Five questions for Hans Zijlstra, the new chairman of Industrial Electronics

Hans Zijlstra is the new chairman of the Industrial Electronics branch. He succeeds Dirk Stans, who will be chairman of FHI as of July 1. Hans is a familiar face to many and it was therefore no surprise that he took over the gavel from Dirk. We asked him five questions about his background and vision for the industry.

Can you tell us a little more about yourself?

My name is Hans, 57 years young and married to Gonda. We live with our two studying sons in Apeldoorn. Most FHI members know me as commercial director of Elincom and subsidiary EEMC. I recently celebrated my 25th anniversary at my employer where I started as a product manager in 1999. That same year I married Gonda and became involved with FHI. So 1999 is a special year for me! In my spare time I like to exercise: I do boot camp, golf, tennis and I run between 15 and 25 kilometers every Sunday.  

Why did you apply for this position?

I had been the vice president of the industry for a while. When it became clear that Dirk was given a different role within FHI, Marc asked if I was interested in becoming the new chairman. I didn't hesitate for a moment.

What appeals to you most about FHI?

First of all, the good atmosphere. It is a real association, so networking and making contact are central. FHI is of the members and for the members. I was struck by that when I first entered the office. It is a completely different dynamic than with a commercial exhibition organization. You speak to people you normally have no contact with, for example because they work at a competitor. This often produces surprising insights. What I also really like about FHI is the practical support in the field of HR, marketing and stock market statistics. That's easy and it saves a lot of time.

What is your fondest FHI memory?

I will never forget the multi-day excursions with FHI members. Of course it is fantastic to participate in a trade fair or event. But if you spend two intensive days together with a small group of like-minded people, it will provide unique experiences that also benefit from a business perspective impact to have. To give an example: in the past, with the DevClub (development club, ed.) we went to a sailing school in Lemmer for two days every year. The first day was all about in-depth exploration and the second day we went sailing together. That was really great. You make friends for life and at the same time you work together on business goals.

What is your vision for the Industrial Electronics industry?   

I would like to see more diversity, both business and human. The FHI branches still function as pillars and that is outdated. In practice, there is often overlap between the different industries, or a company switches industries due to changing business activities. Individual sectors can join in with these developments by working more intensively and tackling projects together.

Diversity is also desirable on a human level. If you go to an AGM or other meeting, you will mainly meet middle-aged white men. You see this not only at FHI, but in the entire electronics sector. It would be nice if there was more variation in gender, age and ethnicity so that you do not always look at a problem or issue from the same perspective. This ultimately creates more involvement and commitment and reach new target groups.

The question is how to achieve this. For example, how do you reach generation Z who do everything online and rarely pick up the phone? You do this by offering more than just organizing fairs and events and by going off the beaten track. We still communicate mainly in the traditional way via trade magazines, mailings and the website. But Generation Z does not read trade magazines or fill out a newsletter form. They communicate through other channels, so we as an association must also be present there. That is what I want to focus on as chairman.