Dr. Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn
1927–2011
Career history
Date and place of birth
January 25, 1927, Zaandam, the Netherlands
Education
Zaanlands Lyceum, Zaandam, the Netherlands
Nyenrode School of Business (currently Nyenrode Business
University), the Netherlands
Primary business experience
Migros in Zürich, Switzerland (traineeship)
Allied Suppliers Ltd. in London, UK (traineeship)
• 1949 – Management trainee, Albert Heijn N.V.
• 1951 – Manager development self-service, Albert Heijn N.V.
• 1953 – Senior Vice President Marketing, Albert Heijn N.V.
• 1958 – President, Albert Heijn Retail
• 1962 – President of the Executive Board of Albert Heijn N.V. and
President of the Executive Board of Royal Ahold from its
founding in 1973 until 1989
Other business activities
• Owner and chairman of Eign Enterprises, Hereford, UK
• Former Chairman of the Supervisory Board of:
Reesink N.V.
Transavia Airlines C.V.
• Former Member of the Supervisory Board of:
ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
Royal Ahold
AT&T GIS
IFF B.V.
Randstad Holding N.V.
• Former Chairman of:
Raad voor het Filiaal- en Grootwinkelbedrijf (RFGB), (currently
Raad Nederlandse Detailhandel)
Centraal Bureau Levensmiddelhandel (CBL)
Stichting Ediforum
International Article Numbering Association EAN in Brussels
EuroCommerce and ­founder of EuroCommerce in Brussels
Stichting Zaanse Schans in Zaandam
• Former Director Food Marketing Institute (FMI)
• Former Member of the Board of Green Meadow Foundation
in Rüschlikon, Switzerland
• Honorary Member of the Board of Trustees of Nyenrode
Business University
Memberships
Director Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen
Member of the Rotary Club, Zaandam
Awards
• Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
• Commander of the Order of Orange Nassau
• Commander of the Order of Leopold II of Belgium
• Doctor Honoris Causa of Nyenrode University in Breukelen
• Honorary citizen of the City of Zaanstad
• Honorary Freeman of the City of Hereford
• Honorary chairman:
Nyenrode Business University
Centraal Bureau Levensmiddelenhandel (CBL)
Ediforum
International Article Numbering Association EAN
EuroCommerce
• Sydney R. Rabb Award from the Food Marketing Institute (FMI)
• Hall of Achievement Award from the Grocery Manufacturers
of America (GMA)
• George Washington Vanderbilt Award
• Dutch American Achievement Award
• Paul Harris fellow, Rotary International
• Business Week Award from Erasmus University, Rotterdam
After he withdrew from day-to-day business later in his life,
Dr. Albert Heijn and his wife Monique Heijn-Everwijn Lange spent
most of their time at their home, Pudleston Court, in the English
county of Herefordshire. It was there they built a new business,
Eign Enterprises, which operated hotels, restaurants, shops and
farms, and was involved in other projects in and around the city of
Hereford. This work resulted in Dr. and Mrs. Heijn being appointed
Honorary Freeman of the City of Hereford in 2002. In his later years,
Dr. Heijn transferred most of Eign Enterprises’ business activities
to third parties.
2
Albert Heijn 1927-2011
“Albert Heijn was a spirited entrepreneur and a
warm and committed leader. He made an enormous
contribution to the growth and development of Ahold and
was instrumental in so much that Ahold has achieved.
We are grateful for his legacy and we will remember
him with pride.”
John Rishton, CEO Ahold
“Albert Heijn was a pioneer who led some of the most
important changes in the history of our industry. He was
a visionary who transformed a family business into one
of the greatest retailers in the world.”
­­
Dick Boer, COO Ahold Europe, and CEO Ahold Nederland
This is a publication of Ahold Group Communications, P.O. Box 985, 1000 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands Concept & Realization
vdbj_, Bloemendaal Project Manager Jochem van de Laarschot Editor Linda Cook Co-editors Menno de Boer, Philo Hermans, Sco Salis
Art Direction & Design Studio Pollmann, Amsterdam Visual Material The Albert Heijn Historical Archives in Zaandam, private
collection of the Heijn family Photographers Gerry Hurkmans, Johan Weemhoff, Dirk Buwalda References “Albert Heijn: Memoirs of an
Optimist,” by J. L. de Jager (published by Uitgeverij de Prom, 1997). Interview with Albert and Monique Heijn in the RVU radio program
“Spiegels” on April 7, 2003. Video film “Albert” made on the occasion of the Albert Heijn centenary in July1987. Television interview
with Albert Heijn in the AVRO program “KAREL” on August 2, 1997. Interview with Albert Heijn by Arjan Visser in “Trouw” on February 17,
2001. Special edition of “Flitsen” to mark the Albert Heijn centenary in 1987. Various interviews and articles in Ahold’s former staff
magazine “Flitsen.” Special thanks to Martijn Jonker, Henk Kouwenhoven, and Erik Muller for providing information and visual material.
What do you do when
you’re the grandson of
a legend – especially a
legend whose name you
share? You become a
legend yourself. At least
that’s what Albert Heijn did.
Doing what’s right for the
business starts with doing
what’s right for the customer.
3
Left: Albert on the beach in Bergen,
where the family had a ­country home.
Above: The advertising campaign that
gave Albert his nickname: Boffie.
Below left: As a child Albert
dreamed of a naval career and joined
the Sea Scouts.
Below right: A bust of Albert’s
­grandfather, founder Albert Heijn,
was unveiled at the company's 50thanniversary celebrations, held in
the new ­recreation building at the
Zaandam head office. The building
was a gift from Albert Heijn senior to
his employees (1937).
4
A
long with his brother, father,
uncle and grandfather, Albert
Heijn built what is today the
largest supermarket chain in the
Netherlands and helped turn
Ahold into a prominent multi-
national food retailer. That was no mean feat,
but Albert was always modest about his part in
the achievement. Even when he was President
and CEO of Ahold, Albert listed his profession
as “grocer” in his passport. This was typical of
Albert, or “Ab,” as his friends called him. That
was also what people called his grandfather,
a man Albert closely resembled, especially
in terms of personal philosophy. They were
both down-to-earth and passionate about the
­business and both men had a knack for seeing
things from the customer’s perspective.
He dreamed of joining the navy,
but polio put an end to that idea.
EARLY MEMORIES
In the book Albert Heijn: Memoirs of an
gave him the nickname “Boffie” – a refer-
he bore the name of a major company. The
Optimist, Albert described his grandfather as
ence to an early Albert Heijn advertising
Heijn family lived next door to the Verkades,
“a friendly old chap who, when in company,
campaign with the slogan “Daar komt
and just around the corner from the Honigs,
seemed to take the greatest pleasure in his
Boffie met de koffie” (Here’s Boffie with
Bruynzeels, Duyvises, and Simon de Wits.
cigar and dram.” He also fondly remembered
the coffee). The young Albert saw this as
his own parents as people who remained true
a compliment, because Boffie was a very
ACADEMIC LIFE
to themselves despite the growing success of
popular character at the time. His home
In 1939, Albert enrolled at the Zaanlands
their business. This was something Albert
life was full of people with famous names,
Lyceum, a local high school. The country’s
greatly admired. It took some time before he
since the Heijns were friends with some of
economic crisis was just ending at that time,
realized just how remarkable his family was.
the country’s best-known enterpreneurial
but political tension was running high. When
As a grade-school student, Albert’s classmates
families, so he was unfazed by the fact that
World War II broke out and the Netherlands
5
BUSINESS BASICS
After graduating from Nyenrode in 1949
at the age of 22, Albert went to work in the
family business, learning from the ground
up. Those were interesting times at Albert
Heijn, which had just been listed on the Dutch
stock exchange the previous year. Albert first
completed an extensive program of internships to learn the basics of the business. He
joined the staff of the Albert Heijn store on
the PC Hooftstraat in Amsterdam, where he
picked up the fine art of ration stamp sticking. Many Dutch people were still dependent
on government assistance after the war, and
ration stamps were required for many prod-
Albert learned the family
business from the ground up.
ucts. Albert also learned other basics of the
supermarket business at the time, such as how
to fold and seal a bag of sugar. He went on to
complete several internships outside the family business, working at Pearks & Maypole in
London and at Migros in Switzerland.
was occupied, the Heijn family was forced
could no longer run or play sports.
to accommodate several German officers
A talented athlete, this was a heavy blow.
in its home. On top of this, Albert woke
He had also dreamed of joining the navy,
THE BIG LEAGUE
up one morning in September 1944 to
but polio put an end to that idea. After
Albert returned to the family business in 1951 as
find that he was paralyzed. He had been
the war, Albert studied economics at
manager in charge of self-service development.
stricken with polio. It was the start of a
the University of Amsterdam. He com-
Albert Heijn was not the first chain of Dutch
long process of recovery and the first of
pleted the first two years of his degree,
stores to introduce self-service. However, the
many hardships Albert would overcome.
but was plagued by doubts and, after
company was the first to pursue this shopping
Six months later, just before the coun-
taking a ­vocational test, enrolled at the
format on a broad scale, developing it into the
try was liberated, Albert was discharged
Nyenrode School of Business in the town
supermarket formula.
from ­hospital. He could walk by then, but
of Breukelen.
In 1958, Albert was appointed Chief Executive
6
Above: Albert was a talented ­athlete,
who spent his childhood rowing,
swimming, skating, sailing, and
­practicing judo. All this came to an
abrupt end when he contracted polio
at the age of 18.
Right: The Albert Heijn store on
the PC Hooftstraat in Amsterdam,
where Albert completed one of his
first internships.
Below: Albert (seated far right)
at the beginning of his career at
Albert Heijn.
Below right: Albert checks his
watch at a meeting.
7
Left: Albert and Monique at their
home, Pudleston Court.
Above: During a photo session in
celebration of the company centenary
in 1987, Albert and Gerrit-Jan Heijn
pose in front of the museum store on
the Zaanse Schans.
Below left: In May 1996, Albert
attended the presentation of the
Albert Heijn tulip at the Keukenhof
gardens.
Below right: At the unveiling of the
plaques for Albert and Gerrit-Jan Heijn
at the Ahold head office in Zaandam in
the late 1990s (left to right: Albert’s
wife Monique Heijn, Albert himself,
his son Ab, and Hank Heijn, the widow
of Gerrit-Jan Heijn).
8
Officer of Albert Heijn. Four years later, he
became President of the Board of Managing
Directors, which became Ahold in 1973.
Albert enjoyed the challenge of introducing
customers to new products and helped
influence the culinary development of the
Dutch household. From the early 1970s
onwards, Albert Heijn supermarkets succeeded
in making products such as wine, sherry and
kiwifruit – to name just a few – popular ­among
the broader public.
Around that time, Ahold took its first steps
across the Dutch border, opening a super­
market chain in Spain. The first Cada Día
store opened in a suburb of Madrid in 1976.
­­­The company’s activities abroad continued when it took over the BI-LO chain in
the United States, moving for the first time
outside Europe. After that, Ahold grew even
faster than it had before. When Albert first
joined the company it was generating sales
Albert took great pleasure in life, always
making the best of whatever happened.
of approximately 40 million guilders
(€18 million). By the time he retired from
Ahold in 1989, turnover had reached
history. Naturally, Albert was thrilled with
he said, success would follow as a matter
17.7 billion ­guilders (€8 billion).
Ahold’s financial success, but he always saw
of course. It was therefore fitting that, on
the company’s employees and customers
his retirement, Albert presented a special
as its true capital. He firmly believed – and
statue to Ahold. Fondly dubbed “Beppie,”
Albert showed that sometimes there is no
demonstrated for 40 years – that doing
it depicts a typical supermarket customer,
truth in the old adage: “The first generation
what is right for the business starts with
and has a plaque that reads: “Lest we forget
inspires, the second generation inherits and
doing what is right for the customer. He
for whom we work.” It is a lasting reminder
the third indulges”. As a representative of the
regarded bad service as unforgivable and
of the spirit that motivated Albert Heijn
third generation of the family company, he
insisted that making the customer happy
throughout his career.
proved to be an inspired leader and oversaw
was the best way to grow the company and
growth that was unprecedented in Ahold’s
build value. If the customer was satisfied,
INSPIRED LEADER
9
Shortly after his retirement, Albert
and Monique’s hotels ranked among
the top ten in England.
­service or felt that an employee wasn’t doing
his or her best. During such outbursts, there
were few who dared contradict him. Albert
always recounted such incidents with irony
and a twinge of embarrassment. But most of
the time he was a gentle soul. He took great
pleasure in family life, parti­cularly in his later
PLAIN SPEAKING
WHAT RETIREMENT?
Even after his retirement, Albert stayed close
One thing was clear: despite his departure
around a table with family and friends, enjoy-
to Ahold. He watched as, after its signifi-
from Ahold, Albert was still very much a
ing good food, drink, and humor. He often
cant growth in the 1990s, the company was
part of the business. He physically detached
remained in the background, laughing jovially
faced with a dramatic setback in 2003. On
himself from the company in 1995, moving
at the jokes of ­others. Albert took great pleas-
February 24 of that year, Ahold’s share price
to Herefordshire, England, together with
ure in life until the end, always making the
dropped to half its original value over the
Monique but he did not sit back to
best of whatever happened. Despite
course of one day. Although Albert had not
quietly reminisce about his hectic years at
many hardships, he remained undaunted and
been active in the company for some time, the
Ahold. Together with Monique, he went to
­optimistic, continually seeking and finding
news rattled him. On the day of the dramatic
work in the town of Hereford, ­opening two
ways to overcome obstacles. “I hope to be
stock slump, he expressed his anger in a tel-
hotels, a restaurant, and several delicatessens.
remembered as an optimist,” he once said, “an
evision interview. Albert was explicit about
All were successful. Within several years, their
­optimist who couldn’t help but be one”.
his opinion on the matter and, as was typical
hotels ranked among the top ten in England.
of how direct he could be, he said that he felt
“shafted.” However, he remained dedicated
AN OPTIMISTIC SPIRIT
to the company, and was one of Ahold’s most
Though most knew Albert as a mild-man-
vocal supporters as new management planned
nered gentleman, he could react quite
and executed its successful recovery strategy.
­passionately if he saw a lapse in customer
10
years. He liked nothing better than to sit
Three
generations
of Heijns
Albert Heijn Sr.
Neeltje Heijn-de Ridder
May 27, 1887 – Albert Heijn Sr. and
Neeltje Heijn-de Ridder open their
first store in Oostzaan.
1899 – There are now 10 stores,
­supplied by the “parent” store
in Oostzaan. That same year an
­operational center is set up in
Zaandam, to simplify distribution.
Albert Heijn stores mushroom
all over the country.
Albert Heijn and his family outside their first store on the Weerpad in
Oostzaan.
1920 – The company becomes a
public limited company, and Albert
Heijn Sr. transfers management to
his sons (Gerrit and Jan) and son-inlaw (Johan Hille).
January 25, 1927 – Grandson Albert
(son of Jan Heijn) is born.
Gerrit Heijn
November 12, 1945 – Albert Heijn
Sr. passes away at the age of 80.
The company he founded now has
250 stores.
Three generations of the Heijn family on the banks of the Zaan.
1948 – Albert Heijn becomes
a public ­company, with shares
listed on the exchange.
1949 – Albert joins the company.
Jan Heijn
1954 – Albert’s brother, Gerrit-Jan,
joins the company.
1973 – The company’s name is
­changed to Ahold N.V. The Albert
Heijn supermarket chain continues
under the umbrella of the holding
­company Ahold.
1987 – The Albert Heijn concern
­celebrates its centenary.
Gerrit-Jan Heijn
September 9, 1987 – Gerrit-Jan
is kidnapped and murdered.
1989 – Albert Heijn retires from
Ahold’s Corporate Executive Board.
1997 – Albert Heijn retires from
Ahold’s Supervisory Board.
Albert Heijn Jr.
Albert and Gerrit-Jan at the museum store on the Zaanse Schans.
Friends and colleagues on Albert Heijn:
“He may have been a bit of an extrovert,
but I got to know him as an intensely
private person during the period when
his brother was abducted, and as
somebody who had to work through the
pain on his own.”
Peter van Dun,
“He was fond of etiquette, but on the day he
retired he stepped into the lift and as the
doors were closing, suddenly said: ‘Bye bye
Betty!’ It’s been Betty ever since.”
Betty McKay, Former Personal Secretary to Albert Heijn
Former Ahold Corporate Executive Board member
“Ab was a wise man. Somebody who could
listen exceptionally well, who got to the point
quickly and held people in high esteem.”
Hans Wiegel,
Chairman of the Dutch National Health Insurance Scheme,
politician and honorary member of the VVD
“For him, the customer was king.
The statue of the customer with the
two shopping bags that he donated to
the Ahold corporate office upon his
retirement was typical of the man.
That was Mr. Albert.”
Tiny Plooijer, Former head of Ahold Public Relations
“He was a man who could listen and
an amiable discussion partner.
He took you as you were.”
Cor Schoon,
Former Chairman of the Ahold Works Council
“He loved his job, his stores and helping
his people to do and feel their best.”
Krijn Dorsman,
former Senior Vice-President Commercial Affairs for Albert Heijn
“He was direct, didn’t beat about the bush,
and was someone you could rely on at all times.”
Neelie Kroes,
“Albert Heijn was a pioneer who led
some of the most important changes
in the history of our industry. He was
a visionary who transformed a family
business into one of the greatest
retailers in the world.”
Dick Boer, COO Ahold Europe, and CEO Ahold Nederland
“Public Relations? He invented the
discipline. That too was one of his
many talents. He dared to express his
weaknesses, and that made him strong.”
Erik Muller,
Former head of PR for Ahold and Albert Heijn,
and personal friend of the Heijn family
European Commissioner
“He was a man who stood clearly and visibly
at the helm of Ahold. He did a lot for the
sector and worked hard to boost the position
of our institute to a higher plane.”
Theo Roos, Director of the Central Food Retail Trade Institute
“He was never a loose-tongued type;
he was too clever for that. And he rarely
put all his cards on the table.”
Peter van Bakkum,
Former editor of the Economics desk of “de Volkskrant”
and former Corporate Communications Director at Royal Vendex KBB
“Only now and again do you meet a truly wise
man. Ab Heijn was wisdom personified.”
Peter van Rooijen, Executive Director International Civil Society Support