Ronald Goedmakers steps down from Vebego Board of Directors
Dutch family company Vebego Group announces that Ronald Goedmakers has decided to step down from the Board of Directors on 1 February 2024. From 2006 to 2021, Ronald was CEO of Vebego. He will join the Supervisory Board in October 2024. In addition, Vebego decided to simplify its top management structure and create a Strategic Leadership Team, consisting of Mark van Haasteren (COO BE/NL), Markus Breithaupt (COO DACH), Poléanne Vluggen (CPCO), Sirka Hintze (CVO) and Ton Goedmakers (CEO).
Ronald started his career at DSM and joined Vebego in 1988. After a number of management positions at various Vebego companies, he was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2000, with the international cleaning activities as his portfolio. He is the initiator of the focus on four countries instead of the twelve that Vebego was active in at the time; a transition which lasted from 2001 to 2014. This has been the starting point for further growth and the basis for our current strategic direction. Under his leadership, Vebego has become even more of a people company, dedicated to creating meaningful jobs. Ronald has been CEO from 2006 to 2021, when he passed on the baton to Ton Goedmakers. Since then, he has been the ad interim CFO until Sirka Hintze was appointed and a member of the Board of Directors. Ronald will join Vebego’s Supervisory Board in October 2024. This will allow Vebego to continue to benefit from his vast experience and knowledge of our activities and markets.
Ronald Goedmakers: 'I am grateful for having had the opportunity to contribute to the growth and development of Vebego in the past 36 years. We have just gone through another huge and successful transition, creating a strong foundation for the future, in which I expect Vebego to continue to increase its impact and business success. It is great to see that two of my three children are now part of the third generation of the Goedmakers family within the company. For me, this is a good time to now transfer my responsibilities to the new team. I have great confidence in their leadership as well as in the commitment and enthusiasm of every member of the Vebego family.'
Ton Goedmakers: 'I want to thank Ronald for his vision and leadership, with which he took Vebego forward after my father handed over responsibility as a CEO to him in 2006. Ronald has made Vebego into the company it is today; a strong and international organisation with nearly 40,000 colleagues, where the warmth of our family culture has remained, and where we have never lost sight of our purpose: Meaningful jobs, Great work, Better world. I am very pleased that he decided to join the Supervisory Board from October 2024, so that we still benefit from his knowledge, experience and wisdom after his resignation.’
Top management structure
Three years ago, Vebego Group decided on a major transition. From many different medium-sized companies in four countries, eleven large companies have emerged in four segments: cleaning, healthcare, facility management and landscaping. They all operate as strong, independent companies within the group structure, with an emphasis on achieving meaningful impact and business success.
This transition implies a different role and structure of Vebego Group as a holding company. The group will have a clear and fully international focus:
- Providing a strategic and financial framework, to ensure continuity;
- Strengthening the Vebego culture, impact and brand;
- Encouraging and maintaining entrepreneurship within the Vebego companies.
As a result, the Vebego Group top management structure will be simplified, which up until now consisted of the Executive Board and the Board of Directors. This structure will cease to exist, and be replaced by a Strategic Leadership Team to lead Vebego Group as of 1 January 2024. This team will consist of: Mark van Haasteren (COO BE/NL), Markus Breithaupt (COO DACH), Poléanne Vluggen (CPCO), Sirka Hintze (CVO) and Ton Goedmakers (CEO).
Ronald Goedmakers