Lucas Vos steps down as FloraHolland CEO

Lucas Vos, CEO of Royal FloraHolland, has decided to step down. In his place, the Supervisory Board will appoint Steven van Schilfgaarde, currently CFO of the cooperative, as new Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2018.

Lucas Vos: "I enjoyed the past four years, and I'm very proud of what we've achieved. Together with growers, customers and employees, we've made the ornamental industry stronger. I got a lot of energy out of walking through the auction halls with our dedicated employees, or through the greenhouses, to get a sense of the passion growers have for their trade. We've seen a lot of great developments. At times we had to make tough decisions, but always with the interest of the cooperative firmly in mind. We're on the right track, but we're not there yet. So why this decision? The phase Royal FloraHolland finds itself in at the moment, is one of operationalization. This requires a different type of leadership. So I decided to leave. It's good for Royal FloraHolland, and for myself. I will miss the passionate people in this industry immensely."



Jack Goossens, chairman of the Supervisory Board: "These past four years, Lucas Vos brought people together and provided guidance in a time when it was needed. This was of great value to the cooperative. Lucas doesn't see himself as the designated person when it comes to implementing the strategy, and he steps aside in favor of a new CEO. Hats off to him for that, both as a leader and as a person."

"With Royal FloraHolland, we're now entering a phase in which we need to focus on our core activities, and swift implementation is necessary. More than ever, it's necessary for us to reinforce the cooperative, and to involve the members in a more contemporary way. In addition, we're focusing on the day-to-day service. The industry is digitizing rapidly, and we see a natural role there for Royal FloraHolland. People expect that from us, and rightly so. By appointing Steven van Schilfgaarde, we're going for continuity and vigor. Steven has shown he possesses the right qualities to make our strategy a success, and he's able to do this with the necessary speed. He knows the organization from the inside, so he'll be off to a flying start."

Steven van Schilfgaarde: "Royal FloraHolland fulfills a unique role as a cooperative, and I see a lot of potential for a great future. By working together in the ornamental industry, growth is possible for everyone, and together we'll be able to supply the entire world with flowers and plants. We're creating an independent digital trade platform for our members and their clients, focusing on solving problems at the grower. We organize the logistics in the marketplace, ensuring optimal pricing and growth. Things are evolving quickly, and we as a cooperative need to be at the forefront in designing and using new possibilities. That also means we need to choose, focus on core activities, in order to generate the necessary speed in our evolution."

The Royal FloraHolland works council was asked for advice on the appointment. Royal FloraHolland will divulge information on the succession chief financial officer at a later stage.

source: Royal FloraHolland