Stefan Kleijngeld, operations manager at Inther Group, bids farewell as chairman of Jong Logistiek Nederland (JLN). During the Logistic Speeddate, an event organised by JLN, he passes the baton to Melvin de Kok, rayon manager at MotracLinde. A double interview with the veteran and his successor.
Stefan, you took over as chair two years ago. Was it time to hand over the reins?
Stefan: In principle, every chair serves for two years. I still really enjoy putting my energy into JLN, but my age is also a factor. I’m turning 32. It’s time to pass the baton to the younger generation – in this case, Melvin. He has already proven himself as a regional ambassador over the past few years.
When you took office as chairman, you talked about a strategy with three pillars: professionalism, connection and stepping out of the logistic box. What has come out of that strategy?
Stefan: I would venture to say that it has worked out quite well. The biggest compliment we received during my presidency is that JLN is now an association you don't talk about, but talk with. That's a piece of professionalism. We now organise the Logistic Speeddate, the JLN Annual Conference, we are attracting more higher education courses and working on connecting with universities. In terms of connecting, we are now working together with parties such as evofenedex and the Top Sector Logistics. The logistics landscape is quite fragmented, but we have only one interest: putting logistics in the Netherlands on the map. Sharing knowledge and connecting is quite possible.
What are you most proud of?
Stefan: The team of JLN, consisting of the regional ambassadors and the board. When I started, I observed very carefully what everyone was good at. With every position that came open, I thought: what exactly are we looking for in that role? A strong person was then put on it. I am very proud of the team that is now in place and that Melvin will lead. Everyone works from intrinsic motivation, whereas before it was: this is your job profile and this is what you are supposed to do.
How did JLN end up with Melvin as your successor?
Stefan: Melvin has been with active JLN for three years as region ambassador South. He managed to put the region on the map with his proactive attitude. He succeeded in bringing the right parties to the table and properly propagating the importance of logistics in the South region and throughout the Netherlands. I am sure he will take JLN to the next level.
Melvin: I didn't have to think about it for long. After three years as region ambassador, I thought it would be nice to get a broader perspective and be able to mean more to the logistics sector.
Developing our sustainable future, that's the new theme within your chairmanship, Melvin. What is meant by that?
Melvin: We want to create a future-proof association. JLN has made a name for itself in recent years. I want to maintain and build on that. To do that, we use 3 pillars: Connection, variety and friends in logistics. Connection refers to the connection with other parties within the logistics landscape. Variety refers to the young people we attract, from higher education to university students and young professionals. Previously, we were mainly focused on college students doing logistics courses. We are now going to expand that. Students from IT courses may also have a future in logistics, or schoolchildren who have not yet made a choice at all about their further education.
Friends hits on the added value we want to provide for young people. How are we going to make sure we are a great club for someone from both logistics and IT? Every member should be able to develop themselves through our platform.
How is the young logistics guy actually doing? Recent news suggests that companies are eager for young talent.
Melvin: Things are indeed going very well for young people in logistics. Companies are continuously improving their (IT) processes and young people can play an important role in this.
Stefan: Young people have a certain schwung and entrepreneurial spirit compared to their older colleagues. They start their careers full of energy and do things because they like it and want to make a difference. Therein also lies a challenge: older workers have a different attitude to this, creating a generation gap. Young and old need to learn to work together.
Melvin: By the way, that does not mean that older workers can only learn from young talent. Young people sometimes tend to overestimate themselves, only to hit a wall and become demotivated. In this, young and older people can actually reinforce each other.
Is that also where JLN's right to exist?
Melvin: Yes, we want to look for that connection between young and old. But we also want to connect young people among themselves. Among our members, we have students on the one hand and young professionals on the other. With students, we notice that they are looking for the logistics direction that suits them. For young professionals, they like to spar with their peers, exchange information and uncover challenges. We want to organise more activities for them, to share knowledge and help each other along the way.
Then there is the Logistic Speeddate on 22 May. Students and young professionals can get an interview with a large number of companies in one afternoon. What exactly does such a day entail?
Stefan: This event clearly shows JLN's added value. We put talents in touch with potential employers. Students and graduates can talk to companies such as Picnic, Yacht, Defence, CEVA, XPO, Manhattan Associates,DHL, Dimensys, Inther Group and Louwman in a few hours.
The event is not only about finding work, but especially about development. Students and young professionals can attend workshops from Yacht, the KennisDC and the Topsector Logistiek. Entrepreneur and trainer Justin Junier will come and talk about his young career and the development he has gone through. During a festive closing, I will hand over the chairmanship baton to Melvin. He will share his vision with those present and take JLN further towards a sustainable future.
Interested in the Logistics Speeddate? Find more info here.
Pictured: Melvin de Kok (l) and Stefan Kleijngeld (r)
