Jan-Hein, Marieke and Willem recently lost their father, Jan Schouten, founder of Schouten & Nelissen. They have been running the family business as a trio for three years now. "We've shaken it up quite a bit."

In the interview with Elsevier Weekblad, they discuss the death of their father in more detail. Even though Jan Schouten has hardly come to the office for years, his soul and spirit are still in the company. But they also look to the future, because what vision do they envision for Schouten & Nelissen?

Jan Schouten founded Schouten & Nelissen in 1980 together with Boris Nelissen. As a psychologist with a PhD, Jan was somewhat known in those days for his TV program on AVRO, in which he wanted to make the Dutch more assertive. People should say 'no' more often, also to their boss. Schouten & Nelissen therefore started with assertiveness training.

Boris Nelissen left after a few years and Jan pioneered. Numerous courses and training courses in personal and professional development followed. He started publishing company Thema, launched products for human resources departments and even went international. Today, no fewer than nine companies are part of Schouten & Nelissen: Uitgeverij Thema, SUAS, New Heroes, Competence, Realise, Relevance and New Dawn. All with their own directors.

Jan-Hein, Willem and Marieke have always had plenty of time to walk and discover their own paths, but are extremely proud that they have been leading the family business as a trio for three years now. If there's one thing their father instilled in them, it's confidence.

Of course, the trio also looks to the future. With a complete rebranding of Schouten & Nelissen behind them, they are preparing for rapid growth. Organizations fight for staff. Offering education and training is a weapon in that battle. And then there is the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. In a few years some jobs will no longer exist. Then there are new jobs that require different competencies. You have to prepare people for the future and we at Schouten & Nelissen are happy to contribute to that.

Will the children of Jan-Hein, Marieke and Willem eventually also become curious about a role within the family business? Time will tell. It should come naturally. Or not. It's always good.

Curious about the entire interview with Elsevier Weekblad? You can read the entire interview here.