Interview
“Making a bigger impact together”
Bianca Tetteroo
Chair of the Achmea Executive Board & Board Member of the Achmea Foundation
Bianca Tetteroo succeeded Willem van Duin as Chair of the Executive Board of Achmea in April 2021. She did not have to think long about the invitation to become a Board member of the Achmea Foundation. “It is very valuable to be so directly involved with the Achmea Foundation as the Chair of the Achmea Executive Board. Together we can make an even bigger impact.”
“Because we are so close to each other at Board level, we can also set things in motion quickly in acute situations”, says Bianca. “You saw this during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also last February when Russia invaded Ukraine. Within 24 hours, we had launched an action for emergency aid to Ukraine. Colleagues from Union, our subsidiary in Slovakia, wanted to collect money and supplies for hospitals. A few text messages and a couple of emails later, we were able to start crowdfunding through the Voor Elkaar platform. Hundreds of colleagues participated. The Achmea Foundation matched the amount in 2022. That raised €35,000 in no time.”
Strengthening each other even more
Smart cooperation and then decisively turning things into concrete action: that is what Bianca gets excited about. And she is convinced that Achmea and the Achmea Foundation can strengthen each other even more. “What helps is that, last year we sharpened our focus on what we stand for as Achmea. Based on our vision of ‘Sustainable Living. Together’, we strive for an inclusive society in which everyone participates and lives pleasantly and healthily with and alongside each other. In four domains, we will solve societal challenges. We bring health closer, lead the way in realising smart mobility, create the conditions for carefree living and working and ensure an income for today and tomorrow. That, of course, is very close to the goals and activities of the Foundation and offers many opportunities to make smart combinations.”
Doing less with more impact
And we are already doing that, Bianca says. For example, on the Voor Elkaar platform that brings together supply and demand for all kinds of social initiatives. “We have now agreed that, on the platform, we will focus more on social initiatives that fit in with Achmea’s four domains. Maybe we will do less, but with greater impact. And we have decided that all volunteer work by colleagues and social team outings will always run over this platform. This also enables us to measure our social impact much better and use it for our reporting.”
Bianca Tetteroo
"At the end of the day, it’s about coming up with some creative and innovative solutions that make the housing market more accessible and sustainable."
Value for company, colleagues, customers and society
“Perhaps an even better example is the further development of ImpactPlus, an existing programme of Achmea Foundation to help innovative social entrepreneurs make more social impact. This year, we are focussing specifically on entrepreneurs within Achmea’s important strategic theme ‘Healthy and Sustainable Living’. By means of a Dragon’s Den panel, we select talented entrepreneurs who we then help with Centraal Beheer’s Growth Accelerator programme. In this way, we make smart use of existing resources and less effort is required from colleagues. The Growth Accelerator programme is very popular among entrepreneurs and the quality is proven to be high. Isn’t that nice? Value for the company, colleagues, customers goes hand in hand with value for society. Because at the end of the day, it’s about coming up with some creative and innovative solutions that make the housing market more accessible and sustainable.”
Images that have an impact
Bianca also believes there is more to come from the Achmea Foundation’s Expert Volunteer Assignments programme. Achmea employees can carry out an assignment at a charitable organisation that supports the Achmea Foundation. With their expertise, they give existing initiatives a boost, and in turn the programme also offers them a unique opportunity for personal development.
“This should be publicised more within Achmea. And we are working on that. Colleagues who carry out an assignment are asked to actively communicate about it. This recently resulted in a wonderful vlog series by Timo van Voorden, CEO of Achmea Corporate Relations & Partnerships. During his sabbatical, Timo and his wife Sandra decided to go to Rwanda to evaluate an EUCORD irrigation project to improve farmers’ livelihoods. This type of a personal and passionate report helps to make other colleagues enthusiastic about an assignment. It also showed up close what a project like this means for local entrepreneurs. A green, fertile orchard in a country that is becoming increasingly dry due to climate change. Those images have an impact. Because you see the social impact that Achmea and the Foundation can make together. And what that means for people.”