Dirk Stans takes over FHI chairmanship from Willem van Raalte

In an official yet festive gathering at the Van der Valk hotel in Delft, Willem van Raalte said goodbye as chairman of the board of FHI on Thursday. Amid loud applause, he symbolically handed over the gavel to his successor, Dirk Stans. Van Raalte, who is stepping down after a successful eight-year term, expressed his gratitude for the trust he has received in recent years and hopes to remain involved from the sidelines.

Dirk Stans, managing partner at Eurocircuits and chairman of the Industrial Electronics branch within FHI, has been elected by the four branches of FHI to take on the chairmanship for the coming four years. “Willem has functioned with verve in our association for a very long time, and I would like to express my sincere thanks for his efforts. These are literally and figuratively big shoes to fill,” says Stans.

In addition to praising his predecessor, Stans also mentioned his vision for the FHI: “Together we are strong and my promise to our association is that every voice will be heard. What is also very close to my heart and a focus for me was, is and will be, is transforming all our members from customers to active participants. If we all contribute a little bit to the federation, we will become stronger together and we will all move forward. Unity is strength,” Stans concludes. Dirk Stans will officially take office as the new chairman on 1 July 2024. His extensive management experience within FHI, like that of his predecessor, promises a smooth transition and continuity in leadership.

The change of management was celebrated during a network meeting that not only focused on the transfer, but also paid attention to current themes through lectures by two special guests. Jacco Vonhof, chairman of MKB Nederland, spoke about recent developments in The Hague and the business lobby, while Hans-Peter Oskam, director of Netbeheer Nederland, explained the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition and innovation issues.

With this changing of the guard, FHI is taking a new step in its pursuit of innovation and collaboration within the various sectors, and is looking forward with confidence to the future under the leadership of Dirk Stans.