Marc Zeestraten; one of the first five SGL employees

Loyalty, growth and special projects

He started as an intern back in 2009, but now 15 years later Marc is one of the thriving forces behind SGL. Leading three departments and being in charge of special projects. This is a story about loyalty, hard work, countless phone calls, three departments, special projects, and growth. These words describe one man: Marc Zeestraten. We look back with Marc on the past 15 years and how he has witnessed SGL grow into the company it is today.

Marc Zeestraten, Operations Manager at SGL.

First of five

It was Obama’s first year as president, Michael Jackson passed away, the iPhone 3 was released, and Lionel Messi won his first Ballon d’Or. 2009 was certainly a year that feels worlds apart from today. At that time, SGL had only four employees, and Marc joined as their fifth.

In 2009, Marc Zeestraten was a 20-year-old Business Administration & Agribusiness student in the final year of his bachelor’s degree. He connected with SGL through one of his teachers, who put him in touch with Nico van Vuuren, the founder of SGL. “My teacher texted me in the morning to let me know that Nico was expecting my call that afternoon. I called him, and Nico happily told me he was looking for an agronomist, but that wasn’t me. He invited me over for a conversation anyway, but I honestly thought it would be a waste of time. The next day, I was hired for one day a week. Not as an agronomist, of course.”

Marc witnessed SGL grow from five to fifty people and reflects on the times when SGL was still a small company. “Back when we were only five people, I was flying through the organisation from left to right, picking up any tasks I could. We were really pioneering in such a small group. It was hard work, but also really fun to help the whole organisation grow step by step.”

And fly through the organization he did! But not every step was a big success: “I learned a lot in every role and task I took on, but one day it was someone’s idea to make me responsible for IT, and that was definitely not my scene.”

Managing and juggling

The scene where Marc is in now definitely fits him better than IT, although he is responsible for a lot more now. He now manages three departments, and that is as much as it sounds. “I’m responsible for Technical Product Management (TPM), Service, and Operations & Sales Support. It’s a perfect combination because at TPM, we focus on improving existing products, and Service provides us with technical feedback for further improvements. At Operations & Sales Support, we’re in close contact with clients, so it all comes full circle.”

While managing three departments might seem more than enough for most, Marc also takes on another role: overseeing ‘special projects.’ This is where his strengths truly come together. “It all started when we were involved in the integrated pitch system at the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium, a groundbreaking project. I was assisting Nico van Vuuren on this project, and that’s when I realised this role fit me perfectly. I thrive on juggling multiple tasks simultaneously, connecting with suppliers, calling clients, tackling complex technical issues, it’s a mix that gives me a lot of energy.”

Nowadays, whenever a project doesn’t follow the normal operational path, Marc gets involved. “We’re doing some amazing and exciting things! Our lighting units are hanging from the roof at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, USA, in preparation for the 2026 World Cup, and we’ve managed to help the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia grow a top-quality pitch entirely indoors. Some of these projects are unimaginable at the start, but we make them happen, and that’s something to be really proud of!” And what special project is Marc working on now? “You’ll just have to wait and see, but there are some exciting things coming.”

Too many vacation days

As you can imagine, Marc is always busy, and to top it all off, he doesn’t like taking holidays. “At the end of every year, I get an email from HR saying I have too many vacation days left.” At SGL, we encourage people to take time off to relax and recharge, yet Marc finds it hard to leave the office. “This summer was the first time I took three consecutive weeks off to go to Italy with my family, and it was the first time I left the office that long in 15 years.”

However, despite his break, or perhaps secretly to Marc’s excitement, he quickly got involved in a special project again. “When I left the office for my holiday, a colleague asked if I had anything special going on, and I could easily say no. But before I even packed my suitcase, I got a call from Frank van Beusekom (Managing Director, SGL), joking that I should cancel the trip because of a new project. Of course, it was all in good fun, and I went on to enjoy my time off with my family. But as soon as I returned, I was drawn back into a new, exciting project. I had planned to spend my last week off in the Netherlands, but I couldn’t resist going to the office to get started. Thankfully, I came back fully recharged!”

 

Marc Zeestraten at the SGL Research & Innovation Centre

Here to stay

It’s clear that Marc loves SGL, and that love is mutual. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed in his first job for 15 years. “I sometimes talk about it with friends, and they ask if I shouldn’t go and experience a job somewhere else, but no, SGL is the place for me. I still think this is a fantastic organisation. It’s still the same at its core, but also a completely different company than when I first started. Being part of SGL’s growth is amazing, and it’s going to be incredibly interesting to see where the coming years will take us.”

“The industry we’re in is fantastic. I played football myself for many years, and it’s a dream to work with all these world-class clubs and be so closely involved with them. There are special projects and exciting developments every year, and that won’t change. Our world is unique, and I’m happy to be part of it. I think that’s the right word to describe SGL: unique.”

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