Henk Rottinghuis

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“I WILL UNITE THE FEI AND PUT THE SPORT AND ITS DEVELOPMENT AT THE TOP OF THE AGENDA”, SAYS HENK ROTTINGHUIS, AS HE LAUNCHES HIS AGENDA FOR PRESIDENCY OF THE FEI

30 September 2010

The only Presidential candidate to have engaged in an open and democratic debate on the issues that face the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), Henk Rottinghuis, today launched: ‘Creating Space For Our Sport – With A Fresh Approach’, the Agenda on which he would base his Presidency.

Mr. Rottinghuis said:

“The FEI must deliver on its promises to put the sport, the National Federations and their athletes first. Only when united can we achieve everyone’s ambitions. We need to recognise that the bigger Federations are nowhere without the smaller ones.

“In my view, we need to listen and respect each other’s views, celebrate our similarities but respect our differences.

“I have been immersed in the business of getting things done both inside and outside the horse world for 30 years and I am disappointed that the current President and Vice President have not succeeded, over the last four years, in establishing the unity that the FEI so desperately needs

“My Agenda, which is based on what people have told me they want, sets out the fresh approach that the FEI needs and a break from current approach and style adopted by the incumbent leadership of the FEI.

“With the support of the volunteers, the staff and the FEI community around the world, we will deliver real solutions that meet the needs of the National Federations and all our stakeholders.”

The Agenda (which can be seen in full at www.henkforfei.org) highlights five priorities:

1. Giving stakeholders (National Federations, riders, owners, organisers) the professional support that they need
2. Globalising the sport with a development policy that is all-inclusive and urges the established National Federations to share the responsibility
3. Uniting the sport by getting people to respect each other’s differences
4. Re-establishing the FEI’s image and authority, and placing greater emphasis on the many positive achievements of our international horse sport
5. Fundamentally changing the way the FEI works in the 21st Century, with a fresh approach based on a limited set of priorities and clear timelines.

Earlier this year, Mr. Rottinghuis conducted a 100-day Listening Programme to canvass views of the FEI from National Federations and Associate Members and others in the field. 

He published those views in August on his website (www.henkforfei.org) and said that he had found there was unrest over the way in which a range of issues were currently being handled by the FEI.

Mr. Rottinghuis said:

“I believe I’m the candidate who can offer a real alternative to the other two candidates.

“I’ve not been part of the past, so I can offer a new approach to the future.  Raising the profile and stature of the sport and a united FEI is what we need and that will be my priority from Day One if elected President”

- ENDS -

Notes to editors:

Henk Th.E.M. Rottinghuis held several senior management positions, culminating in being Division Director European Road Transport of the Royal Nedlloyd Group N.V – studying during this period at Harvard Business School. He joined Pon Holdings as Managing Director in 1993, with responsibility for its import of Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche vehicles into the Netherlands and Poland. Later he became responsible for all import activities in the automotive sector of Pon Holdings. He was appointed CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board in 2002, and additionally fulfilled the position of CFO in 2008 and 2009.

Under his leadership Pon Holdings has become one of the Netherlands’ largest and most successful family run international businesses, with over 12,000 employees worldwide and a turnover of €7.5 billion ($10 billion). Its main markets include the Benelux, France, Germany, UK, Poland, Scandinavia and the USA. Pon Holdings is also active as an importer of Continental Tyres, in the field of equipment and power systems and represents, among others Caterpillar, Linde and MAN. 

Rottinghuis was a competitor in national dressage competition from 1970-1981 and has held many Board positions in student equestrian sports, including President of the International Student Concours Hippique of Zuidlaren. He has been a referee and organiser of several international driving competitions, including the World Driving Championships at Apeldoorn and the CAI Breda. He was a Board Member CHIO Rotterdam, which organised the European Show Jumping Championships in 1989.

He has previously been Vice Chairman of the Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation (KNHS) and chaired the merger of its 16 regional equestrian organisations to form the new Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation (KNHS). In 2003 he was elected Equestrian Sportsman of the Year for The Netherlands. Rottinghuis has since become a member of the Committee for the ‘Rider of the Year of the Netherlands’ award.

Rottinghuis is active on several supervisory positions of corporate and cultural institutions. He served as member of the Advisory Committee of ABN-Amro Bank, the Holland Festival and the ‘Stedelijk Museum’ of Amsterdam (Museum of Modern Art). In 2006 he succeeded M. Wim Duisenberg, former president of the European Central Bank, as Chairman of the ‘Rijksmuseum Fonds’, the fund providing finance for the most important museum of the Netherlands.

Rottinghuis is listed as one of the 100 most influential people in The Netherlands.

Keep in touch with Mr. Rottinghuis’ Presidential campaign at www.henkforfei.org.

For further information please contact:

Maarten van der Heijden

Director of Sport and International Affairs

Maarten.van.der.Heijden@knhs.nl