EuropeanPWN–Amsterdam: A Diverse and Industrious Community

EuropeanPWN-Amsterdam: a Diverse and Industrious Community

Speed Networking with Stephanie Ward

When our organization in Amsterdam was originally founded in 1986 as “the Women’s International Network (W.I.N.)”, there were about two dozen (predominantly English speaking) members.  One third of the participants were “Dutch”, one third Americans and one third “other English Speakers”.  In anticipation of our 25^th anniversary in 2011 it has been interesting to look at the history of the organization locally and to look at membership trends and changes.

We are mobile

As recently as 2003 we had 94 members and subsequent to the formation of EuropeanPWN in 2005, we have grown in Amsterdam to slightly more than 300 members in the third quarter of 2009.  Of our present day membership of more than 300, only 20 were also members in 2003 (nearly half of them the faithful Canadians).  Amsterdam as an organization continues to grow and change as the population of Europe becomes more mobile and overseas assignments attract more women, not only as partners, but also as employees.

We speak your language

Our demographic has significantly changed since becoming a co-founder of EuropeanPWN in 2005.  We speak, in addition to English and Dutch, thirty six different languages.  Thirty five of those languages are spoken by two or more members in the organization.  The exception being Icelandic – we only have one member professing proficiency. In addition to the other principal European continental and Nordic languages our members speak Thai, Lao Malay, Swahili, Papiamento, Hindi, Gallego, Frisian, Welsh, Greek, Cantonese, Mandarin, Arabic and Hebrew.  While we typically meet “in English”, you will often also encounter in the informal networking sessions, German, Catalan, Spanish and Portuguese on a regular basis – and the Dutch language throughout the evening.  It is a friendly and encouraging environment to practice your mother tongue and also your third and fourth languages.  We have also officially organized an “Hispano Hablante” happy hour to set a good example for the language flexibility that can be experienced in Amsterdam.

We come from all over

Clara Ko, Katharina Pohl, Anna Farrenkopf and Rieke Smakman

The average age of the EuropeanPWN-Amsterdam participants is 40 years old.   We identify as citizens of more than 41 different countries.  The majority of us identify as “Dutch” born and/or Dutch citizens (more than 30%).  The second largest group of members, consisting of less than 10% of the total organization, are from the United States (8%, 24), followed by Great Britain (5%, 15), Germany (4%, 11), Canada (3%, 8), Spain (2%, 6), Australia (<1%, 5) and France (<1%, 4).

We continue to change

Three times more Dutch women belong to the organization compared to five years ago.  Dutch women are the largest and fasting growing segment of our membership. The largest growing membership population (from outside the Netherlands) come from Spain and Latin America (including Mexico, Colombia and Brazil) who were completely unaccounted for as recently as five years ago.  Surprisingly, new EU nations Poland and Romania are not represented in the increases in membership of our organization.  Somalia, Morocco and Turkey are under-represented considering the population of the Netherlands in general.  The number of Russians (and members from the former Russian Republics) has also not increased over the years in contrast to women from Italy, Spain, Portugal and Germany who have joined in larger proportions recently. The diversity of nations represented in the last six years has increased from about 12 to more than 41 different countries.  All and all we are becoming much more diverse.

We are industrious

We work in 38 sectors of industry.  The top three sectors represented in Amsterdam are Financial Services (6%), Education and Training (5%), Management Consultants (4.5%).  A three-way-tie for fourth place includes Information Technology (3.6%), Marketing /Public Relations(3.6%), and Business Management (3.6%) closely followed by Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals/Medical Devices (3%).  In contrast to six years ago when 30% of our members were “translators”, it would be very challenging to pull an “average” member from such a diverse population.  No single industry represents more than 6% of our total membership.  The largest group: Financial Services accounts for only 17 individual members, Business Management only 11 members and the category “Translator” no longer exists.

We actively participate

Amsterdam hosts typically three to four events per month.  The schedule has been one or two social drinks events (borrel), one workshop (or special interest group) and one main event with a well known speaker per month.  Recently we have experimented with venues, size of events, frequency of events and the sustainability of adding more to our programming.  In 2009, we have hosted social events in The Hague in addition to Utrecht and Amsterdam.  In 2008, we took a delegation to London to celebrate CWN’s 30^th Anniversary and a delegation to Paris during the summer holiday.

Half of our attendees come from large corporations and the remaining half are entrepreneurs or small business owners.  Our wildly popular “Speed Networking: Wildfire of Wisdom” event with Stephanie Ward continues to attract more than 40 participants and is particularly popular with our entrepreneurs and small business owners.

What’s in it for us?

The current Amsterdam Board, as well as its predecessors, have consistently prepared and presented well organized, high quality, exceptionally diverse and inspiring programs.  We are responsive to member requests and have skillfully worked together with participating members from corporations to develop programs that are interesting to their diverse participants.  For example, the IT sector represents less than 5% of the total membership, however, when members requested programming in the Web 2.0 portal environment, the workshop series sold out within two days (even when offered the Thursday before the Christmas holiday).  The flexibility to offer training programs “on demand” is unparalleled within a corporation and nearly impossible for small businesses.  EuropeanPWN-Amsterdam is a forum with a structure that can meet these interests and training opportunities.  Our collective connections in the business world allow us to attract internationally renowned speakers, such as Linda Cook, Peter Meyer, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Julie Gilbert and Fons Trompenaars (register for his event on 11 January 2010 in Amsterdam). Our members also have an environment in which to try out programs, ideas, speakers and subjects that might be considered “too risky” in their business sector.  We offer them the opportunity to expand their individual reach beyond their department or management group and to access others from within and outside their industries.  Building on each success, our members return to work the next day inspired to lead change and open to approaching their daily work in new ways with tangible results.

Who puts the flex-in-our-ability?

In addition to countless volunteers and involved members who come to us reguarly with ideas for programs, venues, and speakers -

Katharina Pohl is our VP Programming & Corporate Member from MEXX

Caroline van Leuven is our VP Membership ad interim & Entrepreneur Indivisible

Lucia Lloyo is our Board Secretary & Lawyer for ETS Global

Tip Atkins is our Treasurer & Freelance Consultant

Camilla Björkqvist is our VP Student and Corporate Partners & Corporate Member from Deloitte

Clara Ko is our VP Online Communications & IT Architect at Royal Bank of Scotland

Rieke Smakman is our President and Attorney at Law at Oostwaard Advocaten.

Who keeps track of all this?

Anna Farrenkopf, VP Social Events, Borrel Coördinator, master of trivia and perspicacious conversationalist.  Since hosting the presidents’ meeting in 2006 we have welcomed delegates from all of the EuropeanPWN affiliates to Amsterdam.  Most visitors have come from Paris, London, Milan, and Barcelona. Do come visit.