MEMBER AREA
NEWSLETTER MARCH 2026
ESPECIALLY
NOW
With the rising sun and longer days, we feel our energy growing again. Right? That works out well, because the Zuidas Run is already raring to go. There is a lot going on within our wonderful company at the moment. I hope this newsletter helps you catch up a bit. At the same time, many worrying developments are playing out on the world stage. Matters that can sometimes make what we do seem less important. But nothing could be further from the truth. It is precisely by welcoming people with a smile, a sincere question, or a heartfelt compliment that we can leave a positive impression on someone's day. That is what we have been doing for years, and therefore perhaps more important now than ever.
STAY SHARP
STAY SAFE
Lately, we have frequently seen reports in the news about aggression toward certain communities as a result of the war in the Middle East.
This is happening not only between individuals on the street, but is sometimes also directed at companies and institutions including the organizations we work for. For example, an incident occurred at the Atrium on the Zuidas on Sunday night, when a firework bomb was detonated.
We are proud of the appropriate response of our colleagues on the scene. At the same time, we want to urge everyone to take the following precautions in case of trouble:
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Stay calm and observe: Keep a sufficient distance from a suspicious person or situation.
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Your own safety first: Only go and investigate if the situation is safe to do so. Do not intervene unnecessarily in the event of aggression or imminent violence.
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Raise the alarm:
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In case of an emergency, immediate danger, or a crime in progress, always call 112.
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When it is not an emergency, call the police on 0900-8844.
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Do you have concerns or questions? Please feel free to contact your supervisor.
GUESS WHO'S
BACK?
The D&B team members who have been with 'the club' for a while will remember it well: the time when we had the privilege of providing Security and Hospitality services for Liberty Global at Schiphol Rijk. Unfortunately we stopped working for them over 10 years ago due to a transition in the European contract.
Liberty Global is an international telecom company that provides millions of customers with internet, TV, and mobile services through brands such as VodafoneZiggo, Virgin Media O2, Telenet, and Sunrise. And, through its sister company Liberty Media, they also owns Formula 1.
Now, years later, 'LG' is moving to the Zuidas and will be renting two floors in 'The Pulse'. A beautiful building where we already provide services for the Boston Consulting Group.
After an intensive tender process in which 'LG' clearly indicated that it was looking for the best quality in Hospitality, Cleaning, and Barista services, we were awarded the contract.
To get an idea of the desired service level, Sales, Marketing, and Operations visited the headquarters in London. The bar is set high, but if there is one party in the Netherlands that can do this, it is us!
COLLABORATION McKINSEY & COMPANY
EXTENDED AGAIN
Even more great news: our partnership with McKinsey & Company has been renewed. This partnership began in 2008 with reception support. In the years since, our services have expanded. We now provide on-site handyman services, reproduction, parking management, security, and facility management, in addition to reception. Multi Service Strong!
We are proud of this long-standing partnership and the trust McKinsey & Company has placed in us. This wonderful collaboration is partly thanks to our on-site team, who provide the perfect Customer Experience every day.
Extending a contract, which usually runs for around four years, is what we call 'retention'. The fact that we have had the privilege of working at the highest level for the same client for 18 years now speaks volumes!
McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm that advises organizations on strategy, organization, technology, and performance. They help companies, governments, and institutions solve complex issues and improve their business operations.
WHAT MAKES
A GOOD LEADER?
Two weeks ago, 9 team leads received their new Leadership certificates following a training course consisting of four half-day sessions spread over a period of four months. The training was provided by Annika Raaijmakers, our L&D manager.
One of the participants was Floor Kerssens (Facility Coordinator at NRC Media) who is happy to tell us a little about it:
"During the training, I primarily discovered that I am more self-assured than I thought. It is precisely when I stay true to my own personality and feelings that I can act authentically and powerfully, even outside my comfort zone.
What also surprised me was how powerful a well-thought-out compliment can be. The difference between a simple 'well done' and a compliment with real substance is significant. By giving positive and concrete feedback more often, I notice that difficult conversations flow more naturally.And honestly: giving impactful compliments is not only valuable, it is also fun.
The training also helped me to understand better where others are coming from. As a result, I can respond more calmly and clearly, even in difficult conversations, and that strengthens collaboration. I have learned that my opinion matters and that I can remain calm, even when someone reacts strongly. At the same time, I realize that I don't have to do everything myself and can trust others more.
I found the peer supervision sessions to be one of the most valuable parts. Together with colleagues, we looked at real-life situations and explored various solutions. Those conversations gave me new insights and perspectives that I hadn't thought of myself. That made the training not only educational, but also very practically applicable.
FLOOR
ALLEO:
TIPS FROM THE EDITORS
The editors have a few more tips for you that you can find in your Alleo app:
10% DISCOUNT AT RUN2DAY
Are you already training for the Zuidas Run? Then you naturally need proper equipment. This not only helps prevent injuries but also makes running more enjoyable. You can find Run2Day in the Alleo app. Here you receive a temporary 10% discount on running gear, and you can also convert your Alleo credit into vouchers.
SCENT SUBSCRIPTION AT PARFUMADO
Discover your favorite perfume with a subscription from Parfumado. You can choose from 550 perfumes and decide for yourself which one you receive every month. For a limited time, they are offering a 50% discount on the first month via Alleo.
WORK HARD/
SKI HARD!
The first event under the banner of our staff association 'The D&B Culture Club' was a success!
From March 5 to 8, 2026, D&B colleagues swapped their workplaces for the snowy mountains of Austria during the D&B Culture Club Chill Out. With a great mix of avid skiers, snowboarders, après-ski enthusiasts, and social butterflies, these were days full of action, relaxation, and above all, lots of laughter.
Although the snow quality was a bit disappointing, that certainly didn't spoil the fun. During the day, there was plenty of skiing and snowboarding, while others enjoyed the beautiful surroundings or sought out the convivial atmosphere in the bars and restaurants. Whether you belonged to #TeamBerg or #TeamDal, there was plenty for everyone to do.
In addition to sports and socializing, there was also room for relaxation in the hotel's delightful wellness area. The result? A fantastic trip with an incredibly fun group of colleagues and a nice mix of people from different teams and locations.
In short: a fantastically fun trip at a top location. And one we will look back on with a smile for a long time.
MEMBER PROFILE:
CLAUDIA BISWANA
Today in the Member Profile, someone we actually all know: Claudia Biswana, Hospitality Coach/Specialist. And she has already been with our wonderful club for 18 years!
We won't go into the exact year Claudia was born, but we can say that she saw the light of day in Paramaribo. At the age of five, she moved with her parents to Rotterdam, where she saw snow for the first time. The fun was short-lived, however, when two girls pushed her into the snow. Crying, she went to her mother, who matter-of-factly said: “Don't cry, just hit one of them, and the other will run away.” That worked indeed… perhaps even a little too well, because a letter from school soon followed. :)
After HAVO, Claudia soon knew she wanted to do something in tourism and work with people. Maybe even become a flight attendant! Until she saw passengers snapping their fingers to the crew during a flight to Spain. That wasn't for her.
Her first jobs were selling ice cream at the market in Rotterdam and working in a Grand Café with a few hotel rooms. There she truly did everything: cleaning, rooms, front office, and serving. Multi-service avant la lettre, so to speak!
After completing her Tourism studies, Claudia started working in the five-star hotel industry. Among other places, she spent three years at the Roberto Payer in the Hilton Amsterdam. It was great work, but also irregular and intensive. When she saw a vacancy at D&B, she decided to apply. At that time, D&B was still located on the Herengracht. During her second interview, she was hired by Bas Hertz himself.
As a mobile Hospitality Hostess, Claudia served the south of the Netherlands: Den Bosch, Breda, Utrecht… and the rest, as they say, is history. Today, Claudia is the hospitality conscience of D&B and trains colleagues in all facets of the profession.
But there is more. Claudia has two great loves: Old School R&B & Hip Hop and good food. Together with her friend Cindy, she combined these passions into her own concept. Three years ago, they visited an Old School R&B Brunch in London. That inspired them asking the question 'why doesn't this exist in the Netherlands?'
That is how C&C Events was born.
The concept: a brunch with entertainment, such as a singer or saxophonist, followed by a party. You can choose between just the brunch or a party. The guests? A fun mix of 30 to 60-year-olds who still fully appreciate 90s Old School R&B and Hip Hop.
Want to experience it yourself? The next editions are:
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12 April – De Kroon, Amsterdam
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31 May – Jack, Rotterdam
Thank you, Claudia, for sharing your story!
SERIOUS SECURITY
CAMPAGNE IS LIVE!
You might have already seen it while scrolling through Instagram or Facebook... our new Security recruitment campaign, featuring our own superstars 'Mo, Danielle and Dylan', is Live!
In our ongoing search for security talent, this time we have focused on topics that are relevant within this profession: planning, working hours, and attention from the supervisor. In the campaign, we ask for the opinion of security guards and also state our position. A campaign that hopefully sparks conversation, elicits reactions, and shows how we do things differently from the market.
On the page werkenbijdb.nl/serioussecurity, you can watch the videos made of a few of your colleagues, in which they share their experiences.
Are you a Security Host at D&B and would you like to share your perspective in a video? Then please send an email to: jeroen.peters@db.nl
5 STAR-
MANAGEMENT
We have great news. After an intensive search over the past few months, following Hester's departure, we are pleased to announce that Mike Eggenkamp will start as COO (Chief Operating Officer) at D&B effective April 1st. In this role, he will be ultimately responsible for all operational activities (excluding Mobility) and will strengthen the management team.
Mike (44) lives in Amersfoort and has over twenty years of experience in the hospitality and foodservice industry. For the past twelve years, he has held management roles at Vermaat, where as Business Unit Director Corporate he was responsible for approximately 300 locations and €180 million in turnover.
We are also further expanding the management team. D&B has been growing for years thanks to new clients and the retention of existing customers through strong services and relationships.
That is why we are also strengthening our commercial capabilities. Effective April 1, Sander Bon has been appointed CCO (Chief Commercial Officer). Sander hardly needs an introduction. As Commercial Director, he has built successful teams over the past few years with strong commercial results.
On behalf of the D&B Culture Club: Best of luck to both of you!
WE PAY YOU
FOR THE HAPPY FEW
There's still a little while left! Until March 31, we are paying out the referral bonus of €750 gross after completing the probationary period. In other words: after 1 month.
After that, the referral bonus of €750 remains in place, but will be paid out in installments.
So: take a look around your circle of friends or family and recommend someone. Do you know someone? Then contact one of our recruiters.
Together we make D&B even stronger.
Vacancies for which you can recommend someone, for example:
You can find all our open vacancies on www.werkenbijdb.nl.
The following heroes went before you!
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Claudia Biswana recommended Anthea Molly
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Jerailey Reijke recommended Brantley Reijke
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Yassine Rebai recommended Zakaria Tallih
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Boris Hemmen recommended Kasper Visser
FOUR
NUMBERS
In every newsletter, we will reflect on four numbers that mean something to us. This way, you will gain an increasing understanding of our direction and impact. Here are the first four!
3805 ton
That is the total amount of CO2 emitted by D&B in 2024. The Business Development department commissioned a specialized research firm to calculate this. You can consult the report via this link.
190.000
This is how many trees are needed to absorb all the CO2 emitted by D&B in one year. 3,805 tons of CO2 is the same emission as 2,000 return flights between Amsterdam and New York.
45%
Almost half of all D&B CO2 emissions are caused by the procurement of goods. This primarily concerns food products used in our company restaurants. And half of that, in turn, can be traced back to the consumption of meat and dairy products.
2030
This is the year that governments worldwide have adopted as a target to reduce CO2 emissions by 50%. CO2 is the leading cause of global warming. Since 2019, D&B has taken measures to significantly reduce emissions. We do this, among other things, by sourcing cleaner energy at Gondel and by electrifying our vehicle fleet. With the results of this study, we may be able to deliver our services more sustainably to our clients. However, a great deal of additional research is still required for this.
Interested in the progress? Then please contact Michel Pan or Melissa Kooke.
Check our CSR annual report on the D&B website.
MEMBER
MILESTONES
In this newsletter, the D&B Culture Club congratulates the following colleagues on their anniversary milestone. This time, no less than three times 15 years!!
Su Ying Leung
Merijn de Launay
Laura Zwart
Martin Bandel
Jenab Hootan
Date of entry:
22-02-2021
01-03-2021
01-02-2011
14-02-2011
14-02-2011
Anniversary:
5 years
5 years
15 years
15 years
15 years
In the photo: Merijn de Launay (Director F&B) receiving a bouquet of flowers from Operations Manager Astrid Meijer.
ALL HANDS
ON DECK
Cyclic roasting
Since period 2 of this year, Site and Cluster Managers, in collaboration with the Planning department, have been looking ahead more effectively. We call this cyclical scheduling. There are now comprehensive schedules per location that allow staffing to be planned several weeks in advance.
The intention is to map out staffing levels for each site and cluster 10 to 12 weeks in advance. This allows us to engage hiring partners sooner in the event of structural staff shortages, and enables the recruitment department to recruit more effectively. Dedicated planners have also been assigned to each site.
Onboarding
At the beginning of this year, we started improving our onboarding. The project manager for this component within All Hands is Stephanie Romijn. Within a few months, she expects to be able to implement several improvements. These include checklists for managers, a handbook for the first few months of new employees, and a buddy system.
Mobile workers
A frequently expressed wish among site and cluster managers is the availability of mobile Hospitality staff. These are colleagues who can be deployed flexibly across multiple locations, for example, in the event of absence due to illness.
Currently, the group of mobile employees is too small to fill all staffing shortages. This is not only due to the number of colleagues currently performing this role, but is also a consequence of smaller contracts, meaning that more colleagues are simply needed. The current estimate is that we need several dozen new colleagues; demand is highest in the Amsterdam region.
If you have ever thought about this, feel free to contact Gerben Reij via gerben.reij@db.nl
Interested in the progress of the above-mentioned projects? Then please contact Gerben Reij (outreach workers) or Stephanie Romijn (onboarding).