Sports are also important to me. The Romans knew what they
breathing and heartbeat. I rarely have any physical complaints
were talking about, with their maxim ‘a healthy mind in a healthy
and when I do, I generally recover fairly quickly.
body’. Keeping fit is a must for me, and we also try to promote that mentality among the staff. For example, we sponsor the
What is Kempen’s view of current developments
Amsterdam student rowing club Nereus, and a hockey club,
in Zuidas?
Pinoké, and have been taking part in the Dam tot Damloop
I’ve worked here for almost 12 years and am really impressed by
and Zuidas Run for years.
the developments. Everybody who works here, I think, is proud of this location and enjoys working here. It’s also crucial for us
What is Kempen’s relationship with Van Lanschot?
to be close to Schiphol. We receive lots of visitors from abroad,
In 2007 the private bank Van Lanschot bought Kempen & Co.
and it’s a genuine advantage for them to be able to take the train
Our core activities cooperate in many areas and draw from the
and be at our office in no time. However, this is also a source of
strong foundations of the group. Private Banking and Asset
concern, because with all the activities planned – like Zuidasdok
Management, for example, share the same in-house investment
– we want to be sure clients will continue to be able to reach us
philosophy and process. This enables private clients to benefit
easily. Clearly it is not in anybody’s interest for Zuidas to be closed
from the same specialist expertise as some of the biggest investors
off for years, but we did sign for a long renewal on our lease,
in the world. The Merchant Bank provides solutions to Private
in spite of these large-scale works.
Banking clients, such as notes or certificates based on an index, or an equity. Furthermore we can attract and retain talented professionals by enabling career steps between our core activities. Paul Gerla What do you do to unwind or to recharge your
• Paul Gerla (born 1966) was appointed in late 2004 to
battery for another working week?
the Management board of Kempen Capital Management,
All sorts of things. For starters, I spend time at home with
a division of Kempen & Co. Since 1 January 2009 he has
my family. I’ve got one son who is 12, and another who’s 19.
been a member of the management board of Kempen & Co
Apart from that, I work out a lot, get together with friends in
and has been chair since March 2015.
the evening for a good laugh, and I recently got involved in the
• Gerla has a degree in econometrics, obtained at
Holland Festival. I got to meet people from totally different
sectors there, which has served to expand my horizon. And it also
• Besides Kempen, Gerla is on the board of the
helps to focus your mind on something else. It’s important to
Dutch Fund and Asset Management Association
listen to yourself and take a break every now and then. I recently
(DUFAS), on the supervisory board of the
participated in Kempen’s vitality programme. Since then I’ve
Spaarne Gasthuis and on the Holland Festival
been using a seven-minute workout app every morning as well
board of governors.
as a mindfulness app which trains you to synchronize your
10.
Erasmus University Rotterdam.