Henri’s 25 years at DAE

This is not just any anniversary, but we’re celebrating 25 years of dedication, commitment and — let’s be honest — an irreplaceable presence.

Let’s go back to 2001, a different world: Salaries were paid in guilders. The Netherlands made history with its first same-sex marriage. 9/11 shook the world to its foundations. And closer to home: the Graduation Show took place in Eindhoven for the first time, after years at the Beursgebouw in Amsterdam — on our own turf!

That same year, Henri started his journey at DAE.

De Witte Dame was familiar territory for him. He knew the building, the dynamics and the people. He had, in fact, already worked at Stichting de Witte Dame and managed its activities. But it wasn’t long before Lidewij Edelkoort asked him to take on a role that turned out to be tailor-made for him: Board Secretary.

Henri started at an academy that was still in a state of flux. The Academy of Industrial Design had just become the Design Academy, and shortly afterwards the Design Academy Eindhoven: new names, new ambitions, new structures.

The third floor was empty, almost as empty as the second floor is today, as we‘re preparing a new chapter of the Academy. Workspaces were characterised by black filing cabinets, large tables serving as desks, an open-plan space where change was always possible, both literally and figuratively. The organisation was small, with people like Nol Manders, Annette Noks and Jacqueline Jansen, Lia and Martina at reception, Piet and Dorien in student administration, Desiree de Graaf as dean. And beyond that: empty desks, plenty of space and growing ambition.

We had around 700 students, the majority of them Dutch, eight departments and newly launched Master’s programmes, with the Funlab as a space for experiments. And later: Man & Humanity, born out of a world that began to ask different questions after 9/11.

This was pioneering work. Sometimes, this meant walking a tightrope.

As Board Secretary, Henri was regularly asked, “How did you handle this?” and perhaps even more often, “How did things actually get sorted out?” The honest answer: Sometimes, we did things our own way — stubborn, headstrong, not always by the book, but often successful.

And Henri stood right in that playing field — always meticulous, always presentable, smartly dressed in a suit — as our spokesperson, as a host, as the quiet force behind countless visits, from ministries to embassies, from industry to education, and even the Royal Family.

Henri would have just as well been suited for a job at court. Visits from the Royal Family always gave him an extra burst of energy. During Queen Máxima’s last visit to the academy, too, he clearly enjoyed himself and walked proudly through the building, alongside the queen.

And then Milan: always a challenge, always a celebration, where Henri, as Lidewij’s right-hand man and later that of others, kept a cool head between vision and execution, between creativity and structure. He held it all together.

It is impressive how many books he filled during the often difficult meetings. His hand-written notes were quickly followed by typed-up minutes. With a keen sense of balance in his text, he always served the greater good of the academy.

Personally, I could always turn to him, too, to bounce ideas off, to marvel together, to exchange perspectives, to crack jokes with a refined sense of sarcasm.

Henri has surely proven again and again that he is more than just his role! He always offers a listening ear, sorts things out before they become problems.

Sometimes, when he’s in a cheerful mood, you can even hear him singing Vivaldi or Bach — something which, in turn, makes me happy, too.

And, his door is always open for a good chat, for a sharp opinion on Máxima’s outfit, for advice on a piece of furniture or a work of art, for a problem that needs solving — or simply: for a peanut brittle from the Tuesday market or when the season comes round, for the famous and infamous stroopwafel-flavoured pepernoten!

Dear Henri, 25 years is an impressive span of time, but what’s even more impressive is the way you’ve spent those years, with care, with loyalty, with style and with humour. And, with a keen sense of what is needed.

After 25 years, we know one thing for certain: job titles don’t do you justice. It might say Board Secretary on paper, but in reality you are so much more than that. You are the one who knows, who remembers, who speaks up when necessary — and sometimes even when it isn’t. And above all, you are someone we rely on.

Henri, thank you dearly for 25 years! Thank you for everything you have given.

On behalf of the Executive Board, Raf De Keninck