Young Vebego is writing its own chapter in the Vebego story
Eighteen years ago, we founded Young Vebego with the goal of ensuring that young talent feels connected to Vebego and contributes to our future. Since then, this community has grown into a place where young talent meet, exchange ideas, develop new perspectives and build Vebego’s story together. In doing so, they strengthen not only their own development, but also the organisation. Stijn Gehlen, chair of Young Vebego, explains the steps it took in 2025.
2025 marked Young Vebego’s first steps on the international stage. In addition to the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland now also have their own Young Vebego groups. Each has its own budget and organises activities, such as workshops on personal leadership, collaboration and team roles. There is also a strong sense of connection emerging across countries. A highlight was the international Young Vebego event in the Netherlands in September 2025. Colleagues from different countries came together at castle Cortenbach in Voerendaal to share experiences, develop ideas and get to know one another. ‘It’s really cool that we managed to bring young professionals from four countries together in one place,’ says Stijn. ‘We felt it straight away: this is the start of something bigger.’ The plan now is to hold a similar event every year, hosted by a different country.
Group selfie by Ton Goedmakers and Stijn Gehlen at the international Young Vebego event
A unique story within Vebego
‘We realised just how strong the need is for a voice of our own,’ emphasises Stijn. ‘We’re building on Vebego’s story, but we’re also writing our own chapter. That journey really began in 2025. We’re developing our own: who we really are and how we fit into and contribute to Vebego’s story. This Vebego-wide superpower fits perfectly with the role of Young Vebego. Young people are looking for meaning in their work. The idea of doing something positive together for colleagues, customers and society really resonates with them. It’s often the small things that make the biggest difference.’
Shadow Board
Young Vebego gives young colleagues a platform to share ideas and bring fresh perspectives to the table – working together on organisational challenges and engaging in dialogue with Vebego leaders. ‘We wanted to find a way to structurally give young colleagues a seat at the boardroom table,’ explains Stijn. ‘This led to the idea of a Shadow Board: a group of young colleagues who contribute ideas, bring in new insights and help make decisions on strategic themes. We've seen a similar setup at one of our partners in our NextGen network. Their young professionals are occasionally invited to join board meetings and share their views on certain topics. We’re building something along the same lines.’
Going the extra mile
The Young Vebego network relies entirely on the voluntary commitment of young colleagues, alongside their day-to-day work. Recruiting new members remains a challenge. Following a dip in membership, the network recovered in 2025. ‘It does require you to go the extra mile alongside your work. We take that into account when planning events, workshops and other meetings. We’re ambitious and keen to grow, but also realistic: Young Vebego shouldn’t come at the expense of your free time. At the same time, it offers real value.’ Through Young Vebego, Stijn and the other young professionals get to have one-to-one discussions with senior management about strategy, something they’d otherwise probably only do much later in their career.
Connection in 2026
Following a year of growth and international expansion, Stijn is already looking ahead. ‘For me, 2026 is all about connection: between young professionals, across Vebego companies and between the four countries. But above all, it’s about the connection between the ‘People at their Best’ strategy and the shop floor – in other words, between management and young professionals. We want to give young colleagues a voice and help them find their place within Vebego. By strengthening that connection, we can contribute even more to Vebego’s broader story.’