared their experiences and insights on working and doing
business in Myanmar in an informal and open setting.
With around a 100 participants, including representatives
from DutchCham and the Dutch Embassy, it was a very
successful event!
Introducing Myanmar
Myanmar has a strategic seaside location and borders
India, China and Thailand, as well as other countries. It is
a relatively young country, as it only gained independence
in 1948. Here are some numbers to illustrate its current
situation:
Introducing the panel members
His Excellency, Mr Joan A. Boer, the Netherlands Ambassador
to Thailand, with additional responsibility for Myanmar.
Best Myanmar experience: standing outside at the
by-elections and watching the NLD (National League for
Democracy) win.
Worst Myanmar experience: trying to confirm an
appointment with a specific minister and ending up with
three different appointments.
Mr Gert-Jan (GJ) van den Akker, Platform Leader of Energy,
Transportation and Metals (ETM) and a member of the
Cargill Corporate Center. Based in Singapore, GJ is an
Executive Vice President of Cargill Asia Pacific.
Best Myanmar experience: personally, it was visiting
Bagan, a very special and spiritual place, definitely a mustsee.
Businesswise, it was listening to the people on the
street and hearing their hope in spite of all the pain and
difficulties they have been through.
Worst Myanmar experience: the bureaucracy and large
number of officials one has to meet.
Mr. Fernando Erazo, the Senior Director ASEAN & Pacific,
Country Manager Myanmar, at Royal Philips Electronics.
Best Myanmar experience: the people you meet and
work with. As a healthcare company, Philips focuses on a
primary need, and I was impressed by the hunger of the
local doctors to receive support and work together.
Worst Myanmar experience: that is actually within
Philips itself, to help management understand the flexibility
required. It is difficult to communicate the opportunities
you see when you visit Myanmar to people who have not
been there.
Mr. Edwin van der Bruggen, founding partner VBD-Loi,
a regional legal and tax firm, lives full-time in Yangon
(Myanmar).
Best Myanmar experience: encounter with a member
of the cabinet. When discussing a project on the list
of restricted activities (up to 80% foreign investment
allowed), the cabinet member asked whether they would
invest more if they could invest on a 100% foreign basis.
This was indeed the case due to financial considerations.
The minister reacted, “I can put it (the specific project)
8

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on the list, so I can take it off the list.” The interest of the
country goes before all.
Worst Myanmar experience: the number of power cuts.
We had a small office in a condo, which the owner said had
a generator. When a one-hour meeting got interrupted by
fifteen power cuts, I asked him about the generator. His
reply, “Yes, we do have a generator, but we do not switch
it on!”
Discussing the financial, political, regulatory
and tax landscape
After the panel member introductions, the different key
challenges to consider in Myanmar were discussed.
As the panel unanimously agreed, Myanmar offers
enormous possibilities, with all the signals pointing in the
right direction. Now is the time to start doing business
in Myanmar in order to gain an early mover advantage,
or at least stay on par with competitors. However, as
put forward by Mr van den Akker, “Everything still needs
to happen”. The infrastructure is lacking, with only one
main road, no mobile network coverage, and it is a real
cash economy where you have to pay with brand new
US dollars. Furthermore, the 2015 elections provide an
overarching uncertainty on Myanmar’s way forward. As
summarized by Mr van den Akker, “We will go in, but with
our eyes open”.
“As business people, it is very important to understand
the barriers and issues before going in, for example,
regulatory versus logistical,” mentioned Mr. Erazo. He is
very positive and believes change is irreversible due to the
access to and dissemination of information. A key concern,
however, is brand exposure. For Philips, its brand is a
major asset, which is especially sensitive in the healthcare
industry. So Philips needs to understand the exposure.
On the political side, his Excellency Mr. Boer
emphasizes the positive developments, like more freedom
of the press, which is actually overtaking the current
system. There is no government fabric yet. The only
institutional structure is the military. The West needs
to understand these dynamics, and that demobilizing
the army, for example, would not be the way to go. The
elections in 2015 will shape Myanmar’s future political
landscape. However, at this stage there is a lot of room for
real transition. From personal discussions with opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi, his Excellency has learned that a
strong sense of “Realpolitik” exists.
Concerning the regulatory landscape, Mr van der
Bruggen points out that even for restricted activities
you can own up to 80%, which is high compared to
countries like Vietnam and Thailand. However, the current
regulatory situation is not perfect, and will not be perfect
soon. Some laws and contract acts stem back as far as
1872, which often leads to interpretation difficulties. On
the other hand, the new laws have never been applied,
including the Foreign Investment Law, which means
nobody knows how they will be interpreted. But, as Mr
van der Bruggen shares about his clients, “About a year
ago our clients were very uncertain about Myanmar, not
sure about the risks and whether to enter. They now say,
they cannot consider not getting in there. They need to go,
almost at any price, right now.”
For tax regulations specifically, there are a lot of
problems and misunderstanding due to the enormous gap
between theory and practice. 80% of any deal is based on
your relationship with the government, 20% is having a
good lawyer.
(In)formal business etiquette, culture and
partner selection
Moving from the key challenges within the formal
landscape to the more social context, the panel discussed
the culture, style of negotiating and selection of potential
partners.
As experienced by His Excellency, you can have very
straightforward discussions with the people in Myanmar,
provided you are not complaining. Be prepared for the
conversation, as questions asked will get answered. Mr van
den Akker further highlights the huge sense of learning and
business savvy, both of government and business people.
An example is an issue for Cargill with the FIL, as trading
is not allowed. This would make it impossible for Cargill to
manage supply chains in Myanmar. The solution: don’t use
the word trading, just say buying and selling!
Regarding cooperation with local partners, Mr Erazo
stresses the effort required for the channel partner
selection. An important consideration is the kind of market
Myanmar is for your business. Is it an export market in the
long term or do you want to establish a local presence?
As partner due diligence is very expensive and time
consuming, Mr Erazo shares a key lesson learned by Philips
when selecting partners. Get your market insights locally
by installing local risk assessors on the ground. Also, the
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9

Events
level of transparency in who is bidding for what and who
is partnering with whom provides a quick way of reference
checking. Looking at the experience Philips has had with
the government, Mr Erazo is positive. “I was impressed by
their very hard work and good intentions, although the
outcomes are still pending.”
As a final comment on culture and business etiquette,
Mr. van der Bruggen points out that business people in
Myanmar have a strong emotional bias for decision-making
in negotiations, which means they can get upset and
insulted relatively quickly. The right framing and wording to
avoid misunderstandings may require some practice.
Q&A
Although the bar was already open, there were quite a few
interesting questions from the audience. Here is a short
selection:
Q: What are the opportunities for SMEs?
A: Significant funds are required to get started in Myanmar,
as costs are high. If you can’t sit it out for several years,
don’t go in. The Embassy provides support for Dutch
business people through the website, organized visits and
through their office, which is opening in Myanmar.
Q: As mentioned by the panel, everybody wants to get in
at this time, at any price. Are we experiencing a Myanmar
bubble?
A: There is definitely a Myanmar wave. But even if things
go wrong, people still need oil, food, roads etc. There are
so many basic needs to be met that we do not have to
worry about the market.
Conclusion
If you want to do business in Myanmar, it is important to
talk to the right government officials in the appropriate
way. Now is definitely the time to go in, but not without a
healthy amount of caution as well as resources.
Could Myanmar be the next Asian tiger?
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Business
Car Racing in Singapore
and Malaysia
Interview with Wijnand Schagen
Text Ay Wen Lie Photos Wijnand Schagen
The F1- circus has been visiting Singapore for several years
now, creating an exciting event each year in September.
For Singaporeans, it’s an event impossible to miss. A less
well-known fact is that there’s a whole range of other types
of motorsports both in Singapore and in the region besides
F1. There are many accessible forms of motorsports
available which individuals or (corporate) groups can easily
take part in.
Wijnand Schagen, (ex-Yamaha test driver, licensed
instructor and automotive engineer) tells us about the
available options in Singapore and Malaysia. He talks about
racing, improving your driving skills, hiring racing cars for
on-track racing, and where to get engineering services to
optimize performance of sports- and racecars.
Can you give an overview of the Singapore motorsport
scene?
A popular form of motorsport in Asia is drifting, a driving
technique whereby the driver intentionally causes the rear
end of the car to slide at a great angle, while maintaining
control from entry to exit of a corner. Specifically modified,
rear wheel drive cars are used for this type of motorsport.
Up and coming in Singapore is Gymkhana, a motorsport
style whereby the driver must manoeuver through a
pre-determined track, set out with cones on a big, empty
parking lot. The driver must perform many different driving
techniques, such as 180 degree spins, 360 degree spins,
parking boxes, figure 8s, and other advanced skills. Any
road car can be used, but a car equipped with a manual
gearbox is more suitable than an automatic.
On the road you see quite a lot of modified Japanese
cars and high-end European sports cars. A number of these
fast cars are being used from time to time on so-called
Track Days, mostly on Sepang Formula One racetrack in
Malaysia, near Kuala Lumpur. Track Days are organized by
various driving clubs and provide the opportunity to drive
your car around the racetrack as fast as you like. There
is no competitive element here and no racing license is
required for this.
Ultimately, enthusiasts who want to engage in racing
competitions can compete in top-level race classes in
the region like GT Asia, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, and
Malaysian Super Series for Sports Prototypes, GTs and
Touring Cars. Professionally built, competition-dedicated
racecars are used for these race series.
What services do you provide?
For motorsport enthusiasts who want to drive on a
racetrack, I offer track day experiences. This entails an
Arrive & Drive concept, whereby a track-prepared rentalracecar
is provided.
The drivers’ level of driving experience varies, therefore
a variety of rental-racecars is available, ranging from fast
Touring Cars to lightweight, open-top Westfield Cup cars,
up to very fast, big-winged Sports Prototypes. Usually
people start out in a Touring Car, getting the hang of
driving on-track and getting used to the high levels of
grip a racecar generates, learning correct racing lines and
getting a feel for the high cornering speeds. Then drivers
progress onto Ariel Atom and Westfield Cup cars. These are
lightweight, open top racing cars with an exciting power
to weight ratio and lots of mechanical grip, making them
significantly quicker than the Touring Cars. Speeds in these
cars are higher, lap times are faster and the skills required
to drive these cars are higher. Finally, it’s on to the Sports
Prototypes. These ‘junior Le Mans’-cars generate a lot
of down force and are seriously fast. It takes a while for
your brain to adjust and accept how extremely late you
can actually brake in such a car and how much speed you
can carry through a corner. Very exciting stuff! It’s a great
experience for drivers to learn how to drive all of these cars
at racing speed and learn the skills required to do that.
What else do you provide?
For local car clubs, I provide instruction at club events, such
as Gymkhana instruction at the Mazda MX5 club.
Group-instruction can also be done at (corporate)
karting events. Learning only a few basic things such as
12

Business
racing lines will help you beat your friends or colleagues
at a karting event. Karting provides a nice introduction to
motorsport and a step-up to on-track car racing.
I also provide on-track race instruction, so drivers
can gain knowledge, skill and experience. Drivers can
be trained over an extended period of time to become
competition-racing drivers. This can be done on any of the
circuits in Malaysia. And when the Changi Motorsports Hub
materializes, a Race Academy will be set up there.
For racing drivers that participate in the local
championships I provide engineering services. I prepare
their racecars, develop car and driver and offer technical
track-support throughout the racing season, making the
driver and the racecar more competitive.
What tracks are there in the region & what are the
differences between the tracks?
The most famous track is Sepang circuit in Malaysia, famous
for its international events such as F1, MotoGP and Super
GT. It’s a modern track, with very fast straights and, with
its big run-off areas, it’s relatively safe. Closer to Singapore,
in Johor there’s also a circuit, Pasir Gudang. It’s an older
circuit, with a layout that gives it the feel of a classic
‘European’ track. The track follows the natural flow of the
terrain. It’s got elevation and several exciting corners that
resemble the best from other famous tracks (for example:
Laguna Seca’s ‘Corkscrew’ and Zandvoort’s ‘Scheivlak’). It’s
a real drivers’ track. I personally enjoy driving there.
There are several karting tracks in the region. Two of
these are in Singapore. There’s a technically demanding
track in Jurong and a new track was recently built in Changi.
It’s a wide, fast track, built to international standards. Also
in Johor there’s an exciting, flowing track built in the middle
of a rubber plantation. These tracks are much more exciting
and fun than the tight, narrow, (slow) indoor go-kart tracks
that are available in Holland. Regarding karting tracks, we’re
really spoiled here in Singapore and Malaysia.
Rental karts are available at the track and for (corporate)
groups, tailored karting events can be organized. A
typical program would include a brief instruction and a
familiarization session, followed by a qualifying session to
determine starting position and of course several races.
That’s an exciting day with your mates, or a good way to
form a bond with colleagues or clients.
How can you participate in competitions?
It’s generally a good idea to get trained on how to drive
a car fast around a racetrack. It greatly enhances the joy
you get out of driving on-track, plus you’ll be safer and
more competitive. In fact, in the Netherlands it is standard
practice to go to a racing school for a full season of racing
lessons, prior to doing a racing exam and obtaining your
license.
After obtaining a racing license from either the
Singapore Motorsport Association, or its Malaysian
counterpart, you’re allowed to take part in races.
You then require a racing car, fit for the racing class you
want to compete in. Upon request, I can source a suitable
racing car from anywhere in the world, ship it in and
import it.
What are the ‘signature’ races held in the region?
Singapore F1 Grand Prix in September, Merdeka 12 hour
race for GT’s and Touring Cars in August and the Sepang
1000km race in December.
What has been your favorite event of the past year?
My favorite event is the Sepang 24 hour race that was held
last February. I joined 4 other drivers to share a Sports
Prototype car for the event. Aside from the excitement
from the performance of the car, what appeals to me is
the consistency and endurance required from both the car
and the driver during such a race. And it was a thrill driving
through the night. The companionship and fun you’re
having with the other drivers in your team is great.
Many things can (and will) happen to the car over the
course of 24 hours of racing and it requires perseverance
and resourcefulness to overcome any technical setbacks.
That makes the sense of achievement even greater when
your team reaches the finish line.
I’m already looking forward to the next endurance race,
the Fuji 1000km in Japan, where we’ll be entering two
identical cars. A few seats are still available for keen drivers.
Wijnand is an automotive engineer with over 20
years of racing experience, both as a driver and as an
engineer. His engineering experience ranges from Sports
Prototypes, Touring Cars (DTCC) and Dakar to ex-DTM
cars, IMSA cars (Dutch Supercar Challenge), GT3 and
Westfield Sevens. Wijnand has worked for Yamaha’s
4-wheeled vehicles division and has worked with Öhlins
on development of experimental suspension systems
as later used on Citroën’s WRC car and Audi’s Le Mans
contenders, with great success.
For more info, please contact: wijnand.schagen@
lm-eng.nl
13

Business
Realising the inconceivable
An interview with Jan Wolter Oosterhuis - Dockwise
Text Aleid van der Schrier
Photos Dockwise
On March 20, 2013 André Goedée, CEO of Dockwise, was
interviewed on the Dutch program ‘De wereld draait door’.
He was invited to appear on the show because Dockwise
is considered to be a perfect example of a Dutch company
that has continued to grow over the past few years, despite
the economic crisis that The Netherlands is still coping
with today. Dockwise’s ability to achieve the inconceivable,
to do things that nobody else can, and their international
orientation gives them a competitive advantage that fuels
their success.
From shipping company to offshore service
provider
Dockwise was founded in 1993 after the merger of
Wijsmuller Transport and Dock Express Shipping, two
companies specialising in heavy marine transport. The
head-office of Dockwise is located in Breda, where around
20% of Dockwise’s employees are based. The rest of the
employees are spread out around the world. Engineering
centres can be found in Breda, Houston and Shanghai,
while sales offices can be found on all continents, except
Antarctica. The area manager at the Singapore office is Jan
Wolter Oosterhuis, who I met at the Dockwise office at the
top floor of Suntec Tower 2.
“When Dockwise was founded in 1993, they started
off as a shipping company,” explains Jan Wolter. “Over
the years additional services were added to our portfolio.
Nowadays, Dockwise is an offshore service provider. This
extension of our service portfolio required a different
way of doing business. Offshore installation requires a
project management approach, which is different from
just arranging transport from A to B.” The diversification of
the product portfolio is reflected in their service offering.
As well as heavy marine transport, Dockwise also offers
transport & installation services, logistics management
services, engineering services and offshore installation
equipment.
In March 2013 Dockwise was acquired by Boskalis. Jan
Wolter sees a lot of potential in this merger. “Boskalis is a
huge company, well-known for their dredging activities.
They would like to strengthen and expand their position
in the offshore energy market. Dockwise’s experience in
this field can help them realise this. For us this acquisition
opens up an even bigger market of potential clients.
Moreover, it supports our strategy to expand our offshore
services and logistics management market.”
From one-man band to commercial centre of
Asia
Jan Wolter started working for Dockwise in 2002. “Being
a son of a seafarer, I have always had an interest in the
maritime industry. After graduating from the Technical
University in Delft as a Naval Architect, I joined an
engineering firm in Rotterdam, but I soon found out that I
was stuck behind my desk. Dockwise offered me a position
to develop my engineering skills while seeing the projects
I worked on in real life also.” Dockwise has an interesting
history. They started off as a small company, but have
14

Business
grown to be the market leader in heavy marine transport
within twenty years. “The evolution of Dockwise from a
small privately owned business to a major listed company
is a good example of the entrepreneurial and innovative
spirit of the Dutch. This way of thinking and working is
still actively present in our company.” In 2009 Jan Wolter
was sent to Singapore to set up a Singapore office for
Dockwise. He started off as a one-man band, but now has
7 employees working for him and he also manages an
office in Malaysia. In the four years that Dockwise has been
present in Singapore, the office has become Dockwise’s
commercial centre for Asia.
Jan Wolter’s first task in Singapore was to build strong
relationships with clients. “In the Asian culture relationship
building is very important”, says Jan Wolter. “In order to
build good relationships you have to be present locally,
especially when competition increases. Singapore is a
central maritime hub. Many ships stop in Singapore for
bunkering and loading and unloading and a lot of marine
related companies have offices in Singapore. Just by being
here and walking around, you can pick up relevant market
information fairly easily.” Another reason for Dockwise’s
presence in the region is that Asia is developing fast
and their requirements for oil, gas and energy will keep
increasing over the coming years. This will increase the
demand for drilling platforms in the region, which will
bring a lot of potential business for Dockwise. An example
is Malaysia. When Jan Wolter was sent to Singapore,
expectations were that China would be the biggest growth
market. “It turned out that China focused mainly on its
internal market and appeared to be more closed than
expected. In Malaysia, however, the developments in oil &
gas took off, generating enough business for us to open up
a Dockwise office there.”
When asked about his biggest challenge, Jan Wolter
replied, “My biggest challenge is to support the Asian
countries in their development, without taking over
their projects. In Malaysia, for example, the government
encourages companies to employ local people, provide
education for people (like engineers, quality safety staff
and project managers) and to use local ships. In this way
they are trying to develop their local talent, but actually
they are not yet ready to manage these types of projects
efficiently. I really have to be careful to give them a chance
and not take over.” Another challenge Jan Wolter face is
the cyclic market in which they operate. “During the good
times you always have to prepare for the bad times.”
The competition Dockwise faces in heavy marine
transport is fierce, especially at the low end of the market.
Here, competition from China and Korea is increasing. Jan
Wolter explained, “Given the relatively low production
costs and grants from the government in these countries
is it relatively easy to build and operate a ship for heavy
marine transport. However, our competitive advantage
is that we have a big fleet with a broad range of ship
types and a client base located all around the world. We
hardly have any ships sailing empty, because in most cases
return-cargo can be arranged. This of course reduces costs.
And, last but not least, we have 30 years of experience
in heavy marine transport.” In other service areas, like
the offshore activities, competition comes from other big
offshore companies, like Heerema. However, in the logistics
management and transport and installation services,
competition can only be found in either transport or
engineering, but not in the combination of the two. This is
one of the strengths of Dockwise.
Although the competition limits itself to certain parts
of Dockwise’s business, Jan Wolter stays at the ready at
all times. “The Vanguard, our newest and biggest ship,
will be copied sooner or later. But, operating such a huge
ship requires a lot of experience. By keeping an eye on
customer requirements and by always creating added value
you will remain their preferred supplier.”
From big ships to game changer
For the past few months the world has been in awe of
the newest addition to Dockwise’s fleet, the Vanguard.
The Vanguard is the biggest ship in the heavy lift category,
measuring 275 meters in length and 70 meters in breadth.
Pictures of enormous structures being transported by sea
have been circulated among everyone interested in marine
transport.
The vastness of the Vanguard suggests a complicated
design, but actually it is quite simple. That makes the
design and build period rather short, being around 2 years
in total. Jan Wolter explained, “Simply said the Vanguard is
just a flat ship. But the ground breaking innovation is that
the accommodation is placed alongside the ship. Also, the
ship is equipped with movable casings. These innovations
increase the deck space and make it possible for cargo
to stick out at the front, but also at the back. Another
innovation is the fact that the Vanguard can submerge and
have a maximum 16 meters of water above deck, which
enables it to ‘pick up’ cargo from underneath.”
But where did the idea for such a big ship come from?
“The Vanguard was designed and developed following
market demand”, answers Jan Wolter. “But the heavy
marine transport market is rather special, in that the
market determines the size of the ships and the ships
determine the market. For example, the Blue Marlin, our
biggest ship at that time, had a breadth of 42 meters. But
then, for a particular project a width of 63 meters was
required. So, the Blue Marlin was upgraded significantly to
be able to fit those requirements. As a result of Dockwise
being able to transport bigger cargo, demand for this type
of shipment increased.”
15

Business
For example, advances in technology and in heavy
transport possibilities have changed how the design of
refineries is done. “The current possibilities in heavy
marine transport have resulted in a modular approach in
building refineries. Complete modules are being produced
by the supplier and then shipped to the final destination,
where they are installed. Because of this, the Vanguard will
become a game changer, since even bigger and heavier
units can now be shipped.”
Changes in drilling requirements also fuel the
development of even bigger ships. Oil wells are getting
deeper, drilling is done in deeper water and drilling fields are
becoming bigger. In addition, the hurricane risk in the Gulf
of Mexico requires the offshore platforms to become taller
and heavier. So, the sizes of cargo change which changes the
requirements for the design and development of the vessels.
Up until now Dockwise has navigated successfully
through the economic crisis. The biggest producers of
offshore platforms are located in China, Korea and even
Singapore, while the users can be found in the North Sea,
the Gulf of Mexico and Western Africa. These cargo flows
do not even touch European soil. Dockwise navigates
where growth can be found. With the Vanguard, Dockwise
has proven that they can achieve the inconceivable. And as
was said in ‘De wereld draait door’, Dockwise is definitely a
good example of ‘Hollands Glorie’!
Company Profile
The history of Dockwise dates back to 1992, when Wijsmuller Transport (a division of Heerema) and Dock Express Shipping,
two companies specialising in heavy marine transport, established a joint venture. In 1993 they decided to merge and
Dockwise was founded. Until 2006 Dockwise was owned by Heerema. In 2006 Dockwise Transport was bought out. At the
beginning of 2007 Dockwise was sold to a private equity firm and later that year it became a listed company in Norway. In
2009 a secondary listing on the Euronext Amsterdam followed. In March 2013, Dockwise was acquired by Boskalis.
Over the last twenty years Dockwise has become a leading specialist in heavy transport shipping. In addition,
they have extended their service portfolio to include heavy marine transport, transport and installation, logistical
management, engineering services and offshore installation equipment. Industries serviced include oil & gas, mining,
power, renewable energy, military and port & marine.
Dockwise is the world’s leader in heavy marine transport. They operate the largest and most versatile fleet of semisubmersible
heavy-lift vessels in the world. Their newest vessel-on-the-block, the Vangaurd, is a one-of-a-kind innovation,
which enables Dockwise to deliver the most specialised worldwide transport solutions for their clients. Examples of
cargo carried are offshore drilling rigs, offshore production structures, modules for onshore industrial projects, military
equipment & vessels and port & marine equipment.
With Transportation & Installation Dockwise delivers one-stop-shop solutions for offshore platform transportation
and installation needs. This includes load-out of installations from the fabrication site, transport to the field, launching
and installation of jackets and topsides.
For onshore projects, Dockwise delivers logistical management solutions that cover all facets of modular project
transportation. Within these services, they plan, manage and execute the logistics chain from multiple facilities all over
the world, to ensure timely delivery of modules, all in a single contract.
From their three global engineering excellence centres in Breda, Houston and Shanghai, Dockwise offers engineering
services specialised in deep water fixed structures, floating system design and offshore transportation and installation.
Offshore Kinematics offers innovative offshore installation equipment services. Within this service, area float-over
installation systems are developed and supplied.
Today, Dockwise has 1,200 employees worldwide and has offices which are strategically positioned around the world.
Their fleet consists of 24 vessels, almost all are self-propelled. The smallest ship is the Super Servant 3, with a length
of 139 meters and a breadth of 32 meters, their biggest ship, the Vanguard, is almost twice as big with a length of 275
meters and a breadth of 70 meters.
16

Exceptional.
Offshore.
Solutions.
2010: Dockwise was contracted by
the Vyborg Shipyard to perform the
transportation and integration operations
of two 15,000 mt hulls and two 19,000
mt topside structures by float-over in the
area of Geoje, South Korea.
2011: Dockwise’s Black Marlin was
contracted for the transport and floatover
installation of the 19,500 mt
PPS deck for HHI as part of the PTTEP
Greater Bongkot South development in
the Gulf of Thailand.
2012: Dockwise was contracted by HHI to install
the 22,000 mt jacket and 30,000 mt topside for
SHWE field at the Bay of Bengal offshore Myanmar.
The jacket was launched in 110 meters water
depth, the topside, one of the heaviest in the world,
was installed by means of a float-over operation.
Dockwise is the contractor of choice for ocean transport, logistical management and installation solutions for
exceptional projects in the offshore industry. With our track record of marine transportation and installation of structures
up to 65,000 metric tons, we strive to exceed our customers’ expectations each day. That is the reason why we have
built the world’s largest, semi-submersible heavy transport vessel: the Dockwise Vanguard. With a length of 275
meters and a carrying capacity of up to 117,000 dwt, we set the standard for innovation in our industry. Our success
depends mainly on the expertise of our dedicated employees who create superior value by realizing the inconceivable.
www.dockwise.com
Realizing the Inconceivable
Heavy Marine Transport • Offshore Transport & Installation • Logistical Management • Engineering Services • Offshore Installation Equipment

Extra
Life of a Dutch INSEAD
student in Singapore
TEXT Jasper S. Knoben Photos INSEAD
Introduction
For those who don’t know me yet, let me introduce myself.
My name is Jasper Knoben and I am from Limburg, in the
south of the Netherlands. I studied Marine Engineering
in Delft and worked for the strategy consulting practice of
Accenture for four years. Before moving to Singapore to
pursue my MBA at INSEAD, I was living in Amsterdam with
my fiancée, Nynke.
Why INSEAD?
During my studies, I participated in the UNITECH
international program. This brought together eighty
engineering students from the top eight European
technical universities to spend one year abroad learning
about business, teamwork, leadership and different
cultures to prepare us for a career in business. As part of
that program, I spent half a year in Barcelona studying
economics and half a year in China on an internship
(setting up a factory in Suzhou). Needless to say, I was
hooked on ‘business’ after this great year.
An MBA was always on my mind as a logical next step
in my personal development after my engineering degree.
This would solidify my skillset in economics, marketing and
finance in preparation for my next career steps. It would
also help me to build a strong and international network
and meet a lot of interesting and fun people from different
backgrounds and countries.
INSEAD stood out for multiple reasons. I wanted a
school in the top ten with a very international outlook, and
preferably a one-year program. INSEAD was the only school
that ticked all the boxes. It is a truly international school,
with over eighty nationalities in one class and a strong
alumni network in countries all over the world – hence its
slogan, “The Business School for the World”. I also loved
the opportunity to study in both Fontainebleau (France)
and Singapore, as the MBA program runs in parallel on
both campuses.
Last but not least, it is one of the very few one-year
MBA programs. They cram 85% of the courses of a twoyear
program into ten months, which makes it a pretty
intense experience, but which also means that you’re
closer to gaining work experience. That makes a lot
of sense with the above average study duration in the
Netherlands.
18

Extra
INSEAD Facts & Figures
Why Singapore?
During the time I spent in China, I was amazed by the pace
at which Asia is developing. Urbanization, infrastructure,
economic growth, decision making - everything seems
to go so much faster in Asia compared to Europe. The
people are truly driven and motivated to work hard to
reach their goals and improve their lives, a drive that I see
less often back home in Europe. I always knew I wanted
to go back to Asia at some point out of admiration for this
can-do attitude and drive, a professional interest in growth
strategy, and the opportunities that this growth presents.
Singapore’s function as a hub for the region, where a lot of
growth is coordinated, made it a logical choice.
Why ADB?
After arriving in Singapore on New Year’s Eve, our first
introduction with the Dutch community in Singapore was
the ADB New Year’s reception the Ambassador’s residence.
The openness of the ADB members in the Dutch community
made it a very welcoming experience where we met a
lot of interesting people and made friends immediately.
The combination of professional relevance and a very
strong social character makes ADB the default network in
Singapore, and it just felt like a natural community to join.
Life at INSEAD
The program is structured as five periods of two months
each (P1-5). The first two periods are made up of the core
curriculum, and the remainder can be tailored to individual
ambitions from a wide range of elective courses across all
business topics. I started P1 and P2 in France and moved to
Singapore for the last three periods. Some people do it the
other way around, switching campus for only one or two
periods, or spending the entire year on one campus. Many
variations are possible. Differences between the campuses
are huge. In France people live in villas, townhouses and
chateaus in the villages in the Fontainebleau forest. They
get around by rented cars and they cook and eat at home.
In Singapore most INSEADers live in shared apartments
in two condos near Buona Vista MRT (Heritage View and
Dover Parkview), travel by MRT or taxi and eat downtown
or at ‘yellow chairs’, the nickname of the Dover road
hawker center.
Classes are lively and interactive, and the variety of
cultures and professional backgrounds makes discussions
very interesting. For example, discussions on Chinese/
Japanese territory conflicts (Senkaku islands) or business
practices in India are a lot more interesting with people
who are actually from those countries and have worked for
the respective governments.
While being academically engaging, INSEAD also has
a work hard, play hard culture, so people often have
to juggle their time between coursework, job hunting,
traveling/social activities and sleeping. The latter is,
therefore, often reduced to a bare minimum.
Life after INSEAD
A lot of people use their MBA as a pivot point in their
career, switching from industry to consulting or vice versa,
and then continue to work in a different country after
graduation. My personal goal is to move from Amsterdam
to Singapore and from consulting to a regional strategy
or business development role in industry, for which I’m
actively exploring opportunities.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to know
more about INSEAD or my professional ambitions. I look
forward to seeing you at the next ADB event!
*
Autohuur tarieven vanaf € 23,- per dag
all-in
Laagste eigen risico - Geen extra verzekeringen bij aankomst - No nonsense voorwaarden
www.bblcarrental.nl
*28+ dagen tarief categorie A, excl. Schipholfee
bb&l_2010_ad_194x61.indd 2
19
12/9/09 4:13:43 PM

know your tax
Unravelling the Gin
and Tonic Myths
Text Yvette Gorter
The Netherlands: tax haven?
If one would ask any Dutchman whether they think of the
Netherlands as a tax haven, it’s safe to say that almost all
would answer ‘No’. Many would ask how a country with
a top personal income tax rate of 52% ever be referred to
as a tax haven? Well, the recent controversy that came to
light about the ‘tax strategies’ deployed by economic giants
Google, Starbucks and Amazon in the United Kingdom (UK)
has also dragged the Netherlands into the spotlight. Some
companies have been using the Netherlands to structure
their worldwide operations in such a way that they are able
to pay little or no taxes in the UK or the Netherlands. So
does this make the Netherlands a tax haven?
The first question that comes up is how have these
companies managed to pay no taxes in the UK while selling
billions of cups of coffee or books there? In general there
are two ways to reduce profits and thus profit tax: either
decrease revenue or increase costs. As you can imagine, it’s
not desirable to decrease revenue from sales. However, it
is possible to increase costs. This can be done by increasing
the amounts charged by other companies within the group
that are established in a jurisdiction with a lower corporate
tax rate, such as the BVI and Cayman Islands.
So how the scheme works is that UK income is
generated by sales in the UK, but that money flows out
of the UK as a cost paid to other companies in the group,
in order to decrease UK revenue. This outflow can take
the form of interest or royalty payments. It is common
that new companies are funded by other companies
within the group to finance operations; such funds can be
provided through loans, to be repaid with interest. It is
also common for a company to protect its brand name or
other intellectual property in a safe and stable jurisdiction,
for which royalty payments would be made. But many
jurisdictions will tax such payments through withholding
taxes if made directly from the country where the income
is generated to a ‘tax haven’ like the BVI.
So this is where the Netherlands gets involved.
Corporate structuring can place the Netherlands as an
intermediary for such transfers. By using the tax treaties
concluded by the Netherlands, the originating country
(UK) reduces its withholding tax on interest and royalty
payments, in some cases even down to 0%. Moreover, the
Netherlands does not levy any withholding tax on interest
or royalty payments made to any other country, including
the BVI. The result is that only the difference (spread) in
incoming royalty or interest income and outgoing expenses
to the BVI is taxable in the Netherlands at 25%. In short,
by interposing a company in the Netherlands, profits can
be exported from a ‘high’ tax jurisdiction (UK) to a low tax
jurisdiction (BVI).
But does this make the Netherlands a tax haven? The
Netherlands does not have the general characteristics of
a tax haven such as no or a low corporate tax on profits,
and no withholding tax on dividend distributions to its
shareholders. So on the basis of such a definition, the
Netherlands is not a tax haven. However, the Netherlands
can be used so as to make optimal use of the numerous
tax treaties which reduce the foreign withholding taxes to
0% in some cases while paying only a 25% Dutch corporate
income tax on the relatively small spread, if structured in
a way that there is limited economic activity and sufficient
risk borne in the Netherlands. In this particular case, the
Netherlands might seem like a tax haven.
The question that remains is whether the Netherlands
can still be used in international tax planning in light of
recent events? In my opinion, the Netherlands can still
be used for bona fide holding activities or IP planning
purposes. However, as tax authorities might begin to
challenge these structures more openly due to the
recent public outrage, it is essential to carefully plan and
substantiate the economic activities in each jurisdiction
and support this with proper documentation and sufficient
substance in each company.
Wij begrijpen wat u zoekt
Het Nederlandse makelaarskantoor in Singapore
Hester Calkhoven +65.9011.8055
www.executive-homes-consultants.com
20
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Bizz News
Economic downturn knocked €11bn off
expected treasury income
The economic downturn meant the government collected less tax than
expected in 2012, according to the national accounts. The shortfall amounted
to €11bn, pushing the budget deficit up to 4.1%. This is ‘directly attributable
to lower growth figures’, the finance ministry said. The downturn affected
all forms of tax, from income tax, corporation taxes, value added tax and the
tax on house sales. The shortfall was partly offset by a €2.6bn bonus in the
form of lower government spending. In total, the government spent €24bn
more last year than it generated - the equivalent of €67m a day. The European
Commission said it is giving Netherlands until 2014 to get its budget deficit
under control, a year past the original deadline. European commissioner Olli
Rehn told a news conference the current deficit is due to the nationalisation
of financial services group SNS Real and ‘economic conditions which are more
serious than expected’. ‘That leads to changes in the recommendations; the
deficit should be reduced to under 3% in 2014,’ Rehn said. This means further
cuts will be inevitable, commentators said.
More workers are
worried about
their job
The number of workers worried
about their job has doubled to 32%
since 2007, the year before the
financial crisis began. The figures
from research institute TNO and
the central statistics agency CBS
show that the number of people
worrying about job security has
increased nearly every year since
2007. In 2012 the increase was 6%
year-on-year. The 50 to 60-yearolds
are the biggest worriers - with
40% saying they fear for their jobs.
But they are also most likely to
be happy at work. Three-quarters
enjoy their jobs, compared with
67% of workers as a whole. The
oldest and youngest workers
are least concerned about their
employment. Some 23% of the
over 60s worry about losing their
job and of those under 20, just 17%
are concerned about job security.
Dutch unemployment rate outstrips Germany
The unemployment rate in the Netherlands is now higher than that of
Germany, reversing the situation which has existed since the fall of the
Berlin Wall, according to research by national statistics office CBS. Calculated
according to international standards, the jobless rate in the Netherlands
is now 6.4%, compared with 5.4% in Germany, the CBS said. By its own
calculations, the Dutch official unemployment rate is now over 8%. The main
reason for the shift is that the German economy continues to grow, while the
Netherlands is in recession. In Europe as a whole, the unemployment rate is
over 12%.
Health ministry
overspent budget
by €900m last year
The government was €900m
over budget in its spending on
healthcare last year, according
to the national accounts. This
follows a €2bn overspend in 2011.
Overspending on residential
healthcare accounted for the bulk
of the extra – at €662m. But the
budget for medicine and medical
aids showed a surplus of €930m.
Financial shocks loom for thousands with investment policies
Tens of thousands of people with an investment policy to pay off their mortgage or provide a pension have no idea if
the policy will actually generate enough cash, said the financial services regulator AFM. One in five of some one million
policyholders do not know if their investment will generate enough money when it matures to meet their financial
obligations. And of the 800,000 who are on top of their financial situation, three-quarters expect to get less money from
their policy than expected, the AFM’s latest consumer survey shows.
Stock exchange
The economic downturn means many investment policies are likely to produce much lower returns than expected. And
even though financial service firms have to update their clients every year, many people are still not aware of their own
situation. The AFM is also urging financial service firms to alert clients who may be in difficulty and to recommend steps
they can take to make up any shortfall. The nearer a policy is to maturing, the more difficult it will be to bring it back up to
the expected financial return, the AFM says.
22

Bizz News
IMF chief welcomes Brussels’ approval for Dutch budget deficit delay
The decision by Brussels to give the Netherlands an extra year to reduce its budget deficit to under 3% is a good one,
according to Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund. European commissioner Olli Rehn said that
the Netherlands had until next year to ensure its budget deficit meets eurozone rules. ‘It is important the Netherlands
meets European budgetary rules but people should not hurry unduly. I am very pleased with the European Commission’s
decision to give countries more time,’ she said. However, cuts in spending are not enough, Lagarde said. The Netherlands
should make it easier to start a company, more must be invested in research and development and the problems in the
housing market need solving.
Free public transport for poor Amsterdam
pensioners
Pensioners in Amsterdam with an annual income of no more than €15,112,
will be able to travel free on the city’s public transport system from
September. The free transport experiment will run until the end of the year.
Pensioners, whatever their income, already have free public transport in
several other cities, including Dordrecht, Rotterdam and Nijmegen.
One third of housing corporations forego
higher rent increase
Around one third of housing corporations have not given an extra rent
increase to high-earning tenants because they have not had enough
information from the tax office, according to the sector’s umbrella
organisation Aedes. A survey of half of the country’s 400 housing corporations
showed around one in five requests for information about which income band
a household fell into were not met. Two weeks ago, housing minister Stef Blok
said the tax office did not know the income of around 5% of tenants and most
of the problems have been solved. The three million people living in social
housing with a current rent of up to €681 a month face an increase of at least
4% this year. Tenants with an annual income over €33,614 have been given
a 4.5% increase and those earning over €43,000, a 6% boost. Rents will rise
again by the same percentages next year. According to the tax office, around
25% of all housing corporation tenants have a household income of more
than €33,000. Technically this means they are too well-off to qualify for rentcontrolled
housing.
Tens of thousands sign up for Dutch mission
to Mars
The Dutch company which claims to be planning to establish a base on Mars
said 78,000 people have so far applied to join the mission. The Mars One group
aims to establish a colony on Mars in 2023 and has appealed for volunteers
to make the one-way journey. ‘We are on target to achieve our target of
500,000 applications,’ spokesman and company founder Bas Lansdorp said.
The deadline for applications is August 31. Many of the applications, in the
form of a one-minute video clip, can be seen on the Mars One website. Most
applications have come from the US, followed by China and Britain. The
company says the applications will be whittled down to a shortlist of 28 to 40 in
2014. The winners will then undergo a seven-year training programme and the
final team will be chosen by public vote. Despite much scepticism, Mars One
says it has developed a realistic road map and financing plan for the project
based on existing technologies and that the mission is perfectly feasible. Much
of the funding would apparently come from the broadcast rights.
Inflation fell in
April
The Dutch inflation rate dropped
from 2.9% in March to 2.6% in
April, according to figures from the
central statistics agency CBS. Much
of the improvement came from
a drop in petrol prices, which fell
by 7 cents to an average €1.74 a
litre. However, inflation remains at
a 10 year high due to increases in
energy prices, the introduction of
insurance tax and the rise in valueadded
tax (btw). The Netherlands
still has one of the highest inflation
rates in the eurozone, says the CBS.
Councils fail to cut
spending on jobless
officials
Efforts by local councils to curb
the special unemployment
benefits paid to politicians are
failing. Despite tougher rules,
the 30 biggest Dutch local
authorities spent more than €4m
last year on payments to former
council aldermen. Apeldoorn
has the biggest bill – paying out
€675,000 last year, an increase of
€200,000 on 2011. The situation
in Rotterdam and Amsterdam
last year is still unclear, the
paper said. In 2011, Rotterdam
spent €220,000 on the benefit,
known as wachtgeld, or waiting
money. Amsterdam spent more
than €2.7m. The new rules say
people who have held political
office will now receive benefits
for a maximum three years, two
months – the same length of time
as unemployment benefit is paid.
Until now they have had benefits
for four years.
23

Column
Labor Day
by Richard Soemita
Normally, after celebrating Queen’s Day, I wake up the next
morning with a massive hangover thinking what to write
on my placard for the protest march. Would it be ‘Increase
Minimum Wages’, ‘More Power to the Unions’ or something
more radical like ‘We want a new Den Uyl’? On my way
to the protest march I would also buy some petrol for my
empty beer bottles and old motorbike tires from the bicycle
shop down by my canal. After all, it can’t be a good protest
without a good fight with the Military Police and the burning
of tires. So this year I was very happy to hear that Singapore
would have its own Labor Day ‘event’ at Hong Lim Park,
which this is also known as Speakers Corner. My wife told me
that she would only escort me if I put on the Singaporean
national costume (burms, T-shirt and flip-flops) and leave all
my ‘accessories’ at home. This would be the first May Day
rally in Singapore’s history and I was getting very excited to
see how NTUC would rally workers to the park to listen to
their speeches. However, when we got there I was in total
shock to see the entire field converted to a huge picnic feast
with children running around and aunties stuffing their faces
with snacks. Where were the radicals, the police charges,
black smoke from burning tires and the good old smell of
teargas and stinging eyes? Of course this only happens in
Europe. Let me explain to you some interesting facts about
HL Park and the ‘rules’ governing Speakers’ Corner.
In Singapore, Speakers’ Corner is an area located
within Hong Lim Park where people can demonstrate,
hold exhibitions and performances, and speak freely on
most topics. It was launched on 1 September 2000 as a
“free speech area” where speaking events could be held
without the need to apply for a license under the Public
Entertainments Act, now the Public Entertainments and
Meetings Act (“PEMA”). However, it was necessary for
people to register their intention to speak at the venue with
a police officer at the Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post
any time within 30 days before the event, though there
was no requirement for the police to be informed of the
topic of the proposed speech. Other conditions imposed
were that speeches had to take place between 7:00 a.m.
and 7:00 p.m., and the use of sound amplification devices
was prohibited. In 2002, exhibitions and performances
were permitted to be held at Speakers’ Corner. Conditions
for use were further liberalized in 2008. Responsibility for
registering people wishing to speak or stage an exhibition or
performance was taken over by the Commissioner of Parks
and Recreation, and online registration was introduced.
It became possible to hold demonstrations provided they
were organized by Singapore citizens and the participants
were citizens and permanent residents. Events can now
be held around the clock, and self-powered amplification
devices like loudhailers may be used between 9:00 a.m.
and 10:30 p.m. In July 2009, the police installed CCTV
cameras for “safety and security”. The police said that the
cameras complemented the presence of their officers on
the ground and did not record audio inputs. On 1 December
2009, the size of Speakers’ Corner was reduced so that it
now occupies only half of Hong Lim Park. The number of
groups registering to stage events at Speakers’ Corner fell
from 39 between September 2008 and August 2009, to 9
between September 2009 and August 2010. The number
of individuals registering dropped from 102 to 57 during
the same period. According to the authorities its use has
declined because there are now other avenues for people
to express themselves such as the internet (including the
Government’s online feedback portal Reach), newspapers,
radio and television. Also the authorities say that people
might feel that the venue is not always the best place “to
meaningfully and constructively express their views on
issues”. Nowadays Speakers’ Corner plays the same role as
envisaged …. mostly dormant but good to have.
Then the afternoon changed. Finally speakers entered
the stage, banners were hung showing ‘Sign NO to 6.9
million population’ and more people gathered with placards
showing slogans like, “Singapore for Singaporeans” and
‘Save Singapore’. What I thought would be a protest for
the underpaid workers and fight for more social rights
changed to a second protest against the latest White Papers!
I was totally disappointed, especially when I found out
that foreigners were not invited. Then someone tried to
interrupt the speakers. The crowd obviously thought this
was a foreigner and chanted, ‘Go home, Go home’. Later it
appeared that this was a Singaporean who wanted to start a
proper debate, as you do in a speakers’ corner. The speeches
all had the same message - do not let any more foreigners
into Singapore. But the most remarkable line I heard was,
‘Most of our ancestors came from other countries and
settled in Singapore, but we DO NOT want this country to be
ruled by immigrants!’
A few days later I was at Kranji War cemetery for the 4
May commemoration. There lie 24,000 men and women
from United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, India,
Malaya, the Netherlands and New Zealand who died
defending Singapore against the invading Japanese forces
during World War II. Without the hard labor of foreign
workers, Singapore would not be what it is today, which
brings me to the placard I will design for next year -
‘Remember Kranji, WE also fought and died for you!’
24

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Travel
Destination: Myanmar
Text and Photos Frank Kuijsters
Before we left on our trip to Myanmar, I had read
extensively about this Southeast Asian country, and not
just because its history of military dictatorship demands
due diligence from travelers. Owing to how fast things have
been changing, nothing I read had actually prepared me.
Most everything I experienced - from the relentless street
scene in Yangon to the serene temples of Bagan, the touristy
monasteries of Mandalay and the amazing floating gardens
at Lake Inle - was more complex, vibrant and profound than
I had imagined. It was the type of holiday where your brain
is on all the time, because everything you see invites further
questions. If things continue to change as fast as they have
been, it will be different to visit even six months from now.
Since the contested elections in 2010, Myanmar - under
sanctions from the U.S. and Europe for decades - has been
steadily moving towards democratic change. What began
as a whisper of transformation has grown louder as timid,
but extraordinarily hopeful signs point toward a lasting shift.
The release of longtime opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi,
known as the Lady, from house arrest in 2010 was a marker
for me. Just three years ago locals were not able to access
online blogs, could not exchange U.S. dollars and could get
into a lot of trouble for distributing pictures of the Lady or
her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD). Now,
the country is open and her pictures are sold openly. Obama
has visited. Boycotts have been lifted, and everyone wants
to rush in to see the land that Kipling immortalized in poetry
before it becomes too Westernized.
Travelers are right to want to go, but not if they are the
kind who want to stay in fancy hotels and check off major
sights robotically. The infrastructure remains primitive with
more than half of the city of Yangon commonly still without
power. Credit cards are accepted almost nowhere. The first
ATMs are just arriving; we went to an office building where
the money exchangers were set up between curio shops and
the exchange rates were different for brand new and worn
bills. Most of the time they don’t even except worn US$
bills. However, adventurous souls who can handle changes
in plan, are open to discovery and appreciate the magic of
foreign encounters will find themselves enchanted.
On the first day of our eight-day tour through Myanmar
we went to the legendary Shwegadon Pagodain Yangon. A
massive gold stupa rising more than 330 feet into the sky
sits at the center of dozens of smaller temples. Some were
painted with murals depicting stories of Buddha; others
were adorned with mirrors and tiles and still others were
filled with gold Buddhas. There were even pulsing electrical
neon Buddhas. Young and old came to pour water over the
Buddhas at stations for each day of the week or to make
gold leaf offerings to Buddha, like we did, or to pray, or even
take strolls with their lovers or children. We were among the
many Westerners in the vast complex that wanted to watch
the changes of the color of the Pagoda in the sunset. This
was for us one of the highlights of Yangon. Luckily, we also
caught glimpses of the crumbling grand colonial buildings,
which may or may not be preserved as foreign investment
pours into the city.
The next day we flew up to Began after a two-hour delay
due to fog, to the land of one thousand temples, but its
fields are really strewn with many thousands of temples.
Bagan, like Luxor or Angkor Wat, cannot be comprehended
until you see it in person. In every direction rise the spires
of stupas in varying degrees of decay, like ancient prayers
laid in brick and left over for centuries. The place is known
as the birthplace of Theravada Buddhism. The temples and
stupas were built in the era between the 11th and 13th
centuries, and still exist today as a National Heritage Site on
the banks of the Ayeyarwady river. It is impossible to see all
the amazing Pagodas and therefore it is necessary to select
a few outstanding Pagodas to see in detail. The highlights
are Ananda Temple, Manuha, Nanphaya, Wet Gyi In Gu
Pyauk Gyi, Shwezigone Stupa, Mingalar Zedi, Damayangyi
26

Travel
Temple, Sulamani Temple and Damarazika Stupa. Shwe San
Daw, Bupaya, Lawkananda and Mingalar Stupas are famous
for good sunset views. Besides that, we also visited many
stupas, we talked with many very friendly locals trying to sell
souvenirs, had lovely dinners and we had a beautiful private
sunset cruise on Ayeyarwaddy River.
After two night in Bagan we had our one hour flight to
Mandalay. Mandalay is the second capital of Myanmar and
it was the last capital of the Myanmar kingdoms before
the British Empire took control. Gold leaf beating, tapestry,
turnery, marble stone carving, silk weaving and gold smiths
are worth visiting if you are interested. Mandalay, as a
town, is not as attractive as others in the country, but we
loved walking around the market. We were almost the
only foreigners walking there; we were invited to try the
local food, we bought some great shopping bags and other
local souvenirs, and chatted with many vendors about
their products. Besides the almost half day we spend
in the market, we had a very relaxing boat tour on the
Ayeyarwaddy River to the small town off Mingun. We visited
Mandalay Palace, Mandalay Hill, the old Mandalay palace
and moat, the longest teak wood foot bridge, the touristy
Bargaya Monastery and the amazing serene and more quiet
Shwe Kyaung Monastery.
Our next stop was Inle Lake. The closest airport is Heho,
which is approximately a one-hour taxi-ride away from Inle
Lake. Inle Lake is situated 900 meters above sea level and
is surrounded by blue and hazy mountain ranges. There are
about 100,000 people inhibiting Inle Lake and its shores. It
is 22 kilometers in length and 10 kilometers at the widest
point. Various tribal (e.g. Intha, Pa-O and Shan) people’s
daily life and markets, the leg rowing Intha fishermen and
the floating gardens are the main tourist attraction.
Market days in Shan State are most attractive to tourists
who love to see the daily lives of ethnic people. The Market
is not held daily in certain places, but is held every five days.
The Feudal Lord of Shan State invented the system. The
distance between the villages and the market places is quite
big, so sellers and buyers cannot come to the market places
everyday. This five-day market system is convenient to local
people as well as to the sellers. The market rotates from
one village to another and comes back every five days to
each place. Markets in Shan State also double as community
centers where people meet friends from other villages and
exchange news. Food, beverages and most necessities can
be bought at the markets. The markets are colourful, and
tribal people wearing their traditional costumes can be
seen. Visitors should not miss the market day while being in
Shan State.
The Intha people row their boats with their legs. It is
more powerful and more suitable to use their traditional
fishing method by putting a conical shaped fishing trap into
the lake. In addition they can see ahead by standing in reedy
areas. The Intha are the only tribe who row their boats with
their legs.
These floating gardens are formed naturally from the
mixture of hyacinth, buoyancy and some decaying roots, and
are anchored with bamboo poles in the shallow lake. Mainly
tomatoes and gourds are planted on the floating gardens.
After two night nights at Inle Lake we flew back to
Yangon and then to Singapore. Eight days in Myanmar is
not enough, but it gave us a great experience of life in this
beautiful country. We look back on a wonderful experience
and advise you to go as soon as you can to experience this
complex, vibrant, profound and beautiful country.
For more info on travelling to Myanmar:
• www.myanmartravel.com/
• www.lonelyplanet.com/myanmar-burma
• www.travelmyanmar.com
27

Not to miss
HIGH CLASS
5-14 Jul
Who wants to be Singapore’s next top tai tai?
A wicked comedy inspired by the ditzy rom-coms of the ‘50s & ‘60s, where
earnest young girls did their darnedest to find themselves millionaire husbands.
Set in modern-day Singapore, the story here revolves around five very different
Cinderellas who end up on a reality TV show hoping to find and marry Mr Rich.
Their fairy godmother is Alexis, the newly-divorced (and wealthily-minted)
socialite who decides to groom these women to infiltrate the ranks of high society.
More Information www.sistic.com.sg
Ballet Under the Stars
19-21 Jul and 26-28 Jul
Immerse yourself in the perfect evening at Singapore Dance Theatre’s (SDT)
18th Edition of the annual Ballet Under the Stars. In the year of SDT’s 25th
Anniversary, the Company will be presenting two enchanting weekends of Ballet
Under the Stars. From 19 – 21 July, SDT will perform a dazzling showcase of
contemporary dance works, featuring guest artists from Australia’s Expressions
Dance Company as as stunning pieces from the Company’s repertoire. From 26 –
28 July, SDT will revive the heart-wrenching romantic tale of Giselle a classical.
More Information www.sistic.com.sg
Drum Tao
2-4 Aug
Come celebrate the 20 years of Drum Tao this August as they bring their
celebration to Singapore! Seen by over 20 countries, 400 cities, 5.5 million
spectators worldwide, and received rave reviews by audiences and media, Drum
Tao has touched the hearts of many with their dynamic drumming and beautiful
choreography. Using not only Japanese drum but also with other Japanese
traditional instruments such as three strings Japanese guitar, bamboo flute,
and Japanese harp, TAO presents an unprecedented and timeless drumming
performance that brings a brand new genre to the stage.
More Information www.sistic.com.sg
Franz Schubert un(Finished) Piano Sonatas
23-24 Aug
“to continue where Schubert stops…”
British Pianist-Composer, Neil Crossland, was deeply inspired while listening to
the first movement of Schubert’s unfinished piano sonata in F-sharp minor D.571.
Of the 21 piano sonatas of Franz Schubert, 7 were left unfinished. Based on
Schubert’s materials and in a Schubertian fashion, Neil Crossland, had completed
all 7 unfinished piano sonatas and would be performing them across two
evenings. During the concert, the point where the page-turner lifts up her hand is
precisely where Schubert had stopped; and where Crossland had picked up.
More Information www.sistic.com.sg
28

Embassy ANd ADB News
Tour Singapore | NDT 2
Nederlands Dans Theater 2 goes on tour to Singapore on July 12 th and
13 th 2013. They will perform Gods & Dogs van Jiří Kylián, Shutters Shut
en Subject to Change van Sol León & Paul Lightfoot en Left Right Left
Right van Alexander Ekman.
Job seekers / Internship
Name : Marjon Huizing
Tel. no. : +65 9864 4905
Email : mhuizing@exceleratetalent.com
Study:
• MsC International Business - Strategy & Organisation,
and HRM;
• Organisational Psychology
Specialization: HR, Learning & Development,
Organisational Development, Change management,
Strategy, Coaching and Project Management
Working experience:
• Over 7 years HR generalist experience;
• Ran an international HR consultancy, training, and
coaching organisation in London (Excelerate Talent);
• Worked for a number of years for Deloitte in the
Netherlands Antilles as HR and Strategy consultant and
in the Netherlands as Change and Strategy consultant.
Looking for: A challenging and dynamic role as HR
Business Partner or HR manager role with a focus on L&D,
OD, change or talent management or a People and Change
Consultancy role. Availability: immediately.
For more information: http://nl.linkedin.com/in/marjonhuizing
Name : Igor Madzura
Age : 23
Tel. no. : +31 624825838 (O)
Email : igormadzura@gmail.com
Study:
• BSc. International Business (one semester at the
University of Hong Kong)
• MSc Strategic Management (graduating 07-2013)
Specialization: Project Management, Strategic
Management, Entrepreneurship, and Marketing-Sales
Working experience:
• Chairman Integrand Tilburg: Internship mediator for
academic students
• B2B Sales assistant at Quintiq: SCP&O Software
multinational
• Project Management assistant at Rewin NV
• Several student committees during the length of the
studies
Looking for: Looking for a new challenge to gain
additional work experience. I would prefer project
management/ something entrepreneurial, yet I’m open
minded and flexible as long as the learning curve is
steep!
Name : Floor Weenen
Age : 24
Tel. no : +31 644031919 (O)
Email : floor_weenen@hotmail.com
Study: MSc Business Studies, Major in Marketing, Minor
in International Management.
Specialization: Marketing, International Management,
International Strategy, Sustainability.
Working experience:
• Marketing/Sales/PR internship at the social enterprise
ONEforONE. Being proactive and innovative was
essential here.
• Learned to be self-steering and flexible during
volunteers work in India: English teacher, development
of education material and conducting research at a
campus for physically and mentally disabled children.
• Used and further developed my leadership skills as
president of my student sorority.
Looking for: Being a very analytical and
communicative person with a true passion for marketing,
strategy and challenging environments I am looking for
an inspiring internship to apply and further develop
my skills in (one of) my fields of interests. Preferably in
a multinational or FMCG, but I am interested in other
options as well.
Available from 01/08/2013 onwards. Period: 6 months
29

ADB News
Hello,
My name is Ay Wen and I have just joined the ADB board.
Two years ago my husband and I arrived in Singapore
with our two kids. I was sent on a 2-year secondment
by PwC Netherlands and lead the FS post-deal services
practice in Singapore. We support our clients with the
integration of organisations after a merger or acquisition.
We also provide carve out / divestment assistance.
Although I mainly focus on Financial Services, I get
involved in other regional restructuring programs outside
the financial services industry as well.
I have just extended my contract because we enjoy
Singapore so much and are not yet ready to leave. Even
after two years it still feels as if we have only just arrived.
There is so much to see and do. The kids love it here
and we enjoy the good food and our trips in the region.
An additional bonus is that I get to see my family in
Indonesia more often now that we live so close by.
There are certain things I still haven’t gotten used to,
like the freezing temperatures in offices and shopping
malls, especially when it rains. However I am now so
‘ingeburgerd’, I permanently have a woollen shawl in my
drawer and an umbrella in my bag.
Since coming to Singapore my husband and I started
reliving our youth, (or is it a mid-life crisis?). He picked
up his old passion for BMX riding and enjoys East Coast’s
Extreme Park and I started skateboarding. When my
daughter mentioned she wanted to go skateboarding,
I thought it would be nice to join her and take classes
together. Since then, it has become an addiction and I
like to devote some time every week to skateboarding
and forgetting about everything else.
I joined ADB about a year ago to get connected
with more people outside of family, school and work. I
personally enjoy ADB events for its relaxed atmosphere
and the diversity of people I meet. I look forward to
contributing to the events and would like to encourage
anyone who has a good idea for the ADB to let me /
us know. Tell us how we can make ADB even better
and more attractive to you, our members. I am looking
forward to meeting many of you at the upcoming events.
Dear ADB members,
Entering a new world was what we did when 1.5 years
ago my husband Theo, our 4 month old daughter Veerle
and I set foot on Singaporean soil for the first time. After
we had settled in, it was time for me to set up my own
business, I Interim – a Marketing, Communication &
Project Management company. I started working for
Dining City which is an ongoing project. In addition to
that, I focus on other projects and am now ready to start
working for ADB. For me, it’s important I have a click
with an organization and its people, and that I am able to
contribute to improving the company.
Having said that, when I was asked to take over from
Lineke at ADB, I knew immediately that it was the right
decision. I totally support the mission of ADB and I am
happy that I will be connecting Dutch business people in
Singapore. After having had our first board meeting, I’m
even more convinced I made the right decision as the
ADB board consists of a great group of people, all with
interesting backgrounds and many ideas to represent the
wishes and expectations of our members. And I’m proud
to be part of that.
After completing my studies at the Hotelschool, The
Hague, and then gaining a Marketing degree, I ended
up working mostly in PR, Communications, Marketing
& Project Management. The Service industry is still a
passion and I strongly believe that the key to success is
in taking the interests of the guest or client as a starting
point.
My first focus, in this new role, will be on membership
subscriptions and everything related to that. I will
continue the job done so well by Lineke over the past
nine years and will carry on “modernizing” this.
Secondly, I will try to focus on projects related to
making ADB more relevant to you as members. From
30

ADB News
Dear ADB members,
It’s a great pleasure to introduce myself as a new
member of the ADB Board!
My name is Nynke and I was born and raised in
Friesland (which explains the spelling of my name). I
studied Business Economics in Groningen and Sweden.
After graduation and a few months in Spain learning
Spanish, I started working for Capgemini Consulting
and moved to Amsterdam. As a management
consultant, I initially focused on investment analysis
and value-based decision-making. However, after
realising I had a strong interest in business innovation
and growth, I transferred to the Strategy & Innovation
team. Ever since, my professional drive has been
to initiate, improve and expand an organization’s
market footprint through new products, markets and
especially business models.
When Jasper, my fiancé, was accepted as an INSEAD
MBA student, this gave us the chance to move to
Singapore. With the emerging markets on its doorstep
and many regional MNC headquarters, Singapore has
innovation and growth written all over it. We decided to
move abroad for a few years and arrived in Singapore on
28 December 2012. We were just in time to celebrate
New Year’s Eve in temperatures above 25 o C. Being the
comfortable bubble Singapore is, we settled in quickly.
I started job hunting, looking for market development
and business innovation roles (I’m still open to
opportunities), and discovered a great new sport called
dragon boat racing. I also found out very quickly that my
love for wine is quite an expensive one here!
Being new in a foreign country, one of the obvious
places to turn to is the Dutch community. The New Year
event at the Embassy was a great way to get to know
people and to start building a (business) network. As
a loyal ADB participant ever since, I am happy to play
my part now and to give new arrivals to Singapore the
same soft landing that I was given. As the board member
for Membership, my goal is to ensure both new and
current members feel connected, that relevant events
are offered and that a sound and active membership
base is maintained. Your input is, of course, invaluable,
so feel free to contact me at any time with suggestions
or comments.
I look forward to meeting in person and having a chat!
Kind regards,
Nynke
website to Linkedin, from events to anything else which
may follow from the survey which many of you filled out.
On a more personal note, I got married in 2010 with
Theo and gave birth to our little sweetheart Veerle in July
2011. This summer she’s looking forward to having a little
baby brother. Aside from my work, I enjoy watching our
daughter becoming a big girl, spending time with family
and friends, traveling where possible and developing other
interests.
I look forward to meeting you soon but in the
meantime, feel free to reach out to me if you have any
questions. Sharing your thoughts with us is THE way to
make sure ADB is relevant to its members.
Cheers,
Zsuzsika Oostinjen – Belovics
31

ADB News
SUMMER IN THE CITY
27 Jun
The temperature is rising (well, especially the humidity),
vacations are being planned and the Great Singapore Sale is
about to start.
Yes, there is no denying it, summer is coming! To kick off
the summer season together, ADB is organizing the Summer
in the City social. We will keep the location secret for just
a bit longer, but we promise great food, cool drinks and a
sunny atmosphere!
We look forward to seeing you on the 27 June 2013.
Date : 27 June
Time : 8pm - 10pm
Location : To be confirmed
RSVP : Will be included in the invitation
Bronze sponsors:
New members
Adriaan Smits, Thales
Bart Beune, NTS Group
Eric Jan Bakker, Astrium Services
Femke Hellemons, Adecco Personnel
Pte Ltd
Halbe Veenstra, BAM International BV
Henricus van de Kerkhof
Hubertus Elffers, Shutdown Control BV
Jaap Willems, Schroders Investment
Management
Jan van Schaik, Ensinger International
GmbH
Jan-Willem Adrian, EBI Consultancy
Jasper Knoben
Joyce Campagna van Saane, Van
Saane Pte Ltd
Julie Beusmans
Marion van IJzendoorn, Vitasin Pte Ltd
Marjon Huizing, Excelerate Talent
Naoual Haddouch, Nexus Business
Services
Paul Van Doodeweerd
Paula Kant, InsightAsia Research
Group Pte Ltd
Raul van Ree, Martifer Solar
Singapore Pte Ltd
Sander Laugs, Saxo Capital Markets
Pte Ltd
Simone Driessen
Zornica Zafirova, INSEAD
Leaving members
Jasper Doornbos
Marieke Ghijsen
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Frank Kuijsters, Chief Editor
Aleid van der Schier
Arthur Claringbould
Jacinta Noonan
Petra Pronk
Richard Soemita
Zsuzsika Oostinjen - Belovics
SECRETARIAT
Zsuzsika Oostinjen - Belovics
MAILING ADDRESS
ADB Singapore
c/o 22 Camden Park
Singapore 299814
Telephone: +65 8189 8529
Email: adb@adb.org.sg
WEBSITE www.adb.org.sg
DESIGN
Jennifer Phua
PRINTER Khoo Sun Printing Pte Ltd
MITA 373/03/2001
This magazine is distributed free of
charge to all members and relations
of the ADB.
We invite members to contribute to
the next issue.
The contents of this magazine are
partly based on information received
from third parties. The Committee
does not take responsibility for the
correctness of the articles.
Membership fee is S$ 125 per
calendar year. For registration, please
see the website www.adb.org.sg
Membership is renewed
automatically effective the first
month of the new calendar year.
Make your cheque payable to
“ADB Singapore” and send to ADB,
c/o 22 Camden Park, Singapore
299814.
Termination of membership must
be received by ADB Secretariat in
writing before 1 January. If there
are any changes in your personal
particulars, please update your
profile in the Macoocoo-system.
32

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