The Micro BrandBook 2023 EN

ONE FAMILY, ONE BRAND
09
Who does what in the company?
Wim: My boys, Oliver and Merlin, manage the
Microlino project and the Micro marketing
team. My wife Janine is the head of finance
and looks after the figures. As the founder,
I'm mainly involved in the strategic side of
Micro and Microlino, but I also like to get
involved in product development.
«For us, the borders between
work and private life are fluid.»
What are the advantages and disadvantages
of the whole family working in the
same company?
Janine: For us, the boundaries between work
and private life are fluid. Business topics are
often discussed during dinner. Depending on
the situation, this can sometimes get louder
with our two hotheads Wim and Merlin. I often
mediate between the two so that we can end
the evening peacefully on the sofa.
Oliver and Merlin, how long have you been
involved in the company?
Oliver: Ever since we were children, we were
the first guinea pigs for all new Micro products.
We learned a lot about the company at
a young age and our parents always took our
opinions seriously. At school, when the
freestyle scene came up, we started selling
trick scooters from our workshop. With the
Microlino we want to take Micro one step
further – from two to four-wheeled mobility
products.
What have you learned from your parents
and what have they learned from you?
Merlin: I think we learned a lot about entrepreneurship
and management from our
parents. They always met us as equals –
despite the age difference. For me, this is
the secret ingredient for a successful
family business. On the other hand, they
learn from us how the younger generation
sometimes solves problems in a different
way. The Microlino team is a relatively
young team, but at the end of the day it
needs the same leadership qualities as it
did 25 years ago.
«They always took us
seriously, independently
of our age.»
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