Professional

Respected personality
Elske Doets became a well-known figure in the Netherlands since she was awarded ‘Business Woman of the Year 2017’. This event and her following public performances made her a broadly respected personality in a relatively short period. Not only she grew out to an inspiring role model for ambitious entrepreneurs through her positive mindset and well formulated social criticism. At the same time she helps young girls in her Young Lady Business Academy throw away their own hesitations, or that  of their family and friends, to aim for the top. For starting this Academy Elske got recognition at the highest level; a Royal visit by Queen Máxima. For this and other reasons she’s not only become a popular speaker, in the meantime Elske also developed herself to an outspoken voice on national radio, in shows like ‘Speechmakers’ (Radio 1) and ‘Doing business’ (Business News Radio). Turning into a focal point of matters concerning business, career and private life – specially the combination of these elements – she herself got inspired to write the book ‘The guts to be happy’, which was published by the leading, Amsterdam-based publisher Uitgeverij Prometheus. In it she explains why steadfast choosing for your own personal happiness is the best way forward to be fully and simultaniously happy at the homefront and in your career.

New focus, new trust
In a society that seems dominated by the anxiety to lose prosperity and mutual trust, and the digital world adds more confusion than clarification, Elske excels in bringing down business and private matters to the absolute essence. And in giving people – just like the staff members in her own company – a clear and crisp life mission, which doesn’t evaporate easily and has a long-term influence on people’s self confidence and ability to make meaningful choices. Vital part of Elske’s effectiveness is her relationship with the audience: she’s constantly ‘close’, extremely approachable.
With that she charms friends and enemies. Which makes her the right person to give companies, organisations and individuals, alsof when there is fierce resistance, new focus to be successful. It’s no coincidence that her performances have attracted a lot of attention from the business community  and the world of politics.

Celebrate future & diversity
One of the most appealing charachteristics of Elske is her attitude towards diversity, which she unconditionally embraces. For her the fact that everybody is different, has different talents, different preferences, different irritations, different peak moments, different backgrounds, is not a source of discomfort, but a valuable benefit to create meaning and prosperity, and therefore deserves investment from every organisation. She fervently pleas for individualism, the concerned kind of individualism to be precise (not the sort without obligation). Her definition of success is not that everyone schould jump over the same, by the outside world seen as successful bar, but that all of us define that bar for ourselves, and yes, if you ask Elske, that bar should be as high as possible. In her urge to let people excel she specially chases extension of women’s talent, being the more creative answer to the famous problem of the ‘glass ceiling’ than women’s quota.

Organic growth
Since Elske took over at Jan Doets in 2001 she has carried out an organic growth strategy, in which building a loyal team of staff members and implementing the newest technology have gone right up and reinforce each other. Not only the profits have substantially gone up under her leadership, at least as much striking is the fact that Jan Doets remained stable during the financial crisis (2008). More over: in the period 2013-2017 she realized a growth in sales of 60 percent, up to 28 million euros. This growth is expected to hold on up to 31 million euros in 2019. Also impressive is the speed by which she, also organically, blooms her Young Lady Business Academy: after one year this social enterprise due to impetuous growth will move to the Erasmus Center for Entrepreneurship in Rotterdam. And, apart from her own company and the Young Lady Business Academy, makes herself continuously strong for entrepreneurship and stimulates individual entrepreneurs and ordinary citizens to be more daring.

Summary
Elske Doets is an independent mind with clear views on society and business in the near future.  She crashes worn out thinking patterns. Divides complex issues in missions easy to understand, and makes people move in that direction. She doesn’t run away for difficult discussions such as climate change and over tourism, but at the same time focuses on cooperation and pace.

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2018 Writer of the book “Het lef om gelukkig te zijn“- Publisher Prometheus
2017-present Founder Young Lady Business Academy a non-profit initiative
2001-today  President and owner of Jan Doets America Tours
1999-2001   General manager Jan Doets America Tours
1996-1999   Product Manager USA & Canada Jan Doets America Tours
1986-1996  (from the age of 14) Part-time and student job at Jan Doets America Tours (from telex operator to sales)

EDUCATION

1991-1997 Dutch law with a major in economics, University of Amsterdam
1989-1991 Pre-university education at C.S.G. Jan Arentsz in Alkmaar
1984-1989 HAVO at Bergen Scholen Gemeenschap in Bergen (NH)

AWARDS

2018 Chairman’s Circle Honors Award Brand USA
2018 Top 250 fastest growing companies in the Netherlands NLGroeit and Erasmus University
2018 Next Women Top 100
2017  Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year 2017 – most prestigious award for Businesswomen. It is a lifelong ambassadorship for female entrepreneurship.            The Prix Veuve Clicquot for Businesswomen is awarded to outstanding women in 18 countries worldwide.
2017 Chairman’s Circle Honors Award, Brand USA
2017 FD Gazellen award for the fastest-growing company (large businesses)
2017 Next Women Top 100
2016  Chairman’s Circle Honors Award, Brand USA
2016  FD Gazellen award for the fastest-growing company (large businesses)
2015  Chairman’s Circle Honors Award Brand USA
2013  Chairman’s Circle Honors Award Brand USA
Finalist at the awards for entrepreneurs in the province of North of Holland, medium-sized businesses
1999  Eager Beaver Award from Canada’s ambassador to the Netherlands

Chairman’s Circle Honor Award Brand USA: The Chairman’s Circle Honors Award is the Travel Oscar of Brand USA that honoured Jan Doets for its quantity, quality and marketing efforts amongst the top 50 tour operators for travel to the USA. Jan Doets was the first-ever Dutch travel agency to win this award for 3 times already.

VOLUNTARY WORK
2018 – today Co-Host at radio programme BNR Business every 4 weeks
2018 – today Board member & fellow of De Witt Institute for Advanced Negotiations
2018 – today ‘Spraakmaker’ at radio programme ‘Spraakmakers’ NPO1 every 4 weeks
2018- today Member of Expert Negotiator Ring of De Witt Institute for Advanced Negotiations
2018 – today Guest at radio program Spraakmakers NPO1  (every 5 weeks)
2018- today Comite of Recommendation The Next Women 
2018- today Member Of Board Recommendation Philips Innovation Services
2017- today Young Lady Business Academy https://www.elskedoets.nl/ladybusinessacademy/
2017- today Ambassador NL Groeit https://www.nlgroeit.nl/mentor/elske-doets
2009-today Various posts on school boards at e.g. the St. Adelbertus School, the Van Reenen School in Bergen (NH) and the Jan Arentsz school in Alkmaar
2014-today Member of the women’s network in Bergen, Egmond and Schoorl
2002-2013 Member and executive member of the young management section of the Dutch employers’ organization VNO NCW, Noordwest Holland division

OTHER

Sport

  • Personal training (since 2008)
  • Tennis
  • Skiing
  • Waterskiing
  • Wakeboarding
  • Golf

Quotes

  • 4 D’s from Elske Doets: Thinking, Daring. Doing. Persevere.
  • Nobody is perfect or ever finished.
  • Doing your best is not enough, go for the top!