‘I’m glad to work in an environment with so many versatile, interesting people who are the core of our business’

As the cover of this Fortify reveals, NLO celebrates its 130th anniversary this year. This is truly a milestone and I am proud to be part of a firm with such an amazing history and exciting future. We will mark this jubilee with a range of activities. Although the activities are diverse, they are linked by a common theme: the strength of our people. Or, to put it more precisely, their resilience; their capacity to bring about change and adapt to new situations. So the main act in our celebrations will be the NLO employees themselves.

This Fortify features the stories of eight of my colleagues. Highly appreciated professionals with a big heart for our firm. However, and this may come as a surprise, intellectual property is not their sole passion. They get their energy from diving, caring for cats or expressing their creativity on stage or through crafts and this makes them people with a heart and soul. These are just eight of the stories that make me glad to work in an environment with so many versatile, interesting people who are the core of our business.

Any organisation that’s been around for 130 years has seen and experienced a great deal. While the past isn't something we want to dwell on, it has made us what we are today. So, if you can spare a minute, take some time to read our ‘Throwback Thursdays’ series on our LinkedIn company page. These posts honour everyone who's been part of NLO from 1888 to present day. People who've literally seen the world change and have taken these changes on board... or even helped make them happen.

On a more personal note, this past July I joined the NLO Management Team. I have played my part in the latest 10% of the firm’s history, at a time when NLO employees have adapted quickly and enthusiastically to a digitalizing world – a concept that was not around when I grew up. And we are still adapting. In my new role I hope to help accommodate the changes at NLO that are yet to come. I am confident that I will continue to be joined by a very big group of enthusiastic, versatile and highly creative colleagues, all of whom have their own stories. Indeed, it is they who will make it all happen. And I am certain that is what people will see when looking back 130 years from now!

René van Duijvenbode
Managing Partner NLO