Mathijs van Meer

Entrepreneurship – in the broadest sense of the word – is about as good as it gets for me. It’s all about the mindset, putting an objective at the heart of things, with positivity and passion. In that kind of context, work becomes much more than just work. Having grown up in an entrepreneurial environment, I was bitten by this particular bug at a relatively early age. Just a single door separated our house from my parents’ company, so I suppose you could say I’ve experienced all facets of entrepreneurship from up close. The challenges, the good times and the not-so-good times. For as long as I can remember, I have felt engaged and keen to make my mark.

Gilde puts entrepreneurship on a pedestal, making it the best place I can think of for doing this kind of work. We experience all conceivable facets of entrepreneurship here, up close, and very personal. It’s also our responsibility to identify sound entrepreneurship and create the optimum conditions to take things to a higher level. Accompanying a company to that next level gives me so much satisfaction.

My family has always played a key role in my life, which is why I moved back to Rotterdam a few years ago. Alongside my family and work, I love playing sports. I’ve done several triathlons these past few years and I’ve also started playing soccer again with a team of old friends. Every year, I look for a great physical challenge, such as a city swim or marathon. I’m lucky in this respect that our offices are in Houten, because there couldn’t be a better environment for doing a few training laps in the morning.