Ten years as director: Arjan looks back and forward

A new direction

Arjan came to Poelmann van den Broek by chance. "I had closed the door behind me at the last leasing company. Then I came across a vacancy in the newspaper for the position of director at a law firm. I thought: it's a different service, but still service. It's all about customers and customer satisfaction. So I just called."

That leap of faith turned out to be a good move. What struck him immediately was the atmosphere within the office: casual, with many young people, humor and commitment. It made him feel at home and that feeling is still there after ten years. What drives him is the collaboration with others and the opportunity to make people grow: "I get energy out of facilitating something that makes someone else blossom, and fortunately I'm in the position to do just that."

The starting phase

The first period at PvdB was mostly searching for his place. "I think a number of people found it quite a gamble: 'He probably has no idea what a dossier is and doesn't know any legal terms either, so that's quite a risk.' But there were also a number of people who just thought, 'Yes, that's exactly what we want.'"

Confidence in him as a director grew quickly, even during a difficult phase. "Pretty soon we had a difficult year when a partner and also co-director left. That was exciting, because how do you keep the peace within the office? For me, that was a baptism of fire of sorts, but also confirmation that colleagues were behind me."

Defining moments

Important steps followed in the years that followed. Arjan calls the office move from St. Canisiussingel to Wijchenseweg crucial. "In the old building, everyone was secluded in their own little office, so interaction was limited. Very luxurious of course, but in my opinion deadly for cooperation. Thanks to the open workplaces in the new building, people meet each other much more easily."

Another big step was the opening of the Amsterdam branch. "We've been there for over a year now. I am 100% convinced that many customers have really come to us because they have seen that we are in Amsterdam. However, it is important that the connection between Nijmegen and Amsterdam remains good and that you don't create two islands. We want to be one office with two branches."

An office in motion

In recent years, not only the location changed, but also the culture of the office. "We are a different office than we were ten years ago. There is much more openness and vulnerability," Arjan said.

In this, Arjan himself tries to set a good example. "You don't always have to act tough here and say that things are going well. You can also say you did something stupid. Well, I think I do that too sometimes. That's not a bad thing at all. It just makes you stronger."

The strength of Poelmann van den Broek

What distinguishes Poelmann van den Broek from other firms? According to Arjan, it is mainly the way we work. "We do many things that we ourselves consider normal, but which are not at all obvious at other firms. For example, we approach clients proactively. Then you often hear: 'How nice that a law firm calls us, that's not at all common.'"

Looking Ahead

Arjan enjoys working in an environment where people want to get ahead. "That makes me better myself." So for the coming years, he sees many opportunities, including in the field of artificial intelligence. "AI is really going to have an impact. The challenge is that we use it in a positive way so that the customer also benefits."

In addition, diversity and inclusiveness remains an important issue. "Being a reflection of society is more important than ever. Both for the client and the office," says Arjan.

On to 50 years of the PvdB

Next year, Poelmann van den Broek will celebrate its 50th anniversary. A special moment for Arjan personally: "The fact that we have had satisfied clients for fifty years makes me proud. I think pride is a key factor. If you work here and you can't be, something is not right."

But how do you stay successful? According to Arjan, mainly by staying close to yourself: "We should not, because we have been in business for 50 years, suddenly start behaving differently from the way we were raised. We should just stay 'normal', but keep doing special things. Then I think we'll be just fine."

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