Lidia Drost appointed to the Boer & Croon management board

Jaap Heeringa, Managing Partner Boer & Croon: "A structural focus on HR is of vital importance for the further growth of Boer & Croon. Our people are our capital. We know that all management board decisions have an impact on our employees and having Lidia around the table guarantees that those implications are directly included in the decision-making process. We are therefore delighted that Lidia has accepted our invitation."

Lidia studied General Social Sciences and Policy and Organisational Sociology at Utrecht University. Before she started at Boer & Croon just over four years ago, she worked for eight years as a consultant and then as manager assessment & development at the HR service provider FunktieMediair.

Lidia joined Boer & Croon in May 2017 as Talent Manager. In that role, she was co-designer for the renewed and successful Young Executives proposition. Young professionals follow a three-year trajectory in which they work for various clients and also follow an extensive Management Development programme that includes training in soft and hard skills, intervision and coaching. Boer & Croon currently employs approximately 40 Young Executives. In addition, Lidia is at the core of the growth of Boer & Croon Solutions, which now employs over 30 managers, more experienced talent with three to ten years of work experience.

Lidia Drost: "The YE programme has already yielded a lot of successful people. Within Boer & Croon, they have progressed to management positions, or they have spread their wings to other businesses and become our ambassadors or even our clients."

"The YE programme starts off with the selection of the right people. We not only look at IQ, EQ or education levels and experience, but also at the ability of candidates to realise their goals. We recruit people with authentic personalities, who are sociable, decisive and have an eye and ear for their surroundings. The group has plenty of contact with each other outside the training sessions and intervision. They share their experiences with each other and have a steep learning curve. These talents really take ownership of their own health carers and develop a solid compass for their personal leadership skills. That rapid development of each individual YE is one of the pillars of Boer & Croon's success."

Lidia cites three priorities in her new role.

"What makes our company so unique is our culture. We have a very articulate group of people, who express themselves keenly and critically. Of course there are hierarchical divisions, but everyone is listened to. Moreover, at Boer & Croon you have a great deal of influence on your work and work environment. We should cherish that and make sure it continues to be reflected in our leadership.

Even with the growth of the company - we currently work with about 120 internal employees - we have to leave room for that open and flat organisational structure and, in the decisions that we make as a management board, always stop and think about the consequences of this for our people and our organisational culture."

"What I am proud of is the success of the Young Executive proposition, including the unique management development programme. Of course, that also remains one of my priorities as a member of the management board. Constant attention to the development of our employees, including back-office staff and our partners and directors. Offering challenges which keep people motivated. And offering our employees the best possible facilities in other ways as well to enable them to take on the challenges in their work, either successfully or to learn from them. That also contributes to the sustainable growth of Boer & Croon."

"If you are in daily contact with this talented group, then you also see the commercial opportunities. What qualities do we have in house and how do they match up with demand from the market? Do we know how to attract the right profiles to us? I think it's great to be able to contribute to the success of the company in this way as well."

By maintaining and consolidating the unique Boer & Croon culture, devoting a great deal of attention to employee development, and discovering (new) commercial opportunities, Lidia hopes to make a significant contribution as a member of the management board at Boer & Croon.