A special farewell reception for former managing director Hein van Ameijden

Outgoing Managing Director Hein van Ameijden is not a fan of traditional receptions, so at his official farewell he chose to put together his own programme. Rather than rows of handshakes, there were presentations on the current situation in Ukraine and key geopolitical developments. And instead of gifts, he asked his guests to make a donation to the ‘Damen Helps’ Foundation. In the presence of Hein’s family, the Damen family, and other valued contacts and (former) colleagues, a fitting farewell was bid to Hein.

Master of Ceremonies Richard Keulen welcomed the guests and first gave the floor to Damen Shipyards Group CEO Arnout Damen who thanked Hein for his commitment. “You have made the company a serious global player and we count ourselves lucky that you are not letting go of Damen quite yet. It’s great that you are staying on for a few more years to help and guide us.”

Hein had invited two speakers, including Professor Jonathan Holslag who talked about the geopolitical situation in Europe and the threats and challenges we can expect from Asia and Africa this century. He ruefully admitted that his speech would probably not contribute to a festive atmosphere, but he was grateful to Hein for the chance to share his views. “Hein and I go way back. I remember the first discussions on the rise of China that we had over a decade ago. I always enjoyed our exchanges immensely and learned a lot about the maritime business.”

In his presentation, Professor Holslag warned that that the war in Ukraine is not an isolated conflict, but the vanguard of a new world order in which the days of Western dominance are over. He noted that, despite the many indications, Europe had been too passive in the run-up to the Russian attack on Ukraine and warned that it was now essential not to underestimate the threats from China and Africa in the same way.

The second speaker, Olena Zhukova, Director of the Ukrainian Damen company Marine Design Engineering Mykolayiv (MDEM), spoke about her company and what the impact of the Russian invasion has been on her country, but especially on MDEM employees. She showed an impactful film in which colleagues shared their experiences and showed their resilience and fighting spirit. There was also a brief reflection on the five MDEM staff who have joined the armed forces, including colleague Volodymyr Kyselov, who died in March 2022. “We fight, we struggle, and we will win. It is a matter of pride. I believe our country will survive and I hope we can soon get back to doing what we love: building ships,” Olena concluded.

After the presentations, it was up to Kommer Damen to bring some levity back to the reception. He talked about the strong bond between the Damen and Van Ameijden families and expressed his admiration for Hein’s work since he joined the company in 2000. “You joined us just after we took over De Schelde from the Dutch State and it was clear that the State was no longer responsible for filling the entire order book. Thank you for everything you have done for Damen. You put your whole heart and soul into it and saw the chance to build a team that is very successful. Thank you for that.”

As a surprise to Hein, his two daughters Sabine and Catherine also came on stage, briefly threatening to show a slide show containing an ‘ABC poem’ where each letter would describe their admiration for their father. To Hein’s intense relief, that turned out to be a joke and they limited themselves to expressing their thanks for the life Hein and his wife Kyong Ok have created for them, and for their unconditional love. “We have learned to work hard, to follow your heart and do what you love, to always be honest, to stand up for yourself as well as others and to enjoy the big and also the small things in life,” said Sabine in a joint speech full of funny anecdotes. She concluded with: “To put it bluntly: ‘Dad, we are super-proud of you’.”

Finally, Hein presented a €8,895 cheque for the ‘Damen Helps’ Foundation to Annelies Damen. The foundation raises funds to provide financial and operational support to Damen employees and their families, who are in or affected by a crisis. Currently, the foundation has already evacuated more than 1,400 people from Ukraine to Poland and Romania and provided them with shelter, expert care, education, et cetera. “I hate doing charity at other people’s expense, but I think everyone understands in this case; Olena’s film says it all.”

Watch Olena Zhukova’s film below.
More information about the ‘Damen Helpt’ Foundation can be found here: www.damen.com/companies/damenhelpt
Should you wish to make a donation to the Damen Helpt Foundation, you can do so via the page or via bank account number: NL43 ABNA 0109890310 in the name of Damen Helpt.