Jack den Hartogh retired
Friday 31st December 2010 was Jack den Hartogh’s last working day. He thought it was time to leave the company he loves so well after 45 years and 7 months.
On 10th December 2010 a reception was held where all colleagues, relations and acquaintances said goodbye to our Jack den Hartogh.
Pieter den Hartogh wrote the following in Inside Magazine:
I, together with you all, have worked with Jack for a long time and you know that he has mixed feelings about the decision he made to give up his direct management responsibilities within the Group.
Mixed feelings, because on the one hand he is well aware that it is good to make room for a new generation with different, perhaps even better, ideas and that it is nice to have more free time to spend with your loved ones and to undertake things because it is still physically and financially possible.
On the other hand, because you leave things behind and perhaps feel like you are letting people down, which are dear to you and to which you have devoted all your energy and attention during a major part of your life. Facilitating growth, supervising projects and initiating technical innovations are just a few of these things. And last but not least, of course, the cooperation with colleagues, in which mutual respect and striving for the best solutions were always paramount.
What I personally regarded, and still regard, as an especially strong quality of Jack is his power to adapt to the changing circumstances and the new needs for leadership of the organisation through the years; if we look around us, that is not a matter of course!
Therefore I am not worried that he will also manage to adjust to the leisure time that is ahead of him and that he will find a way to spend it well and meaningfully. As we used to say to each other: “Better to have dreamed about something and carried it out many times, than to say afterwards: If only I had …”.
Jack, I wish you a fantastic time in which you seize the opportunity to do the things you want to do (so come on and drive that Silk Road!!).
Moreover: we have agreed that for a number of special projects you will gladly make your knowledge and skills available to the company.
So: see you later, and not goodbye!
Pieter den Hartogh
