What does Moving Forward mean to you?
 

To me, Moving Forward is the only way. In business and in life. If you stop moving, you stop growing. And when that happens, things start to decline, whether it’s a relationship, a project, or a company.

I’ve never been someone who sticks to the status quo. I need new input, new challenges, different kinds of sports, different ways of thinking. That’s what helps me improve.

At Berghof Membranes, it’s the same mindset: we have to look ahead and ask ourselves what the company should look like in a few years. One foot always in the future. That’s how we stay prepared.

What helps you switch off and recharge?

Sports are my reset button. I usually train around five days a week. It depends on the season. In winter I run or go to the gym. And when the weather is good, I’m out on the water paddling or bodyboarding. I need variety. It keeps me balanced.

And I’m also a passionate reader, especially sci-fi and fantasy. Sci-fi, in particular, builds a bridge to real life. It confronts you with ideas you won’t find in non-fiction. Many books explore politics, society, philosophy, and even the future of AI. They push boundaries and offer new ways of seeing the world, which I really appreciate.

When you look at your eight years at Berghof: what stands out?

It’s not one big moment. It’s the whole evolution. When I look at our teams in Spain, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Germany, I see alignment and consistency. That tells me people feel happy here. And that matters.

Just like running a marathon: the race day is nice, but the real story is in the months of training. Growth happens over time, not in a single moment.

What do you value most when working with others?

To me, a strong team works a bit like a hive. Everyone has their own autonomy and knows their role. But we’re all moving towards a shared goal.

That’s exactly how we approach things at Berghof Membranes. Different people, different strengths, but aligned on where we want to go. And that’s also what Moving Forward means: individual contribution, collective direction, and steady progress as one company.

What book has inspired you? And why?

“Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card. It teaches so many lessons about strategy, growth, empathy, and seeing situations from different angles.

Ender’s journey shows that strength isn’t about winning. It’s about understanding others, even those who seem completely different. The idea that you can only truly understand someone if you’re willing to see the world through their eyes really resonated with me.

Another favorite is “Children of Time” by Adrian Tchaikovsky. That book shifts how you think about reality by showing the world through a completely different species. That’s what I like about sci-fi. You open the book, and you never know what kind of ideas you’re about to discover.