CEO for 1 Day

CEO for 1 Day
1 dag

Many students are still uncertain what they want to be ‘when they grow up’. Let alone in which sector they want to work. Are you a student? And are you up to the challenge of becoming CEO of a large company in the innovative and dynamic Food & Flower industry for a day? Great! Keep scrolling!

register for students

Every November we organise CEO for 1 Day. Curious about the second largest industry in the Netherlands? About the work being done every day to make a greener and healthier world, where everyone has access to fresh food? Then spend a day in the chair of one of the CEOs and give them your (un)solicited advice.

"It was such a great experience to get a behind-the-scenes look at Keukenhof for a day. I never expected it to be this educational and enjoyable. After this day, I’m definitely considering a career switch to the private sector. So even if you think ‘food and flower industry... that’s not for me’ — just sign up anyway!"

- Adam Emara, participant CEO for 1 Day 2024

What will you do?

It’s all in the name: you literally will spend a day shadowing one of the biggest CEOs from the Food & Flower industry. You get to know the company, its activities and you are presented with a business issue which you are allowed to provide your honest opinion on! This way you contribute to the future vision of the company in question.

“Thanks to ‘Director for a Day’, I learned and experienced so much about this amazing sector in a very short time. I was positively surprised by the importance of innovation and communication — and by the passion with which growers and others speak and work in this incredibly interesting industry.”

- Thijs Legel, Participant CEO for 1 Day 2024

Are you…

  • 3e of 4e jaars student van een hbo of universitaire opleiding?
  • curious about the Netherlands’ second largest economy, the Food & Flower industry?
  • ambitious and want to see what a CEO does all day?
  • not afraid to give your opinion?
  • enthousiast, en heb je een oog voor innovatie?

Sounds like you could be one of our 25 student directors! The next edition takes place from 17 to 21 November 2025. Applications will open soon! A short selection process will follow. Keep an eye on our agenda, LinkedIn or Instagram .

CEO for 1 Day in 1.5 minutes

“Thanks to my participation in CEO for 1 Day I have expanded my own network and also learnt a lot about how the organisation within a company works, something you cannot learn in school in theory but can only through first-hand experience.”

- Participant CEO for 1 Day 2021

Deze directeuren doen in 2025 mee!

Deze directeuren geven van 17 t/m 12 november de volgende generatie impactmakers een “kijkje in de keuken”!

Jan van Dam

CEO Dutch Flower Group

Armand Veenman

VP Operations Central Europe Këkkila-BVB

Joost van den Blink

Directeur Rabobank Westland

Puck van Holsteijn

CEO HortiHeroes and World Horti Center

Niels Mustert

CEO RVE

Richard Schouten

Algemeen Directeur GroentenFruit Huis

Gertjan Sosef

Directeur Ammerlaan - Sosef

Michiel Schoenmaeckers

CEO Van der Hoeven

Bart van Meurs

Directeur Division Q

Lieuwe Haanstra

CFO Best Fresh Group

Jan Willem Griep

Algemeen Directeur Syngenta Nederland

Kees Pingen

CEO Vertify

Han Botterhuis

Site Director INCOTEC Europe

Marc Bots

Director Research & Breeding Bejo

Yvonne Watzdorf

Directeur Plants & Flowers Foundation Holland

Alessandro Maggioni

Business Unit Head KWS Vegetables

Joost Wesselman

Directeur Wesselman Flowers

Sieto Hoogkamp

Director Operations Adomex

Ekko Vermeulen

CEO Benelux Floramedia

Stef Schuijt

Directeur Naktuinbouw

Ferry Huurman

Directeur bedrijfsvoering Keukenhof

Peter Ruigrok

Directeur Ruigrok Group

Fred Moolenaar

Directeur Moolenaar B.V.

Frank Gerritsen

Directeur Nord Lommerse

Ruud Brinkkemper

General Manager Pan American Seed Europe

Theo Aanhane

Directeur Hobaho

Stan Aanhane

CTO Bionomic