ABOUT ME
ABOUT ME
Hendrik van Delden
Entrepreneur / Consulting Engineer
CONSULTING SERVICES AND ADVISORY BOARD EXPERTISE
With 35 years’ professional experience working in the area of textiles, fibers, and fiber-based components, I have built a vast knowledge and an extensive global network in this evolving and increasingly competitive industry.
I have led many successful industrial growth stories for clients in fibers, technical textiles, nonwovens, and composites - both from a strategic and operational perspective - but also as an M&A advisor. I now offer consulting services and advisory board expertise to help companies and organizations achieve sustainable growth and profitability.
MY BACKGROUND AND EDUCATION
I was born into a family of cotton yarn spinners. After finishing school and my military service I gained my first experiences in chemical fibers by spending a year in the US with Dow Badische Corporation in Virginia and American Enka in North Carolina. This happened in the context of my textile engineering studies at the Reutlingen textile college in Germany. Upon completion of my textile engineering studies, I finalized my education by gaining an MBA from the INSEAD in Fontainebleau (France).
1980 – STRATEGY ADVISOR AND EXPERT IN MAN-MADE FIBERS AND TEXTILES
I started my professional career in the family business and at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in Munich. I then worked for almost 20 years with the partners of the Paris-based strategy boutique Telesis SARL, first as an equity partner in the German office and then as a textile and fiber associate.
I accompanied French Groupe Rhone Poulenc (synthetic fibers and polymers) and Groupe St. Gobain (glass fibers and fabrics) on their paths towards operational excellence and international expansion - these were two key building blocks of my expertise in man - made fibers and related downstream materials.
2001 – VENTURING INTO TECHNICAL TEXTILES, NONWOVENS, AND COMPOSITES
I joined Zurich-based textile engineering and advisory firm GHERZI first as an equity partner and head of the German office (Gherzi van Delden GmbH). Today, as Senior Partner in the Zurich GHERZI office, I am considered one of the top experts in technical textiles, nonwovens, and composites (fiber-reinforced plastics). I also have proven experience and an extensive track record in the operational and strategic questions surrounding man-made fibers.
Through managing and leading many projects involving strategy, R&D, commercial implementation, and M&A assignments for SME’s - but also for international corporations - I have a deep understanding of markets, competitors, technologies, and success factors in the globally growing technical textile-related industries.
Following a number of long-term and implementation-oriented advisory assignments and board membership in a family controlled SME, I completed a course to be a certified board member with the Munich-based Board Academy (www.board-academy.com).
2019 – WHAT NEXT
My experience and professional network qualify me for both strategic and M&A assignments as well as for advisory board functions in the context of global man-made fibers, technical textiles, nonwovens and composites with the aim to support businesses and clients on the route to sustainable growth and profitability. I am fluent in English, French as well as my mother tongue German.
MY ADVISORY PHILOSOPHY AND MY VALUES
M
y philosophy when taking on advisory or board assignments is
(i) that the contribution of my expertise and industry network can realistically lead to growth and improved profitability of the enterprise in a sustainable manner, and
(ii) that corresponding coherent strategies and actions have the potential to be supported by all stakeholders of the firm in question.
Meeting environmental and social compliance targets as set by governmental bodies and key customer groups are a prerequisite to achieve the above aim.
Coming from a family-firm background, I am particularly familiar with the specifics of family-held SMEs.
As a qualified advisory board member, I recommend an approach of “company first” to deal with change and implementation-related discussions between shareholders, management, and employees.
The principle of “no conflicts of interest” has guided my professional life as an advisor since the beginning.
SELECTED ADVISORY PROJECTS
A selection of recent strategy missions which I directed as project leader and as a man-made fiber expert, nonwoven expert, technical textile expert, and composite expert respectively:
MAN-MADE FIBERS
Antex Group, Spain
Cabot Corp., USA
Aksa, Turkey
Domo Group, France
NONWOVENS
BWF Group, Germany
Testori, Italy
Kayser Filtertech Group, Germany
TECHNICAL TEXTILES
Ten Cate Group, Netherlands
Cilander AG, Switzerland
Coats Group, UK / USA
The EU commission, Brussels
COMPOSITES
Faurecia Groupe, France
Johns Manville Group, USA
Karl Mayer, Germany
Kordsa Group, Turkey
