June 2008 - American Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands

AmChamnews 2
n e w s l e t t e r o f t h e A m e r i c A n c h A m b e r o f c o m m e r c e i n t h e n e t h e r l A n d s
June 2008 ernst & Young spots foreign investor’s agenda 4
so, where shall we go? 8 | martin luther King Award 9 | Prime minister
Jan Peter balkenende addresses Amcham 10 | minutes of the Annual
General meeting 12 | new member Profile 16 | At&t Amcham Golf
tournament 2008 18 | People & companies 20 | et cetera 22

Building a better world together.
By taking care to pursue the best sustainable business
practices, we can enrich our living and working environments.
In Canon, we work according to our philosophy: Kyosei.
This means living and working together for the common good.
By minimising the impact of our actions, we will be giving back
a better world. Together.
More information can be found on: www.canon-europe.com
F O R E W O R D
AmCham has had some high profile happenings
in the months leading up to lazy of days of summer.
The presentation of our 2008 Investors’ Agenda of
Priority Points on May 14 got some reasonable press
coverage. Not so much press coverage (press weren’t
even invited) as interest from our members highlighted
May 28 with the annual general meeting and
a luncheon engagement with the country’s Prime
Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende as guest speaker.
Well over 200 persons here. We had to disappoint a
few people in the week preceding this event - we were
sold out.
The summer months will be slow for many of us
and we at the Chamber are no exception. A lot of
preparations will be made, however, as we already
have a full fall schedule. In addition to a fresh lick of
paint and a new location for our annual golf
tournament on September 30, a new Going 4 Gold
series will be launched in the first week in September
and continued in November. Keep a good watch on
the Chamber Calendar and see what you can fit into
your busy schedules.
In addition to some reporting on the above,
this AmCham News highlights what attracts
companies to Europe and the Netherlands in
particular. We’re thankful to Ernst & Young for
their contribution in this respect. Their recent
Netherlands Attractiveness Survey was the basis
for the summary given here. It makes interesting
and instructive reading.
Have a good summer.
The editor
CHAMBERCALENDAR
ROT TERDAM GOLF TOURNAMENT
Thursday, July 10, 2008 (13:00)
organized by Amcham’s rotterdam committee
location Golfclub de rottenbergen, rotterdam
GOING 4 GOLD DINNER I
Wednesday, September 3, 2008 (18:30)
organized in cooperation with the
ministry of economic Affairs
keynote speakers h.e. frank heemskerk,
minister for foreign trade / Jorma J. ollila,
chairman royal dutch shell
location hilton hotel, Amsterdam
11th ANNUAL TR ANSFER
PRICING SEMINAR
Thursday, September 11, 2008 (12:45)
organized in cooperation with deloitte
location hilton hotel, Amsterdam
AMCHAM – AT&T GR AND
GOLF TOURNAMENT
Tuesday, September 30, 2008 (12:00)
organized in cooperation with At&t
location nunspeetse Golf & country club, nunspeet
AMCHAM’S GR AND GAL A BALL
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 (18:30)
location beurs van berlage, Amsterdam
ELECTION NIGHT EVENT
Tuesday, November 4, 2008 (18:30)
organized by partners of Amcham
location hilton hotel, Amsterdam
GOING 4 GOLD DINNER II
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 (18:30)
organized in cooperation with the
ministry of economic Affairs
keynote speakers h.e. frank heemskerk,
minister for foreign trade / Paul Polman, cfo of nestlé
location tba
AmChamnews June 2008

CHAMBERNEws
Ernst & Young spots Western Europe
on top of foreign investor’s agenda
*Ernst & Young considers a project an FDI project if a
company establishes a facility and employs employees.
Mergers and acquisitions are thus not included, neither
are mere financial investments.
4 AmChamnews June 2008
foto THEO KOETEN
There is currently a lot of debate around the Dutch investment
climate. The central question is to what extent the Netherlands is
capable of attracting foreign business activities and, maybe even
more important, retain current activities and offer a sound basis
for growth and expansion. Ernst & Young Real Estate Advisory
Services (REAS) has investigated how foreign investors perceive
Western Europe, and in particular the Netherlands, as a business
location. The research consisted of two parts: an inventory of the
perception of over 200 top-executives and an analysis of foreign
direct investment (FDI) flows in Europe*. The results of the
research as presented in this article will contribute to the
discussion about the Dutch investment climate
Labor costs
cost of Land
Labour Law fLexibiLity
nationaL & regionaL
deveLopment poLicies
avaiLabiLity of sites
environmentaL, Labor,
migration, setting up a
business reguLations
The global arena for Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) projects contains more
and more competitors. Nevertheless,
55% of the top-executives interviewed
named Western Europe as the most
attractive world region for FDI. Although
China, Central and Eastern Europe,
North America and India are hot on
Western Europe’s trail, 56% of the
interviewees indicated that they expect
the attractiveness of Europe to increase
in the coming three years.
The study of Ernst & Young shows that
for Western Europe and the Netherlands
intra-European FDI-flows still make up
for half of all cross border investments
in Europe. Even though India and China
have often been cited as the new drivers
of the world economy this is not true
for FDI in Europe: the USA remains the
most important single origin country for
Europe as a whole (28% of all FDI) and
the Netherlands in particular (48% of
all FDI). It is therefore highly
Figure 1: Dissatisfaction with location criteria
26% 31%
26% 31%
16% 24%
14% 28%
12% 22%
7% 34%
recommendable that Dutch investment
promotion efforts do not neglect the US
as the major source for FDI.
The number of FDI projects is
influenced by rationalization efforts
within companies. With the help of latest
ICT developments, companies are able to
concentrate certain functions at locations
that best suit their business needs.
This development gave rise to increasing
foreign direct investments in call centers,
shared service centers and logistics and
distribution centers. In the past,
the Netherlands performed well in
attracting these concentrated business
service centers. Currently, as the study
of Ernst & Young shows, these kinds of
investments are attracted increasingly
by other European countries such as
Belgium, Germany, Poland and Spain.
The same is true for another discipline
the Netherlands has traditionally been
strong at: headquarters. Although the
Netherlands is still considered one of
CHAMBERNEws
the most attractive locations for headquarters
in Europe (next to the UK and
Switzerland), the number of actual new
headquarter facilities has been decreasing
for a number of years in a row.
The majority of FDI (43%) projects can
currently be attributed to sales- and
marketing offices.
Another important category of business
activities for the Netherlands to attract
is research and development (R&D).
FDI in facilities of this category is
highly desirable as it leads to knowledge
transfer which benefits the domestic
economy. Compared to other European
countries, the Netherlands – in spite of
its potential in this area – clearly lags
behind other favored destinations of
R&D investors, such as the UK, France,
Germany and Sweden. The Netherlands
should therefore strengthen its efforts to
attract knowledge intensive industries.
At the same time, government agencies
should bridge this gap between
perception and facts by working closely
with universities, knowledge institutes
and scholars to receive more R&D
establishments.
‡
AmChamnews June 2008

CHAMBERNEws
The study of Ernst & Young furthermore
shows that FDI coming to Europe can
increasingly be attributed to service
related projects (the share of service
related FDI projects in total FDI increased
from 48% in 2005 to 60% in 2006). On
business sector level, especially software
and business services attracted significant
numbers of FDI projects (472 and
446 respectively, amounting to 25% of
all FDI projects coming to Europe).
Keeping all these trends in mind, in its
Netherlands Attractiveness Report Ernst
& Young also posed the question of
Table 1: Foreign Direct Investments in Europe
6
2006 2007
AmChamnews June 2008
how a relatively small country like
the Netherlands performs compared to
other countries and, most importantly,
how it can manage to stay on the agenda
of foreign decision-makers.
Compared with other European
countries, the Netherlands succeeded
in increasing its share in FDI projects
coming to Europe in 2006 by 16%
(compared to 2005) and ranks 12th of all
European countries receiving FDI (rank
13 in 2005). The UK and France remain
the major destination countries (19%,
respectively 16%) while Germany
Number of Share iN Number of Share iN iNcreaSe iN
raNk ProjectS euroPeaN fDi raNk ProjectS euroPeaN fDi market Share
united Kingdom 1 686 19.4% 1 559 18.2% 1.2%
france 2 565 16.0% 2 538 17.6% -1.6%
germany 3 286 8.1% 3 152 5.9% 2.2%
spain 4 212 6.0% 6 147 4.8% 1.2%
beLgium 5 185 5.2% 5 179 5.8% -0.6%
poLand 6 152 4.2% 4 180 5.9% -1.6%
romania 7 140 4.0% 12 86 2.8% 1.2%
switzerLand 8 136 3.9% 11 93 3.0% 0.8%
czech repubLic 9 113 3.2% 7 116 3.8% -0.6%
sweden 10 113 3.2% 10 95 3.1% 0.1%
hungary 11 108 3.1% 8 115 3.8% -0.7%
the netherLands 12 95 2.7% 13 82 2.7% 0.0%
russia 13 87 2.5% 9 111 3.6% -1.2%
ireLand 14 74 2.1% 15 67 2.2% -0.1%
itaLy 15 74 2.1% 18 49 1.6% 0.5%
buLgaria 16 68 1.9% 19 32 1.0% 0.9%
denmarK 17 60 1.7% 17 55 1.8% -0.1%
austria 18 56 1.6% 16 59 1.9% -0.3%
sLovaKia 19 46 1.3% 14 70 2.3% -1.0%
portugaL 20 38 1.1% 20 29 0.9% 0.2%
other / 237 6.7% / 221 7.2% -0.5%
total 3531 3065
managed to significantly increase its
share in FDI projects coming to Europe
(increase of 57% compared to 2005).
In Eastern Europe, Romania succeeded
to considerably increase its share in FDI
projects (increase of 63% compared
to 2005). Surprisingly, other Eastern
European countries such as the Czech
Republic, Poland and Hungary lost
market shares and attracted less
foreign business facilities than in
2005 (respectively - 3%, - 16% and - 6%)
(see Table 1).
Asked what measures the Netherlands
should take in order to fulfill these
expectations, the interviewees specified
that the decision of the government to
introduce a more attractive tax climate
is already a first important step.
Furthermore, the top-managers
interviewed indicated that costs for labor
and land are dissatisfactory and that the
labor law flexibility needed more policy
attention (see figure 1/page 5).
The Netherlands does possess many
qualities in order to confidently position
itself. Nevertheless, in the fierce
competition for FDI, it is crucial that
foreign investors are convinced by
the Netherlands being the country
offering the best talent, the most optimal
infrastructure, the most favorable logistics
location, the most qualified suppliers
as well as the most innovative knowledge
institutions. In order to attract more FDI
projects in the future, it is therefore
crucial to communicate these positive
attributes of the country to intensify
investment promotion efforts as well
as to focus on most promising target
groups. However, Ernst & Young also
advises Dutch authorities not to neglect
taking care of existing foreign companies
in order to prevent them from relocating
to another country and to make them
flourish and expand in the Netherlands.
The recently introduced tax regimes
known under the names ‘patent box’
and ‘interest box’ are designed to
facilitate foreign investments in exactly
those areas. Additionally, the Dutch
government should strengthen efforts in
cooperation with private companies to
promote the Netherlands as the Gateway
to Europe for goods produced outside the
EU. The initiative of establishing
‘Holland Financial Center’ to position
itself as an attractive location for
financial institutions is a good example
to encourage foreign companies to invest
in the Netherlands. According to Ernst &
CHAMBERNEws
Young, the country should keep focusing
on simplifying legislation and reducing
‘red tape’ in order to create a level playing
field with regard to labor and real estate.
Furthermore, the Netherlands should
reassure its position for talented
expatriates as a safe, hospitable, efficient,
pleasant and internationally oriented
country.
AmChamnews June 2008 7

CHAMBERNEws
8
AmChamnews June 2008
So, where shall we go?
FOREIgN LOCATION ChOICEs BY
Us MULTINATIONAL COMPANIEs
Economic globalization has heightened interest in the process and criteria by which
multinational companies select locations for investments abroad. Though not a new
issue, it has become more relevant for countries with an eye for attracting foreign
investment - like the Netherlands, and a lot of other countries nowadays.
Recently a study* was published by the US
Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic
Analysis (BEA) that examines the determinants of
the location of new manufacturing operations of
US multinational companies (US MNCs) in seven
European countries over the period 1989-2003.
It examined both how US companies approach
the choice process and which location attributes
they consider.
Location of Production by uS MuLtinationaL
coMPanieS (uS MncS) (percent)
share of worLdwide share of foreign
us mnc totaL us mnc totaL
united foreign high-income other
states countries countries countries
1989 76.6 23.4 85.7 14.3
1994 76.5 23.5 84.3 15.7
1999 77.2 22.8 83.8 16.2
2005 72.3 27.7 80.2 19.8
First, a couple of interesting - and maybe surprising -
observations to take note of before looking at how
US MNCs choose a foreign location.
BEA data show that as of 2005, more than 70 percent
of worldwide production by US MNCs occurs in the
United States. Of the 28 percent that occurs abroad,
over 80 percent occurs in high-income countries
(like the Netherlands). Global allocation of US MNC
production has only moderately shifted toward lower
income countries in recent decades - from 14.3
percent in 1989 to 19.8 percent in 2005. (See chart on
the left.) Furthermore, the production that occurs in
those countries is overwhelmingly directed toward
the local market rather than being part of an
international production network. In China and
India, for example, sales to local customers account
for nearly three-quarters of total sales by affiliates of
US MNCs.
Therefore, if US MNCs are not primarily locating
foreign operations in low-wage countries, there must
be attributes of host countries other than wages that
influence their location decisions. A related issue is
whether location attributes are considered only at the
national level or also at some other geographic level,
such as the regional level. And these issues are
exactly what the study addresses.
The study’s main conclusions are:
P Rather than simultaneously deliberating over all
attributes of all possible regional locations within
Europe, US MNCs appear to engage in a
sequential choice process in which they first select
a country based on one set of attributes and then a
region within that country based on another –
largely separate – set of attributes.
P Productivity-enhancing attributes (such as
proximity to suppliers, the availability of highly
skilled workers, and the presence of an extensive
transportation infrastructure) are more important
determinants of location than attributes related to
production costs (such as the availability of lowwage
labor).
The second conclusion is a surprising result of the
study - that US MNCs are attracted to high-wage
locations, even after the researchers adjusted the
location attributes generally thought to be associated
with high-wage levels. All else equal, one would
expect lower wage locations to attract more
investment because the expected return on labor
would be higher in these places. Labor, however, is
not a homogenous resource. The wage premium
paid in one location may be related to differences in
the average level of worker skill in others. Or it may
be related to other attributes of the high-wage
locations that enhance worker productivity (such as
superior transportation infrastructure) or reduced
costs (such as economies of scale resulting from the
presence of an extensive local market for the firm’s
output).
The study finds that, even with a proxy measure of
worker skills and controls for other attributes that
could be associated with high-wage regions - highwage
regions attract more investment than low-wage
regions. Despite anecdotal evidence of companies
using relatively low-wage European countries as
“export platforms” to the rest of the European
Union, this study finds that US MNCs were actually
most attracted to high-wage regions of Europe.
*The paper is available on the BEA website www.bea.gov under
“Papers and working Papers” Do U.s. Multinational Engage in
sequential Choice? Evidence from New Manufacturing Operations
in Europe.” by Raymond J. Mataloni Jr.
MARTIN LUThER
KINg AwARD FOR
AMsTERDAM’s
MAYOR JOB COhEN
E t C E T E R A
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Award was established
in 1979 to recognize unheralded persons or groups
working in the United States in the tradition of Martin
Luther King, Jr. The award honors those who make a
significant contribution to the furtherance of Dr. King’s
non-violent approach to transforming racial, economic,
and social injustices.
For the first time in the award’s history it has been
awarded outside of the USA. On Thursday May 29 the
award was given to Job Cohen, Mayor of Amsterdam
by Isaac Farris Newton, President and CEO of the
Martin Luther King Center. The award ceremony was
made during a multicultural music and entertainment
gala at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam
organized by DutchVersity - an initiative to enlighten
the diversity in the Netherlands in a positive way
(www.dutchversity.nl).
AmChamnews June 2008 9

CHAMBERNEws
10
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende
addresses AmCham
Following the 2008 annual general meeting the Chamber was particularly pleased to host the
Netherlands’ Prime Minister as guest speaker during a luncheon gathering in Kasteel de Wittenburg in
Wassenaar. We sold out on this one and had to disappoint a few late registrants - over 200 members
and guests showed up to listen to an energetic Jan Peter Balkenende give his views on - as the Prime
Minister himself noted - the special bond that exists between the Netherlands and the USA.
AmChamnews June 2008
The Prime Minister is unashamedly a
supporter of strong transatlantic relations
and noted the inspirational role the US
has played for many nations - the US is
a symbol for dynamism for many. Both
the Netherlands and the US are strong
supporters of open economies and freer
trade. No nation was ever ruined by trade - a
quote by Benjamin Franklin - was cited
by the Prime Minister in this respect.
Openness has long been a character of the
Netherlands’ economy and an important
source of its economic welfare. The Prime
Minister’s government attaches a high
priority to attaining a better investment
climate. In many respects the country
is presently seen as one of the most
successful in the European Union.
The OECD points to the Netherlands
as a front runner in the efforts to battle
bureaucracy and red tape.
Despite the kudos from all sides - even
AmCham’s 2008 Priority Points were
complementary of the government’s
efforts to better the investment climate in
recent years - the Prime Minister sees no
reason to slack in the efforts to look for
further improvements. In this respect, the
Prime Minister would echo a statement
made in the 2008 Priority Points.
“Increasingly, competitiveness is no
longer a government-driven process,
but the result of collaboration between
government, business, labor
organizations, universities and other
social economic institutions. The
challenge for government is similar to
that of companies in a competitive
environment: a systematic, sustained effort
is needed to continually upgrade all
elements of the economic platform.”
An example. The employment rate is high
in the Netherlands - one of the highest in
the EU. But there are still many persons
unnecessarily on the sidelines. More must
be done to get these people off the bench
and into the field - to give more a chance
to play with the rest. (The upcoming
European soccer championships were a
rich metaphorical source in the Prime
CHAMBERNEws
Minister’s address.) More must be done
to lower dropout rates, to ensure more
obtain at least a basic starter qualification.
The Prime Minister complemented
AmCham’s Champs on Stage project and
the Chamber’s efforts to play a role in
lowering dropout rates.
There are many good reasons for US
business to come to the Netherlands - a
country with a high e-readiness quote, an
attractive and competitive tax system. The
Prime Minister will be visiting the US very
shortly and his visit will include meeting
President Bush and experiencing at first
hand a part of the festival of democracry
that the US elections have been called.
The Prime Minister assured the audience
that US business will always be welcome
in the Netherlands.
AmChamnews June 2008 11

CHAMBERNEws
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting
of the American Chamber of
Commerce in the Netherlands
12
AmChamnews June 2008
Opening Remarks by the President
Raoul Oberman, Chamber President,
opened the meeting at 10:45 and
welcomed all present.
2. Approval of the Minutes
of AGM of May 23, 2007
The minutes were approved as written.
Raoul reflected on the past year outlining
the satisfactory progress of AmCham’s
Champs on Stage diversity project and
several prominent events. Discussions
were held with several ministers and
underministers on issues of concern to
the Chamber. The Chamber incurred
additional costs with the departure of
Carolina van der Ark in the course of the
year and the need for appointment of an
interim manager. Raoul also looked
forward to 2008 - its development so far
and the prospect of a new Going for Gold
dinner series - featuring prominent
international business leader giving their
views on the investment climate in the
Netherlands. These are again held in
cooperation with the Ministry of
Economic Affairs. The AmCham Young
Professionals has been launched. Also,
some changes have occurred in the
Chamber’s staffing during 2007.
Presently, six persons account for 4.8 fte.
3. Formal approval of
financial statements 2007
Raoul stated that the Board was confident
that 2008 would bring the Chamber close
to break even and 2009 into the black.
Han Steutel (Bristol-Myers Squibb)
inquired whether the AmCham would
change its accountant periodically in line
with practice in business. Raoul stated
that the matter would be discussed in
the Board.
The financial statements of the Chamber
presented to the AmCham Board before
the AGM, as audited and distributed to
members preceding this meeting, were
approved.
4. Recognition of
Departing Board Members
On behalf of the Chamber Raoul
Oberman extended thanks to all
departing Board members for their
support and active participation
in the Board.
5. Election of Directors
In accordance with the proposals of
the Committee on Nominations, the
following persons were duly re-elected
to the Board for a second additional
three year term of office:
Raoul Oberman, McKinsey & Co.
Thomas Woldbye, Norfolkline
The following were elected for a first
additional three year term of office:
Bill Connelly, ING Group
Gottfried Dutiné, Royal Philips Electronics
Francine Savage, 3M Nederland
Amandus Lundqvist, TU Eindhoven
Ben Noteboom, Randstad Holding
Jan Oosterveld, Oosterveld Nederland
The following were newly
elected to the Board:
CHAMBERNEws
Peter Ventress, Corporate Express
Brenda Childers, Amsterdam
Institute of Finance
Han Steutel, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Roelof Hendriks, Aon
Coen van Oostrom, OVG Projectontwikkeling
Lex Kloosterman, Fortis
6. Questions and Answers
There were no questions asked.
A statement of support of the decision to
continue publication of the Newsletter –
and thanks to members sponsoring this
initiative – was forthcoming from Charles
Ruffolo (RIBS Network).
7. Close of Annual General Meeting
The meeting closed at 11:10.
AmChamnews June 2008 1

CHAMBERNEws
14
AmChamnews June 2008
ThE AMChAM BOARD
OF DIRECTORs 2008/2009
Following the AGM the Board met briefly to
elect its officers for the coming year. These are:
Raoul Oberman, President (McKinsey & Co.)
Frans van der Minne, 1st Vice President (Heineken)
Bill Connelly, 2nd Vice President (ING Group)
Jan Oosterveld, Treasurer (Oosterveld Nederland)
Shawn Conway, Secretary (Conway Stendahl)
The other members of the Board are:
Brenda Childers, Amsterdam Institute of Finance
Mark Doets, Loyens & Loeff
Harry van Dorenmalen, IBM Nederland
Gottfried Dutiné, Royal Philips Electronics
Chirfi Guindo, Merck Sharp & Dohme
Gerard van Harten, Dow Benelux
Roelof Hendriks, Aon
Hans Horn, Egon Zehnder International
Lex Kloosterman, Fortis
Amandus Lundqvist, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
Nancy McKinstry, Wolters Kluwer
Jaap Mendel, DuPont de Nemours & Co.
Godefroy Motte, Eastman Chemical EMEA
Ben Noteboom, Randstad Holding
Coen van Oostrom, OVG Projektontwikkeling
John Reed, Heerema Marine Contractors
Francine Savage, 3M Nederland
Mike Sharrock, BP Nederland
Richard Spradling, American School of The Hague
Han Steutel, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Peter Ventress, Corporate Express
Thomas Woldbye, Norfolkline/A.P. Møller-Maersk
(27 members of whom 14 non-Dutch)
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K

N E W M E M B E R P R O F I L E
16
A wARM wELCOME TO
ThE AMChAM FOR OVg
PROJECTONTwIKKELINg BV
– A NEw PATRON MEMBER
OVG OF ThE ChAMBER .
Projectontwikkeling BV
OVG is a Dutch real estate developer with an innovative approach. The company was founded in
1997 by Coen van Oostrom. Firmly established in the Netherlands, the organization actively seeks
out opportunities for European expansion, both in the field of redevelopment (for example, restoring
buildings or regenerating neighborhoods) and as a developer of uncultivated areas. The strength of
its comprehensive real estate strategies – with a strong focus on integrated solutions that allow its
clients to prosper – is demonstrated by their prominent position in the domestic market.
AmChamnews June 2008
As an advocate of sustainable real
estate development, OVG strives to
undertake projects that cater to the
needs and wishes of its clients, their
staff, the immediate surroundings
and the larger environment. The
company’s decision to opt for
sustainable development – projects
that seamlessly combine timeless
esthetic principles with modern
comfort levels – has resulted in
astounding real estate solutions
and elated customers. The
mounting interest in their clientdriven
approach, allows OVG to
enter into durable partnerships
with many leading organizations
Activities
OVG aims to continuously exceed
client expectations by excelling in
the development of real estate. As a
leader in sustainable real estate
development, OVG endeavors to
take a green approach in all the
properties it develops, without
making sacrifices in cost or
quantity. The company specializes
in the areas of:
P Commercial development
P Retail development
P Area development
This year The NetworKing will expand its horizon,
growing a stronger and larger international network.
Through licensed professional networkers,
The NetworKing services will be locally available to
business-minded people around the globe.
advertising_networking_210x140mm.indd 2 04-06-2008 12:28:47
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CHAMBERNEws
18
AT&T
AmCham Golf tournament 2008
On Tuesday, September 30 AT&T and AmCham will, for the second
consecutive year, partner up to organize one of AmCham’s most
celebrated events - the annual golf tournament!
AmChamnews June 2008
After a long tradition of organizing the
tournament at the Rijswijkse Golf Club
and keeping the same format we decided
to restyle and upgrade our golf
tournament to make it more attractive and
challenging for our members.
We received a lot of feedback on the 2007
tournament and some members and golflovers
offered their help with organizing
the 2008 tournament. An organizing
committee has been formed to help the
Chambers’ event manager with the
organization and to give advice on the
format of the day.
We are happy to announce that the 2008
tournament will be held at the Nunspeetse
Golf & Coutry Club in Nunspeet - a very
attractive and challenging 27 hole golf
course situated in the green heart of the
Veluwe, with an excellent kitchen and a
modern clubhouse. The registration fee
will be €98,- and will include a complete
day of golfing, fine food and drinks.
We can take on approximately 100 golfers
for our 2008 golf tournament. We will
also organize a clinic for members and
guests who do not yet have a GVB.
We can accommodate 25 clinicers.
After the tournament there will be enough
time to mingle with your fellow golfers
and your guests during the cocktail and
buffet with prize ceremony.
We are happy that AT&T is supporting
our golf tournament as main sponsor.
We are still looking for additional
sponsorship and prize sponsors.
We offer several attractive sponsor
packages to our members. Feel free to
contact Hans Scholten, the Chamber’s
Member Relations & Events Manager,
to ask what’s possible.
Keep a good lookout for the paper
invitation which will be sent out within
a couple of weeks of delivery of this
Newsletter! Please mark your calendar
to avoid conflict in your schedule. It’s
possible to form your own flight of four
golfers, making this an ideal opportunity
to invite your business relations or your
colleagues. As we are expecting to sell
out, please don’t wait too long with
registering after receiving the invitation!
The AmCham staff and the organizing
committee are looking forward to welcoming
many members on September 30 at
the golf course in Nunspeet!
CHAMBERNEws
Event details
P Date: September 30, 2008
P Time: 12.30 until approx. 21.30 hrs
P Place: Het Rijk van Nunspeet,
Plesmanlaan 30, Nunspeet
P Registration fee: 98 (all inclusive)
P Sponsor inquiries: 020 - 795 1845,
Hans Scholten
Golf Organizing
Committee 2008
P Hans F. Horn
Partner, Egon Zehnder
P Ad J. Heskes
Vice President, NBC - Universal
Studios International
P Fabrice De Windt
Country Manager, AT&T
P Erwin Smeltink
Account Executive, AT&T
P Hans Scholten
Member Relations Manager,
AmCham
AmChamnews June 2008 19

N E W M E M B E R s
PEOPlE & COMPANIEs
PATRON
Dawn Foods
Zilverhoek 1
6451 SP Steenbergen
Voting Member:
Mr. Laurence Saul, President Global
Commercial
www.dawnfoods.com
What began as a small but thriving bakery
in Jackson, Michigan, more than eight decades
ago has evolved into the international bakery
supplier known as Dawn Food Products, Inc.
Over the years, Dawn has continually transformed
itself in order to provide the quality
goods and services its customers depend on.
OVG Projectontwikkeling B.V.
Wilhelminakade 300
3072 AR Rotterdam
Voting Member:
Mr. Coen P.G. van Oostrom, CEO
www.ovg.nl
Established in 1997, OVG has rapidly
evolved into one of the largest and most
innovative developers in the Netherlands.
OVG complements organizational expertise
in the fields of commercial real estate with a
strong focus on its client’s needs and wishes.
Riwal Holding Group B.V.
Maxwellstraat 27
3316 GP Dordrecht
Voting Member:
Mr. Doron Livnat, Director
www.riwal.com
Riwal is one of Europe’s leading companies
specialized in telescopic booms, scissor lifts,
telehandlers and other access equipment with
operations in The Netherlands, Denmark,
Norway, France, Slovenia and most recently in
Kazakhstan and joint ventures in several other
countries in Europe and the Middle East.
20
AmChamnews June 2008
Royal Bank of Scotland
Gustav Mahlerlaan 10
1082 PP Amsterdam
Voting Member:
Mr. Jan de Ruiter, Country Head
Netherlands
Associate Member:
Mr. Hans Schrijner, Relationship Banker
www.rbsbank.nl
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group has grown
from small beginnings nearly 300 years ago
to become one of the largest financial services
groups in the world. Its brands operate around
the globe and down your street to provide
banking services for individuals, businesses
and institutions.
SUSTAINING
AIG Europe (Netherlands) N.V.
K.P. van de Mandelelaan 50
3062 MB Rotterdam
Voting Member:
Mr. Bill Rigby, General Manager
www.aigeurope.com
AIG Europe is a member company of AIG, one
of the world’s leading insurance and financial
services organizations. In addition to providing
insurance to over 85% of the European FT500
companies and many small and medium sized
businesses, AIG member companies also supply
consumer insurance to more than 15 million
individuals in Europe.
De Baak Management Center VNO-NCW
Keizersgracht 174
1016 DW Amsterdam
Voting Member:
Mr. Leo Salazar, Program Director
International
www.debaak.nl
De Baak is an excellent place for leaders,
entrepreneurs and professionals who seek
inspiration, motivation, knowledge and insight.
De Baak teaches you how to learn - a capacity to
benefit from for life. We challenge your curiosity,
reflection and urge to grow. We do so in shortterm
or long-term course paths, in large or small
groups and individually. And of course we offer
tailor-made programs.
Htel Serviced Apartments
Laan van de Helende Meesters 421
1186 AL Amstelveen
Voting Member:
Mrs. Angela van ’t Slot, General Manager
Associate Member:
Anneke Wijdogen, Account Manager
www.htel.nl
Htel Serviced Apartments is Holland’s premier
company in fully furnished corporate housing
for executives and business people. The company
offers B2B clients a distinctive concept that
combines the best of both worlds: the benefits of
an apartment with the services of a hotel.
Provincie Utrecht
Pythagoraslaan 101
3584 BB Utrecht
Voting Member
Mrs. Yolanda Ledoux, Team Leader
Economy and Leisure
Associate Member:
Mrs. Vicky Sassen, Strategic Advisor
Economy
The province of Utrecht is a key region in the
Dutch metropolitan ‘Randstad’ area. It lies in
the geographical heart of the Netherlands and is
a center of communications and infrastructure.
Sitel Netherlands B.V.
Limburglaan 43
5616 HR Eindhoven
Voting Member:
Mr. Gregory Teunissen, Site Director
www.sitel.com
Sitel provides fully integrated customer care
and back office processing services that focus
on delivering a return on customer investment
to our clients by reducing service costs,
improving customer retention and increasing
revenue per customer. Sitel’s ability to serve
customers and track customer information
across multiple channels enables us to
consistently provide positive, intelligent
service on behalf of our clients.
Telindus
Savannahweg 19
3542 AW Utrecht
Voting Member:
Mrs. Karin van Ieperen,
Marketing Manager
www.telindus.com
Telindus, part of the Belgacom group, is a
group of companies offering ICT Solutions
and Services on an international level. We serve
business, service provider and public market
needs. With 2.700 employees, Telindus is
present in 14 countries covering Western Europe,
China and Thailand.
CONTRIBUTING
HVR Group
Prof. W.H. Keesomlaan 8
1183 DJ Amstelveen
Voting Member:
Mr. Han van der Zwan, Managing Partner
Amsterdam Office
Associate Member:
Hugo Baas, Partner
www.hvrgroup.nl
Management and consultancy in strategic
communications. As experienced strategic
communications managers and consultants
with a variety of specializations, the HVR
Group’s aim is to help you tackle your worst
nightmare: communications issues where
stakeholder involvement is crucial – from the
media, politics, marketplace and financial
world to your very own employees.
Lane Clark & Peacock
Herculesplein 40
3584 AA Utrecht
Voting Member:
Mr. Henk Van Embden, Managing
Director-Partner
www.lcpeurope.com
LCP is a partnership of consulting actuaries,
established in 1947. The firm has 85 partners
and principals and a team of more than 450
employees in 7 offices across Europe (London,
Winchester, Zurich, Basel, Brussels, Utrecht
and Jersey).The firm specializes in providing
its clients with practical, bespoke and robust
solutions, covering corporate pensions, strategic
investment advice, general insurance and
specialist financial services including risk
appraisal, business modeling and valuations.
Oxford Intelligence
Raadhuislaan 3a
2242 CR Wassenaar
Voting Member:
Mr. Paul Wright, Director
www.oxint.com
Oxford Intelligence has been providing highquality,
corporate information to business and
government professionals since 1996. We focus
on the cross-border activities of companies
growing in international markets, with
particular emphasis on foreign direct
investment and international location issues.
Rosina Eising Advocaten
Emmaplein 2
1075 AW Amsterdam
Voting Member:
Mr. Rogier Dahmen, Partner
www.re-advocaten.nl
Rosina Eising Attorneys is a young and
dynamic law firm whose lawyers have
considerable experience, both national and
international, in corporate, commercial and
labor law and related specializations. Having
practiced in Amsterdam, New York, London,
Rome and Brussels and through its membership
of the Alliott Group, the lawyers of Rosina
Eising Attorneys are able to offer their clients
access to an international network of
correspondent firms.
Van Alderwegen Consulting
Marnixstraat 108
1015 WP Amsterdam
Voting Member:
Mr. Wouter van Alderwegen, CEO
www.vanalderwegen.com
A consultancy in outsourcing and
interim management solutions.
N E W M E M B E R s
Vanquest Capital Advisors
Strawinskylaan 1
1077 XW Amsterdam
Voting Member:
Mr. Colin Hart, General Manager
www.vanquestinvestments.com
VCA is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Vanquest Investments and provides it direct
investment advisory services. VCA identifies
and analyzes potential investments for
Vanquest, focusing in particular on undervalued
enterprises operating in Eastern Europe - especially
within the newly European Union-acceded
and accession countries.
AmChamnews June 2008 21

E t C E T E R A
22
SPaM e-MaiL toPicS
Jan-March 2008, %
source: comm touch
coun t erfei t goods 10
sof t wa re 6
financiaL 5
g a mbL ing 4
pornogr a phy 1
o t her 4
se xuaL enh a ncers 70
AmChamnews June 2008
Ch33P \/ |
AGARA heer4u
During the first quarter of 2008, spam accounted for
up to an amazing 96% of all e-mail traffic, according
to Commtouch, a security-software company.
Undeterred by tough legislation and better security,
spammers use increasingly sophisticated methods
to evade filters and fool increasingly savvy internet
users. But the nature of spam remains pretty basic.
In the first three months of 2008, 70% of e-mails
offered sexual enhancers, 16 percentage points
more than during the first three months of that year.
Financial offers accounted for 5%, down from 23%,
possibly reflecting the gloomier economic climate.
Around 10% tempted shoppers with counterfeit
goods. It increasingly looks as if the only way to
combat this plague is to charge for email – even a
fraction of a cent per email should have a big impact.
2008 Priority Points
Inserted into this AmCham News is a copy of
the Chamber’s 2008 Investors’ Agenda of
Priority Points. If you wish more copies - or
a Dutch language version - please contact
the AmCham by calling us at 020 - 795 1840
or sending a email with your request to
simon.paul@amcham.nl.
There are pdf versions of the Priority Points
on our website as well as the powerpoint
presentation. Please feel free to use this for
any business use you may have.
STOP
AVOIDING RISK.
START
EMBRACING IT.
Most companies that experienced a negative event don’t have a program
for controlling risk. Why not? Read The Global CFO Study 2008. We’ve
interviewed over 1,200 CFOs in 79 countries. See how their approaches to
handling risk compare with yours. STOP TALKING START DOING
DOWNLOAD THE GLOBAL CFO STUDY 2008
ibm.com/do/cfostudy
IBM, the IBM logo and ibm.com are registered trademarks or trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other company, product and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others. ©Copyright IBM Corporation 2007. All rights reserved.

24
AmChamNews September 2007
AmChamNews
is published by The American Chamber
of Commerce in the Netherlands
WTC D-TOWER, 6th FLOOR
Schiphol Boulevard 171, 1118 BG
Luchthaven Schiphol
The Netherlands
Tel +31-20-7951840
Fax +31-20-7951850
office@amcham.nl
www.amcham.nl