“It’s not just about exporting our business or knowledge. It’s about making an impact for our clients. The DAE can create true leverage.”
As chairman of the DAE board, Hans Boon, international aquafeed and business consultant, is in the right place at the right time. In the past few years the DAE has positioned itself as the representative body of the Dutch aquaculture sector abroad. Today Hans Boon is keen to strengthen the internal relations and cooperation between DAE members as well as the network that the DAE has built, further fortifying its relationships in the international aquaculture sector.
Aquafeed consultancy: honest and multidisciplinary
Hans Boon is an experienced consultant for the aquafeed sector. Clients of his company Aquaculture Experience are aquafeed production companies and suppliers of feed ingredients. His expert knowledge stretches from feed formulation, production optimization and product management to ingredient business development. Hans works from more than just a nutritionist’s viewpoint. He puts science into practice: “I bring a multi-level approach to aquafeed companies. I talk to management, of course, but if desired, I also work with their nutritionists, researchers, purchasers, production and sales people. If a company has the desire to change and grow, it has to be supported by all corporate disciplines.”
Among other projects, Hans Boon is currently involved in a project at an Ecuadorian feed company. He travels all over the world, meeting CEO’s, managers and technicians from various cultural backgrounds. Do all managers and CEO’s accept his approach? “Yes, they do, actually. The aquafeed business is about so much more than just technical aspects. It is an everchanging and highly competitive business. In order to develop a strategy for the future, it takes courage for a company to be self-critical. Issues might be exposed that have turned into a blind spot over the years. It is often necessary to use a wider lens. As a third party, I can bring people together, and offer them a wider perspective on the issues at hand. Sometimes it takes a bold but respectful statement to get through. CEO’s and management tend to appreciate the honesty.”
Creating leverage
When comparing his job to the position he now holds at DAE, Hans Boon definitely sees some parallels. “To me, the chairmanship of the DAE feels very logical and natural. Similar to my own job, it requires a willingness to cooperate, to move forward, to dare make decisions, to inspire and to always be honest.”
The DAE attracts businesses from all over the world. The Dutch Aquaculture Experts have been present at several international conferences and have made themselves known to agricultural attachés and embassies around the world. Hans Boon is clearly pleased to represent the member companies: “The DAE harbors a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge amongst its members. All our experts have the ability to make an impact for their clients. For us it’s not just about exporting our business – we are already doing that. We are offering our network and knowledge to international aquaculture organizations. Nothing compares to the entrepreneurial spirit of the Dutch, combined with the knowhow this country has to offer in the field of aquaculture. The DAE can create true leverage.”
