CEOs and Major Shareholders Deserve More Respect
Interview with Hennie van der Most, Dutch Entrepreneur and Investor
At the age of 23, he opened a used hardware store in his parents' barn. Since then, the entrepreneurial spirit of Hennie van der Most has not let go. He has particularly made a name for himself with spectacular projects in the entertainment industry. Wirtschaftsforum spoke with the Dutchman about his own career path, the basic virtues of an entrepreneur, and the motivation behind the founding of the DGA Network Nederland.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. van der Most, you have worked your way up from a school dropout to one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the Netherlands. What was your biggest motivation from the beginning, and what tips can you give to founders to run a successful business?
Hennie van der Most: The most important tip is: keep going. Being an entrepreneur means that you never really reach your goal. It's about staying active, according to the motto 'Don't dab, slap.'
Wirtschaftsforum: Is it still possible today to build an empire without any qualifications? Or have times changed?
Hennie van der Most: Even today, it is possible to build a successful conglomerate without qualifications. Times have certainly changed, but honesty, sincerity, and transparency are still important traits for conducting successful business.
Hennie van der Most
Dutch Entrepreneur and Investor
"Being an entrepreneur means that you never really reach your goal."
Hennie van der Most
Dutch Entrepreneur and Investor
Wirtschaftsforum: Your company portfolio includes amusement parks that you build in old industrial facilities, as well as hardware stores, catering rental companies, material rental and steel construction. How did such a broad range come about?
Hennie van der Most: It has grown over the years and ultimately comes from me seeing opportunities everywhere and consistently taking advantage of them.
Wirtschaftsforum: Your latest project is a theme park in an old power plant in the Port of Rotterdam. What qualities do you think founders need to have to succeed in the market?
Hennie van der Most: Actually, the amusement park is not in an old power plant but in the old waste incineration plant of Rotterdam. Important qualities, in addition to those mentioned above, are creativity and assertiveness: one must not be thrown off course by setbacks.
Wirtschaftsforum: You are also the chairman of the DGA-Network in the Netherlands, a group of independent entrepreneurs, directors, and major shareholders. How important is networking to you?
Hennie van der Most: I founded DGA Network Nederland at the time to bundle individual voices and make them loud and especially audible. This is the case, for example, with politics. The goal was and is more respect for managing directors and major shareholders. After all, they are the ones who largely keep our economy running.