Coen van Oostrom (Houten, 1970) earned a fortune in real estate, but is not a “cliché real estate man”, wrote the business magazine Quote in 2017. The “green VVD member”, who prides himself on his sustainable buildings, will be chairman of the VNO-NCW business organization for three years from May 1.
Van Oostrom earned his first money with a newspaper route and with work in the orchards that surrounded Houten, the village of his youth. During his student years in Rotterdam, he gained experience at a real estate company and managed to buy his first property.
He has continued ever since Edge Technologies (formerly OVG) one of the most important real estate companies in the Netherlands. He thinks it’s a shame, he said last year Het Financieele Dagbladthat project developers in the Netherlands have such a bad name. “If I earn a lot from a building, it does not mean that someone else becomes poorer.”
His company also says that it not only wants to make money, but also focuses strongly on sustainability through innovation. Eye-catching buildings are the Maastoren in Rotterdam and ‘The Edge’ on the Amsterdam Zuidas, which was declared the most sustainable office building in the world upon completion in 2015. Edge also built large buildings outside the Netherlands. Van Oostrom is stepping down from the company’s executive board, but he says he will remain involved as a shareholder and non-executive director.
By The Art of the Deal to Al Gore
Van Oostrom’s assets are being passed on Quote now estimated at 385 million euros, good for place 164 on the annual list of wealthy Dutch people. He used that fortune, among other things, to donate money to the VVD, last year 50,000 euros, writes the newspaper. NOS. He never concealed his political and administrative ambitions.
As a youngster, Van Oostrom was inspired by Donald Trump’s real estate classic The Art of the Deal although he doesn’t like Trump’s politics, wrote Quote in 2016. Initially, Van Oostrom was a “climate critic”, he told in 2009 NRC. But after a breakfast in 2006 with Al Gore, American vice president under Bill Clinton and environmental activist, that changed. From that moment on, Van Oostrom was “a green project developer”.
A year later he brought Bill Clinton to Rotterdam for a climate lecture and within the VVD he is known as an important representative of the ‘green-right’ branch. According to former mayor of Rotterdam Ivo Opstelten (VVD), in 2009 against NRCVan Oostrom gave “green thinking a permanent place in the city”. At the time, Opstelten did not rule out that Van Oostrom “will once again make a contribution to public affairs, and perhaps on behalf of the VVD.” In 2016, Van Oostrom said no Quote that he would not say no to a ministerial post in which he can work on urban sustainability.
If I earn a lot from a building, it does not mean that someone else becomes poorer
At VNO-NCW, Van Oostrom looks forward to “working together with entrepreneurs, government and partners for a strong investment climate, a competitive Europe and an economy that continues to innovate,” he writes. LinkedIn. Because especially in times of “major economic and geopolitical challenges.” […] entrepreneurship is more important than ever.” “Companies play a crucial role in innovation, growth, jobs and solving social issues.”
Driven and efficient
He is expected to do this in a driven, sometimes somewhat aggressive style. Competitors and colleagues mentioned efficiency in 2009 NRC already Van Oostrom’s most important strength. Last year he said no himself Het Financieele Dagblad that “every minute has a function.” The books he reads must also have a concrete purpose.
The economy that will be hit hardest by AI is the services sector. The Netherlands is all about a service economy
In the VNO-NCW press release, Van Oostrom writes that the Netherlands has “been putting off important issues for too long.” He said the same thing last year Het Financieele Dagblad. For example in the field of AI: “The economy that will be hit hardest by AI is the service sector. The Netherlands is all service economy. Is anyone thinking about that?”
At the business organization, Van Oostrom succeeds Ingrid Thijssen, who started as chairman of the Executive Board of TU Delft on March 1. She led VNO-NCW for about six years stood out for its explicit support for the sustainability transition.
With Van Oostrom, VNO-NCW itself says it will “continue the course we have set”. Theo Henrar, vice-chairman of VNO-NCW, calls Van Oostrom a new chairman in a press release, who “fits in with a long VNO-NCW tradition, […] who combines entrepreneurial DNA with great social involvement.” He also praises Van Oostrom for his “large international network.”
