INTERVIEW - WTC Amsterdam · DENIZ ÇELIK EFES BREWERIES INT N.V. EBI is a regional and international company, you could say. The parent company is in Turkey, but we have operations

INTERVIEWWTC Amsterdam in a global network

SCOTT FERGUSON

INSIDE INFORMATIONWhat’s behind WTC office doors?

DIARY DATESAn exclusive Rijksmuseum event

NEWS ROUND-UPTower Ten lights up

E V E RY T H I N G W T C A M S T E R DA M - W I N T E R 2 0 1 9

N E W F A C E S I N W T C A M S T E R D A M

ZUIDAS TRAVEL NDI

ZuidasTravel.nl specialises in business travel – from booking tickets to hotels, trains and cars. Travellers can compare

prices on ZuidasTravel.nl and either book directly online, or if their flights are complicated, send an email to the multilingual

staff who will draw up the perfect itinerary on the spot.

www.ZuidasTravel.nl

NDI provides IT services to some 800 companies throughout the Netherlands from its four branches nationwide. The WTC

Amsterdam branch is a preferred partner to the WTC and offers a comprehensive package of services, ranging from

cloud services to cabling, telephony, hosting and migration.

www.ndi.nl

W T C B U S I N E S S E S

2 WTC TODAY - WINTER 2019

MFIA

Marubeni Foods Investment Asia Coöperatief U.A.(MFIA) is a 100%

consolidated subsidiary of Marubeni Corporation, which is one of the biggest Japanese trading houses. The company

has 130 branches and offices in 66 countries and regions and is developing a wide range of food businesses all over the world. MFIA is aiming to distribute

Asian products in the European market.

Tower C, level 5www.marubeni.com

COURDID BV

Courdid specialises in wage tax and expatriate services, offering independent

advice and tailored solutions to expat employers. The company is relatively

small but has the knowledge and experience that you would expect from a large firm as well as an international network. It prides itself on its relevant

and imaginative solutions and no-nonsense mentality.

Tower C, level 5www.courdid.com

MUFG SECURITIES EMEA

Headquartered in Tokyo, MUFG is a global network with 1,100 offices in more than 40 countries. MUFG Securities offers a comprehensive product suite to clients around the

world through five key business lines in the primary and secondary

markets: capital markets, credit, rates, equities and structured

products.

Tower 1, level 11www.mufgsecurities.com

First of all, I would like to wish all of you a very happy New Year and all the very best for 2019! Here at WTC Amsterdam we closed 2018 with a vacancy rate of just 0.5%, which is great in one respect, but is also putting a bit of a squeeze on tenants who wish to expand. This is quite a chal-lenge, but we are doing our best to find solutions. Please bear with us.Fortunately, work has now formally be-gun on Tower Ten, which will add 32,000 square metres to the complex and allow us to offer new and existing tenants state of the art facilities when the project is com-pleted in mid-2021. You can check out the spectacular light show which kicked off the building on page 4.So far, the contractors have managed to keep the nuisance to a minimum but there will be unavoidable problems at times. At this moment, the contractoris working hard inside the building.

WTC NEWSTower 10 takes off

HAVE YOUR SAYHow international is your company?

ZUIDAS NEWSFood waste and food banks

CAUGHT ON CAMERAClassics at the Concertgebouw

DIARY DATESKey events this winter

4

14

6

12 15

INTERIORSSneak preview of a new book

10

W I N T E R

You have probably noticed there is less room in the car park because of the con-struction process. We are keeping a close eye on this, and if we notice the car park is getting full, we will come up with alter-natives. That being said, there should be

enough capacity to meet demand – unless everyone turns up at the same time, that is! We kindly ask that you take care to park between the lines so we don’t lose spaces. We’re also considering ways of changing the parking system, such as the introduc-tion of a reservation system for visitors and extra features for tenants, and will be look-ing at this in more detail in 2019. We are continually trying to improve our services and facilities, so I am pleased that the Effortless vending machine has also been placed in Central Hall and Lobby H/I for those last-minute gifts. You can find out more on page 4. We’re also hard at work putting together a book about some of WTC Amsterdam’s more interesting office interiors. We hope the book will be an in-spiration to both old and new tenants, to show what they can do to make the most of their rented space. You can catch a sneak preview on page 10.

8

Christiaan Huijg, Managing DirectorWorld Trade Center Amsterdam

INTERVIEWScott Ferguson, CEO World Trade Centers Association

WTC TODAY - WINTER 2019 3

C O N T E N T S

There is lots more art on show within the WTC complex this year. As well as the regular sculp-ture exhibitions in Central Hall, you can now find pieces in front of the WTC Service Point in Lobby H/I and in the tunnel corridor connect-ing the two WTC buildings under Zuidplein. It’s a great empty space for a show - so be sure to

check out the first exhibition of vibrant works by Jacqueline Schäfer. Her jewel colours will help cast off any winter blues. Desiré Haverkamp, who is inspired by nature and landscape, is re-sponsible for the new works in Central Hall.WWW.DESIREHAVERKAMP.NLJACQUELINESCHAFER.WORDPRESS.COM

NEW ART

Effortless opens for businessYou may have noticed them in Central Hall and Lobby H/I: two smart vending machines selling classy corporate gifts and useful gadg-ets, rather than sweets and snacks! The Ef-fortless vending machines are an added bo-nus for busy WTC workers. You can pick up the perfect last-minute present, such as a set of headphones or a sleek notebook, while on your way home. WWW.EFFORTLESS.NL

Calling all social media usersDon’t forget to follow WTC Amsterdam on LinkedIn (company/world-trade-center-amsterdam) and Facebook (/wtcamsterdam) to keep up to date with all the latest news – and photographs – about WTC events. Did you take part in the Pub Quiz? Check the Facebook page to find out if you were caught on camera.


W T C N E W S

WTC Amsterdam wins the green cupWTC Amsterdam has won the first Green Busi-ness Cup, awarded by the Green Business Club Zuidas for its involvement in a wide variety of GBC projects, and the leadership role it has adopt-ed in many of them. The judges said the WTC is making great progress in cutting the use of natu-ral gas, boosting mobility by using shared car and e-bike schemes and cutting down on food waste (more on page 14). Technical and facility director Frank Folkers was on hand to pick up the prize.

Count down to Tower TenWork officially started on building the WTC’s new Tower Ten with a spectacular light show within the WTC itself in November. The launch ceremony was carried out by Ronald van der Waals, manager of the CBRE Dutch Of-

fice Fund, which owns WTC Amsterdam; and Sandra Thesing, deputy director of the Zuidas Development Office. When completed, Tower Ten will add 32,000 m2 to the WTC, spread over 22 storeys.

BUSINESS CLUB EVENTSThere are two great Business Club events on the agenda for the coming quarter. On Janu-ary 15, philosopher and transformational thinker Karim Benammar will outline his views on the year ahead at the annual New Year drinks. Born in Germany to an Algerian father and a Dutch mother, Karim has stud-ied in England, the US and Japan, and taught in Japan and Brazil, so he brings a real inter-national dimension to the event. Then, on March 19, Business Club members will enjoy a very special visit to the Rijksmuseum. Keep an eye on the website to find out more.

WTCAMSTERDAMBUSINESSCLUB.COM ANYONE FOR TABLE TENNIS?If you have been missing your table tennis games, the break out room at the top of the escalator to Central Hall has been moved to the passage at the other end, where Multicopy used to be based. The glass-fronted office is not being left empty – it will be converted into the marketing suite for Tower Ten in the spring.


W T C N E W S

The WTC as a melting pot

With over 300 different companies and dozens of nationalities, WTC Amsterdam is a real global village. We asked WTC workers

and visitors how international their company really is.

V O X P O P U L I

AUGUSTO ROSA, SONJA RAMAKERS D&BAugusto: D&B is a Dutch company. We work in Dutch and we also speak in English. You have people (visiting the WTC) from everywhere: Portu-guese, English, Dutch, Spanish… My native language is Portuguese. Work-ing in Dutch is OK. I’m adapting well. So far, so good!Sonja: There are a lot of different nationalities (at D&B). We talk a lot and we have a laugh – we have a good time! Over here, there are a lot of inter-national people, so the language I speak the most is English – almost all day.

DENIZ ÇELIK EFES BREWERIES INT N.V.EBI is a regional and international company, you could say. The parent company is in Turkey, but we have operations in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and in Belarus. EBI is the holding company of these opera-tions. My first language is Turkish, but English is the (working) language of the company. I prefer working in English rather than Dutch because I don’t speak Dutch. It’s no problem for me working in English.


V O X P O P U L I

MARCEL SCHUSTER, JESSICA CHIU, SANDER DISSEL TD BANKMarcel: TD Bank is very international. It’s based in Canada. We are the subsidiary based in the Netherlands. They have presence in Canada, the US, the UK, Singapore, Japan… The working language is English but it’s bilingual in North America, so French as well.Sander: I’m Dutch, but because I’ve always worked in the English language, I’m quite comfortable with that.Jessica: If I look across the office, there are people from all different cultures. Probably, almost any nationality you can think of, we have working at TD. I’m an international expat from Canada and they (Marcel and Sander) are local Dutch and we hang out together all the time.

MELISSA VAN HETTEN ANNEXUMOur main language is Dutch, and sometimes English as well, and on rare occasions German. My colleagues are mainly Dutch. I would say that maybe 20% of our workforce is international. The companies that we do business transactions with are (often) English or German.

TAMAR STURRUS MUFG BANK (EUROPE) N.V.MUFG is very international – there are many cultures, many international people! The working language is Dutch, but there are many English people there, so we talk a lot of English with each other. We socialise together. There are networking drinks, and recently we had a Christmas event, so the whole company was there, and it was a lot of fun.

SADACHIKA YOSHIOKA J.P. MORGANJP Morgan has the largest market capital in the world. It’s a very international workforce. The working language is basically English, but it’s really, really inter-national, with many people from all over the world. I’m Japanese, but I work in London and I see many people from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, everywhere.



I N T E R V I E W

Scott Ferguson BELIEVES IN COMPANIES WORKING TOGETHER

The size and type of World Trade Centers is incredibly diverse, but each member has an important role to fulfill in the WTCA network, says chief executive Scott Ferguson

‘As CEO, my job is to make sure the needs and expectations of our members are being met,’ says Scott Ferguson, who heads up the World Trade Center Association, based in New York. ‘Mem-bers are our top priority and getting their feed-back and leveraging their expertise allows us to drive our mission forward.’Canadian national Scott Ferguson has headed up the World Trade Centre Association since May 2016 after over 30 years in international business. Today, more than 320 World Trade Centers are spread across nearly 100 countries worldwide. As CEO, it is Scott’s role to keep on top of global developments and to make sure the organisation continues to thrive in what can be challenging economic times.

DIVERSITYIn this, he is supported by a board of directors, which includes Christiaan Huijg, managing direc-tor of WTC Amsterdam, as well as WTC bosses from cities as far apart as Accra, Taipei, Lisbon and Mumbai. World Trade Center members are incredibly di-verse set of organisations, Scott says. ‘From world-class real estate developers, to proprietors and op-erators of some of the world’s largest convention centres and critical economic development organ-isations, they are intricately woven into the fabric of their local economies. Each looks a bit different, but all of our members play an important part in

supporting trade and investment in their cities. Last year, the WTCA released its first annual Trade and Investment Report which gave some fascinating insights into the rise of cities as en-gines of economic prosperity. The report details how members around the globe work in tandem with local companies, government agencies, and other institutions to ensure that their city is living up to its potential.For example, the report showed that strategic partnerships between global and local stakehold-ers are the critical enabling factor for cities com-peting for foreign direct investment (FDI) and seeking to expand local businesses’ access to new markets. Cities with a WTCA member on aver-

age draw FDI per capita at twice the rate of their country, and export goods at 1.55 times the na-tional level, per capita. ‘Taken at the grass roots level, each member has an important role to ful-fill,’ says Scott. ‘Taken in sum total, the report tells a vivid story about just how unique, singular, and valuable our network has become.’

MEMBERSAlthough the concept of a ‘world trade centre’ can be traced back to 1939, it was not until 1961 that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approved the first World Trade Centre project. The association was incorporated in Delaware in 1969 and the first member’s meeting, with 15 WTCs, was held in Tokyo in 1970. Much has happened since then. But is there still a need for organisations like the WTC, given the changing way we work - with flexible offices and an end to the concept of 9 to 5?The short answer is yes, says Scott, who points out that some WTC members have already launched their own co-working spaces. WTC Amsterdam, for example, has a hybrid version, the Suite Of-fices concept, which allows companies truly flex-ible rental contracts. ‘Our network of truly global connections is what differentiates us from other options,’ says Scott. ‘Cross pollination is incredibly important in to-day’s competitive business environment, but so is being able to pick up the phone and connect with

Key things to remember when doing business globally

Listen: It is the most critical building block of understanding.

Share: Connection comes through common goals and experiences.

Empathise: Everyone has challenges, usually not so different from our own.

Collaborate: Together we are greater than the sum of our parts.

Laugh: Humour is an underrated tool – it destroys obstacles.

a fellow WTCA member who can help you with whatever you are looking for. ‘

VESTED INTERESTWhether it is a supplier, buyer, or distributor for a local company, world-class exhibition facilities, grade-A office space, or help with a business is-sue, WTC members, he says, support one another and have a vested interest in each other’s success. ‘You will be hard-pressed to replicate this through facilities alone, and given the overload of infor-mation available, being able to cut through the noise by relying on trusted partners is invaluable,’ he points out.‘National governments are creating a volatile and uncertain environment for trade and investment - more so than at any other point in my lifetime, anyway – and cities are poised, and in fact are, ris-ing to the challenge,’ he says.

CHALLENGE‘Whether it is WTC St Louis working to encour-age immigration to recruit talent, WTC Santiago offering job training to fill the needs of local com-panies large and small, WTC Leeuwarden helping local small-to-medium-sized enterprises realise their true potential… our members are changing the world at the grass roots level. And as part of a truly global network, we are making a huge im-pact collectively.’ The great diversity in WTCA operations is not a challenge, but rather the network’s greatest strength, Scott says. ‘Our members constantly learn about how business is done the world over, and how to apply those lessons to their own busi-nesses. For example, the way issues with water are tackled in the Netherlands provides invaluable in-sight for others around the world who are dealing with the same challenges.’ ‘On a personal level, each of our members has a tremendous amount of respect for the other. And when you peel back some of the more superficial differences among those on our diverse roster of members, you find that each is driven by the same goal of bringing global prosperity to their local economies. That is something they all share, and a quality that mitigates any challenging cultural barriers.’

‘AS PART OF A TRULY GLOBAL

NETWORK, OUR MEMBERS ARE MAKING A HUGE IMPACT

COLLECTIVELY’



Inside information

Have you ever wondered what other offices in WTC Amsterdam look like? This spring, a new book featuring a wide variety of office interiors will roll of the presses. Here is a sneak preview.

WTC Amsterdam was one of the first buildings in Zuidas when work began on developing the Amsterdam business district in the 1980s. Today, WTC Amsterdam remains the biggest office de-velopment in the region, with 125,000 m2 of of-fices, thriving cafes and restaurants and plenty of other facilities. It is home to no less than 330 companies and at least 30 different nationalities. The great variety of companies – from two-man operations to firms employing over 100 people – is part of what makes the WTC so special. Each and every tenant is different, as is their office.

PHOTOGRAPHY: MARTIJN VONCK

The WTC Amsterdam book of interiors shows tenants, as well as new arrivals, what is hidden behind some of those closed office doors. ‘We want to inspire tenants to make the most of their rented space,’ says managing director Christiaan Huijg. ‘It is easy to put in a couple of desks and computers, but a WTC office offers the potential to do so much more.’ Indeed, the book shows some of the imaginative ways people have made the most of their rented areas – from the traditional office with boardroom table and reception desk to the hip open space, complete

with bean bags and game consoles. There are some basic rules about what tenants can do with their offices but as long as they return them to their original state when leav-ing, they can build walls, take out ceilings and use whatever colours they like. ‘We do have to keep an eye on what is being done because of the building regulations – especially fire safety – but in principle, tenants have a free hand,’ says Christiaan.The divisions between work, rest and play are becoming blurred and the changes underway


in WTC Amsterdam reflect this new way of working. The book, therefore, includes a focus on the complex’s open spaces, such as the new look Central Hall, which has been turned into a timeless space where people can wait between appointments, relax with a coffee, work alone or get together with others for a meeting.‘We hope that the offices and the other interiors in this book will inspire you to make your cor-ner of WTC Amsterdam, however big it is, your own,’ says Christiaan. ‘The way we go about our jobs is changing and that too can be seen in the office interiors of today. When WTC Amsterdam first opened, you came here to work. Now our ap-proach to an office job is changing. Many people no longer work 9 to 5 and the great views across the city are considered a plus, not a distraction.’

N E W B O O K


AND THE WINNER IS…PHOTOS: JUST JUSTA PHOTOGRAPHY

Dozens of teams took part in the latest nail-biting edition of the WTC Amsterdam pub quiz in October. Keep an eye

on our Facebook page for news of the next one.

E V E N T S


E V E N T S

CONCERTGEBOUW CLASSICS

PHOTOS: FREDERICK JACOBVITS

WTC Amsterdam tenants and members of the WTC Amsterdam Business Club

held a joint event at the Concertgebouw in November featuring an intimate evening

of classical music performed by the A’dam Divisio quintet. Radio presenter Ab Nieuwdorp was compere for the evening.

Z U I D A S N E W S

PARK ANDCYCLEYou may have noticed the red and white digital signs on the edge of bike paths throughout Zuidas, pointing cyclists to the nearest bike park where there are spaces to lock up your trusty two-wheel-er. The signage is a first for the city and capacity is measured using overhead cameras or sensors in the bike racks themselves. The opening of the Zuid-plein bike park in May last year gave a significant boost to the number of offi-cial places to park bikes in Zuidas. There are now 9,250 places in the three under-ground bike parks.

Timber!If you were wondering why the edges of the A10 ring road are suddenly looking rather bare, this is because some 8,000 trees and bushes are being cut down in preparation for work on the Zuidasdok project. The tree-cutting will continue until March 31, when the breeding season starts. In total, officials have been given permits to cut down 14,400 trees, but the next batch will not be taken away until the last minute.


Photo: Marcel Steinbach

Photo: Marcel Steinbach

A record 600 crates were collected in last No-vember’s food drive for the local food bank by Zuidas companies. In fact, so many crates were collected that the Green Business Club Zuidas says it will expand the number of collection points next year. WTC Amsterdam and Cen-tral Hall beautician Phisage were among the companies taking part.

600 crates set a record

A project to reduce food waste in Zuidas, which involved WTC Amsterdam caterer We Can-teen, produced extremely clear results, with an

8% decrease, on average, in the amount of waste. The six-month project involved monitoring what was served at company lunches and what was thrown away. After three months, the ca-terers adapted their menus accordingly. Before the project, 41% of the drinks and 44% of the fruit was classed as waste, but this went down to 23% and 34% after the menu changed. Efforts to reduce salad waste were less successful – with a drop from 41% to 37%. Christiaan Houben from campaign group Wastewatchers recommends trying to get a better picture of how many peo-ple will attend the lunch and serving smaller rolls as two quick wins to cut waste.

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

D A T E S F O R Y O U R D I A R YW T C E V E N T S

WTC TODAY is published quarterly by World Trade Center Amsterdam. You can also download WTC Today from the website www.wtcamsterdam.com. WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO WTC TODAY? Please email [email protected].

TEXT Zuidas Text and Translations

PHOTOGRAPHY Anne Lakeman, Martijn Vonck

DESIGN Vindustries, Ouderkerk a/d Amstel

PRINT Drukkerij Tesink, Zutphen. WTC Today is produced in a CO2 neutral production process and printed on 100% FSC certified paper.

CREDITS


SATURDAY, JANUARY 5

GREEN BUSINESS CLUBThe kick-off for the Zero

Waste Zuidas project – WTC Amsterdam is a supporter

TUESDAY, JANUARY 15

WTC AMSTERDAM BUSINESS CLUB

The traditional New Year borrel, this year with philosopher Karim

Benammar

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1

OX & BUCKSLive music at the WTC’s very own Grand Café, every first

Friday of the month

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25

GREEN BUSINESS CLUBThe launch of this year’s

Green Business Challenge, which runs over five months

FRIDAY, JANUARY 4

OX & BUCKSBring in the weekend with

good food, great drinks and live music

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20

PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS

Don’t forget to vote for the new Noord-Holland

provincial authority

TUESDAY, MARCH 19

WTC AMSTERDAM BUSINESS CLUB

Find out more about Rembrandt at this special

Rijksmuseum event

SPRING FORWARDNEXT ISSUE: a progress update on Tower 10, the spring events calendar and all the latest WTC Amsterdam news.

WTC TODAY IS OFFERED TO YOU BY

Documents

INTERVIEW - WTC Amsterdam · DENIZ ÇELIK EFES BREWERIES INT N.V. EBI is a regional and international company, you could say. The parent company is in Turkey, but we have operations