Gerben Willems
Senior Partner
Before joining Gilde, Gerben founded Triacta, an investment fund, where he was the Managing Partner for 12 years. Prior to this, he was an investment manager at H2 Equity Partners. Gerben was also founder and CEO of Cycleon, a leading European Reverse Logistics business active in more than 25 countries, and which was subsequently acquired by an American private equity fund. Gerben started his professional career as a consultant at McKinsey & Company in the Benelux. Gerben has an MBA from INSEAD and an MSc in Aerospace Engineering from Delft University of Technology.
Direct
+31 30 760 5921
Interview
Why did you choose private equity?
"After I graduated from university, I started out as a consultant and then founded a company where I was CEO and then successfully sold the company to private equity. Whereas consulting is mostly analytical and advisory, founding and running a business is much more operational. Because I enjoy both, private equity is a perfect fit as it requires knowledge of all these skills. I enjoy working closely with ambitious entrepreneurs and helping them to unlock growth and success in their businesses."
What attracted you to Gilde?
"Gilde is an investor that works with entrepreneurs to achieve mutual success, complementing each other and creating a partnership which respects what each side brings to the table in skills and experience. Gilde's track record and network are second to none. Gilde also employs passionate and friendly professionals."
What do you admire in entrepreneurs?
"The courage to start, take risks, persevere despite setbacks, all whilst remaining flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances. I became an entrepreneur shortly after my studies and recognize all these attributes from my own experience. Working with entrepreneurs feels very natural to me and is a privilege to do so as an investor."
