Ellen Berntsen

I grew up in the hospitality industry

I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. My parents owned a store and a bakery. I grew up there with my four brothers and sisters in a warm and loving family, and entrepreneurship was instilled in us from a very young age. When I was 13, I started helping my neighbor, “Aunt Alofs,” at the café across the street from us.  

After that, I continued to work in the hospitality industry and eventually completed a training program to become a cook and server. I’ve worked in many different places and for many different people. It’s been wonderful, because it has made me versatile and allowed me to gain a deep understanding of human nature over the years. 

The move to Nedap

We had a lot of fun building up our restaurant and were very proud of it. However, when my husband passed away, everything took on a different perspective. That’s when I decided to close it down. You start to reevaluate: what’s important now, what do I need? And then, thanks to a tip from a regular at the restaurant, I ended up at Nedap.  

I remember walking in here and thinking: this feels right. I did say right away, honestly: I enjoy managing a team, but I think I want more than just that. Then they said, “You’ll find your way here.” And I really was given that space.  

What struck me most when I started here is that everyone treats you as an equal. You’re given space and trust. And you’re valued for who you are and what you do. That allows me to just be myself. And I think that’s why I feel so at home here. 

A team that got back on track

When I started, there was a team where everyone had their own specific task. One person always took care of the coffee machines, another always handled the register. But I don’t believe in keeping people stuck in one place. I want everyone to be able to do everything. I want everyone to have the chance to try new things and learn.  

It took some getting used to at first. Which makes sense. But if you just go for it and help each other out, you’ll see things change quickly. Then you discover you can do more than you thought. And at some point, something different emerges in the team: more variety, more trust. And just more fun, too. That’s what I love most—when people start to feel that for themselves. 

Seeing and creating opportunities

“I want to feel like I’m really making a difference. That my presence makes a difference.”  

At first, for me, that was mainly about the team—getting things running smoothly again and helping people grow. But at a certain point, the team was doing really well, so I was able to look beyond that.  

I used to be an entrepreneur, and that’s still part of me. And the great thing is, I can do that here too. If I see something and think, “This could be better,” I get to work on it. I start talking to people, trying things out, and getting them on board. I work cost-consciously, know a lot of people in the industry, but I also know what we can do ourselves. And that’s exactly what I enjoy: how do we make it work well together, make it fit, and do it in a financially smart way? 

“If you’re not open to it, you won’t see it. You also have to create it a little bit yourself.” 

I enjoy being truly involved in something. Look, if someone says, “Ellen, do you want to make a hundred sandwiches?” I’ll do it. No problem. But with every event we organize, I really want to know: what’s the purpose of this event? What do you want people to take away when they go home? Is it about building connections? About collaboration? About giving customers an experience?  

Once I know that, I can contribute my ideas. Not about the content, of course, but about everything surrounding it. So that it’s truly a tailor-made event. 

Doing cool things together

I noticed that within Nedap, a lot of things were being organized in isolation. Everyone had their own event, their own approach. Often, they hired outside vendors for everything. I saw opportunities here to collaborate more, get more out of it, and save costs.  

Take the customer day at Healthcare, for example. It was initially organized externally, and it didn’t go as they’d hoped. So I said: why don’t we just do this ourselves? I have the contacts and the experience, so it’s bound to work!  

The following year, we took it on together right from the start. It’s precisely when I’m involved with the organization from the very beginning that I can make a difference. We now handle both the event organization and the catering entirely on our own. We’re talking about an event with over 300 people, which is quite large. But it is possible if you organize it well and have a good team. 

That’s what I do it for

For me, everything has to come together. People shouldn’t have to wait too long. There has to be enough food. The atmosphere has to be right. But ultimately, it’s all about people being able to talk to one another. And when you hear that everything went well, and you see your team standing there, and you see that they’re proud… Yeah, that’s wonderful. 

“We really pulled that off together.”

We really do that together. I have a team with a lot of hospitality experience, all people who know what’s needed in a moment like that. Richard is a professional chef, and the ladies just have this work down pat. I’m really proud of that. It all comes together, everyone takes on their role, and together we create something that feels right. 

It’s in the little things

For me, it’s not just about the big events. It’s actually also in the little things. Like hospitality and creating the Nedap atmosphere. Making sure people feel welcome and that everything runs smoothly and is well organized. That’s not complicated, but it does require attention. And that’s also what makes Nedap so special to me. That it’s not just about what you do here, but also how you do it. 

“Here, you’re allowed to be kind to people.”

And you know what I really love: here, you’re allowed to be kind to people. I think it’s important and wonderful that Nedap employees are well taken care of and that they can take good careof their customers.