Our history
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Bureau Zuidema was founded in 1962 by Hans L. Zuidema. Then the official name was: Raadgevend Bureau H.L. Zuidema’. It was not until the 80's that the name was changed into ‘Bureau Zuidema’. After a career at KLM amongst others, Hans Zuidema started his business in a room at his house ‘de Schulp’ in Sassenheim. His first clients were Sikkens and the company of his neighbour, clothing manufacturer Hygia. The business kept growing so that it had to move to a farm house in Kesteren where the training centre ‘Kesteren’ was set up.
In the 70's was lead by a two headed management team: Jan van Vucht Tijssen became second managing director. The consultants work in Sassenheim and the trainers in Kesteren. In 1977 the company merges with Twijnstra Gudde: Zuidema gets a formal board of directors. In 1979 the company moves to Leusden with its consultants and trainers because of constant growth. That is also when the names changes into Bureau Zuidema bv.
In 1980 Ruud van Ommeren becomes owner en director of Bureau Zuidema. Hans Zuidema resigns and becomes senior consultant. After a period as a subsidiary of Twijnstra Gudde, Bureau Zuidema becomes independent in 1985. Primarily Bureau Zuidema was specialised in HRM. Later the fields of training & development as well as industrial relations were added. Bureau Zuidema has always led the way in the field of on-the-job training. The directorate and the employees of Bureau Zuidema were always closely involved in the professionalization of the position of instructors in post-doctoral education. The company is well-known for its intensive behaviour training programmes like Positive Power and Influence®.
Since 2004 a new period has started for Bureau Zuidema under the direction of Joep Straathof. A period of time in which people and organisations are inspired by working together with Bureau Zuidema. That collaboration takes place with different parties and changing questions, but always with bearing in mind that people are the drive of change, innovation and growth. Bureau Zuidema directs the network, inspires and stimulates.
Since then, Bureau Zuidema is focussed on the development of talent. This way of working improves the performance of people which helps achieving the strategic goals and result-oriented growth of the organisation. For Bureau Zuidema learning and development are essential to create growth. On March 19th, 2010 Joep Straathof suddenly passed away after a cardiac arrest at the age of 54.
In september 2010 Lodewijk van Ommeren started as managing director of Bureau Zuidema. With his commercial experience Lodewijk will lead the company to a new era of professional training and development.
Bureau Zuidema has always played an active roll in the associations VETRON and ROA. Furthermore, many employees are (active) members of professional associations like NVO2, NIP, NVO, OOA, EFMD, NFMD en ASTD. BZ is part of an international network and cooperates with those partners to develop management and negotiations trainings programmes.
