Hendrik Winkelmans

Speaker
Dutch
English
Photo of Hendrik Winkelmans

Who is Hendrik Winkelmans?

Hendrik is an entrepreneur and former lawyer and McKinsey consultant. By bike! (B) and Hans Struijk (NL), he was able - together with his wife Catherine - to establish two market leaders in bicycle retail in the Benelux within just six years. Winkelmans was literally true to his name (winkel: shop) as he went from one bicycle store to the other, and ended up as CEO of a chain that employed 250 people.

In 2017, he sold his flourishing company in order to coach young entrepreneurs and invest in their companies. Hendrik talks about entrepreneurship and innovation with passion and honesty, and is particularly inspirational for start-ups, scale-ups or mature companies that are looking for a boost.

Hendrik Winkelmans is also a speaker and panel member concerning entrepreneurship and is always aware of the latest developments. He speaks with a lot of passion and knowledge, but is also very honest about entrepreneurship and innovation. He is familiar with the ‘gilded cage’ of senior management, the obstacles presented by large structures and the importance of self-knowledge and modesty as entrepreneur.

  • Tips & pitfalls for entrepreneurs

    Management

    Hendrik has been an entrepreneur for ten years. His knowledge doesn’t come from a book; it is just an honest testimony about what worked for him and about his personal findings. This testimony is not just the Excel and PowerPoint side of the story. People normally manage this themselves and there are plenty of courses on it. But the main questions are:
    - When do you stop analysing and actually start acting?
    - How do you achieve something tangible instead of the Pulitzer prize for a fantastic plan?
    - How can you safeguard your ego if your plan becomes a laughing stock?
    - How can get your team on board?
    - How can you remain creative - at the start but also as things progress?
    - How do you get your family and surroundings ‘on board’?
    - What is risk? What is the worst thing that can happen?

  • How do you upscale a promising company?

    Management

    Starting a company is the easy part. You are small, everyone knows everyone else and there is a family atmosphere. With some luck, you earn a little bit of money and everyone feels like a pioneer. But you want more and the team also wants more. You are ambitious and your idea is successful. So why not grow 10-fold? The scale-up phase.

    This is where many good ideas and companies run aground. Hendrik uses his experience to help you:
    - How do you create structures and processes that allow you to manage hundreds of people?
    - What systems and organisation do you need?
    - How do you retain a pioneering culture, while you are really the market leader and (relatively) large?
    - Is this something for the same team? Do you develop the people you started off with? Or do you need new blood?
    - What role do you play as entrepreneur? Do you know yourself well enough to do this?

Photo of Hendrik Winkelmans
Photo of Hendrik Winkelmans

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