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Damen Naval personnel bid farewell to outgoing Managing Director Hein van Ameijden and welcomed his successor Roland Briene during the Christmas party at De Lasloods. It was the first time since 2019 that a Christmas party could once again be held and the end of the year was celebrated in festive fashion with live music, a laser show, an extensive buffet of delicious snacks and, in line with the party theme, lots of ugly Christmas outfits.
Hein van Ameijden handed out Christmas parcels together with his wife Kyong Ok.
On 1 January 2023, Hein handed over the Damen Naval baton to Roland and his farewell was celebrated at the start of the evening. Hein thanked the colleagues present and joked: “I can’t actually do anything; welding is not my forte and I can’t build a ship. Nevertheless, I have managed to guard that secret and I am proud to have been able to work for you.” He added: “We stand on the shoulders of our predecessors and all the generations before us have made what we are doing now possible. That is important to recognise. To the older colleagues, I would ask them to help the younger ones as much as possible. To the younger ones, I would ask not to be afraid to ask for things. That way, we can help each other.”
Roland, who had donned his Christmas suit for the occasion, said it was appropriate that the Christmas party could finally go ahead after two long corona years, so the staff could say goodbye to Hein. “Since he announced his farewell in August, we have worked quite closely on the handover. Fortunately, he is not yet leaving us completely and remains available for advice and counsel.” He also urged everyone to come to the New Year reception on 9 January. “I think that is better since my new plans will not be taken seriously in this outfit,” he said.
Hein was presented with a steel artwork that showed the silhouettes of all the ships delivered since 2004.
There were also speeches from MT member Jean-Paul Claassen and Works Council chair Annemarie Ruitenberg. Jean-Paul thanked Hein for his humour, ability to listen and his vision. “Whether it was about football and Formula 1 or systems engineering and diesel engines, you always had a vision and an opinion and you were always right. You set the bar high and earned the respect of your entire team.” Annemarie praised Hein for his openness in working with the OR. “You always told it like it is, and you really stood up for the employees. We are going to miss your humour and especially the profit shares. We can’t do without you, but are going to try anyway.”
Finally, Hein was presented with a gift on behalf of the staff. Roland: “You were recently asked what your favourite ship is from your time at Damen Naval and you replied that they are all equally dear to you. With this gift, we want to thank you for your leadership, vision and humour. It is the silhouettes of all the ships delivered since 2004. And now it is time to party!”
This was the first time the Damen Naval Christmas party was held at an external venue. The Lasloods was chosen and it turned out to be a great success. The 800+ partygoers were entertained with a photobooth, a magician, a DJ and music by The Big Swingers band. Judging from the many positive reactions during and after, it was a successful party.
