He had his own cremation “arranged down to the last detail”, he said in 2017 in his garden in Bilthoven in conversation with NRC† “You can’t write this down,” he said with a mischievous smile, “but I’m speaking at my own funeral. I’ve already recorded it.”
His cremation had to be a “celebration”, according to Mickey Huibregtsen, the former CEO of McKinsey and former chairman of the sports umbrella organization NOC*NSF. He was “grateful and happy” for the time left to him after narrowly surviving acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2007.
He passed away last week at the age of 82 after a short illness at home in Bilthoven, surrounded by his family. For more than 65 years Huibregtsen was together with Truusje, whom he had met in secondary school. They had two daughters and a son, ten grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mickey Huibregtsen was born on January 26, 1940 in Rotterdam, the son of a general practitioner. At that time his name was still Frederik Wouter. Because in international business Wouter was corrupted into Walter, which at the time – he was born just before the Second World War – was quite sensitive. That’s why he let himself be called Mickey, after the nickname he had at home.
He graduated cum laude in technical and theoretical mechanics from TU Delft, was an officer in the navy (lieutenant commander, third class). At the age of 30, he joined the McKinsey organization agency, where he would remain until 1999. From 1986 to 1995 he was the chief executive of the Dutch branch.
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In his nearly thirty years at McKinsey, he advised virtually every major corporation, as well as the government and countless charitable organizations. According to Pieter Winsemius, the later minister who worked with him for a long time, Huibregtsen was “the best analyst” he knew, for whom a problem could not be difficult enough.
Huibregtsen was very active in society, he was constantly analyzing how society – in all its facets – could be improved. And he didn’t hesitate to share his findings and recommendations with anyone who would listen. He founded movements such as MaatschapWij and de Publieke Zaak. He has also written several books, including: Management Made Simple in 2017. He felt, he said, a moral obligation to pass on his knowledge.
His grandchildren, whom he affectionately called the ‘Hubies’, could also count on grandfather’s advice. As soon as they were old enough, Huibregtsen treated them to a dinner where he handed over the ‘life lessons for Hubies’: a document with tips for life. Including: ‘Be courteous to fellow road users.’
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of May 28, 2022