Endinet, a Dutch powergrid company born in 2009 of a three-way merger between NRE, Obragas and Net Haarlemmermeer, joined Alliander a year later and became part of the largest network company in the Netherlands.
Leading the company from the front is Paulus Beurskens, who, since his appointment in 2010, has instrumented a company-wide transformation and worked dilligently to improve Endinet’s results and corporate culture. The philosophy behind the transition is to change the business by altering how it is run: by linking change and transition with achieving business goals, the power of change has been fundamentally embedded in the DNA of the company.
When Beurskens first took charge, he was faced with a company that had little in the way of strategic clarity, and so the most important task for him in the initial stages was to win back the trust of all stakeholders. Endinet’s employees have since played a critical part in the company’s transformation, and Beurskens has taken the utmost care to abide by the highest standards of transparency.
“I wanted to focus on the core of the business – put people in a position where they could do their jobs and take responsibility”, said Beurskens, in an interview with CEO Magazine. “They experienced a period where that just wasn’t the case. I promised them transparency and consistency in word and action. That was the first step to create a great company again and to improve morale. As a CEO, co-workers need to trust and
believe you. Being transparent in what you’re doing tremendously helps this process.”
Beurskens’ background in logistics and management has helped a great deal in this transformation, and his intention has always been to get the best out of his staff. Having invested a lot of time and money in the people at Endinet, the hope for the future is that operational and financial results continue in much the same vein as they have done under Beurskens’ leadership.