Since April 2022, Anita Wetterhahn-Reijnen (62) has been ZON's new Supervisory Board member. With her extensive experience in the Dutch food business, clear vision and open, professional attitude, she can mean a lot to ZON. As a little girl, she brought asparagus and strawberries to the auction with her father and now, as a supervisory director, she brings her experience and expertise to ZON.
After a great career, Anita decided at the age of 60 that it was time for other things. Still, she didn't stop working completely. She accepted a supervisory directorship at Spar in 2020, became a director at Cultura Venray and recently became a supervisory director at ZON. The ZON product is our trump card, according to Anita. ‘I firmly believe that fruit and vegetables are the future. It is very important that we make the right investments now and take steps that ensure a successful future in the long term, for both the growers and the holding company.
Interest of the collective
According to Anita, we must realize that the interests of the collective outweigh those of the individual grower. A strong collective leads to success for all members. In order to be strong as a collective, ZON will have to grow. It is important that our growers see new members not as a threat, but as an asset. After all, it is important for our customers that they are helped with the complete package all year round.' By this, Anita not only refers to expanding the range, but also to developing products with added value, with which ZON can distinguish itself.'
"When you set your own goals, you feel more responsible for them." A bottom-up approach is important in this respect.' Only then will you get everyone on the same page. The MT has written a good business plan, in which ZON's ambitions and strategies are formulated. The great thing is that every MT member translates this to their own department and employees.'
When you set your own goals, you feel more responsible for them.
Crisis or opportunity?
There are now considerable challenges in the field of energy for greenhouse growers in particular. However, with all these challenges there are also opportunities. ‘ZON has everything it takes to seize these opportunities. This is only possible if we dare to take steps and if growers, management and employees have confidence in each other. Of course I understand the growers who are struggling now and may have difficulty with long-term investments. Yet they are necessary. And this means that choices are sometimes made that now seem less interesting, but which are ultimately important for the collective, and therefore also for each of the individual growers.'