It is with great sadness that the Executive Board and Supervisory Board of Randstad N.V. announce that its founder, F.J.D. (Frits) Goldschmeding, Ph.D., passed away peacefully Friday 26 July at the age of 90.
Sander van ’t Noordende, CEO of Randstad, comments: “With Frits’ passing we lose a great visionary and a wonderful, inspirational personality. Frits founded Randstad on strong community values and his legacy continues to live through all of us. His impact on our industry and contribution to the advancement of flexible work and HR services more broadly can be seen across the world. He will be dearly missed by those who had the honor of getting to know him and working alongside him. This is a very sad day for Randstad and we continue to keep Frits’ family in our thoughts.”
Frits founded Randstad with a commitment to ensuring that long term sustainability is always at the core of the company. This led to Randstad’s core values - to know, to serve, to trust, striving for perfection, and the simultaneous promotion of all interests - that continue to form the foundation of our strong, people-focused culture today.
career.
Frits Goldschmeding founded Randstad in 1960 after writing a thesis on temporary work as part of his Master’s Degree in Economics. He held the CEO position for 38 years, growing the company and actively lobbying to improve the image of the staffing industry as well as strengthen the legal position of staffing employees. He joined the Supervisory Board of Randstad N.V. in 1999 and retired from that position in 2011.
Frits Goldschmeding was the honorary chairman of ABU, the Dutch industry association for private employment agencies, after serving on its board for many years. In 1985 Frits Goldschmeding received the Royal Decoration Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau. At the 35th anniversary of the Randstad Group he was also appointed Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion. In 1994 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Rochester in recognition of the contribution Randstad had delivered to the Dutch economy and society. Because of its contribution to socioeconomic developments in Belgium, he was appointed Commander in the Order of Leopold II in 1999. In addition, he received an honorary doctorate from the Nyenrode Business University in 2006. From 2007 to 2009, he held the position of professor. J. Postma Chair for Entrepreneurship at the Nyenrode Business University.
In 2015 he established the Goldschmeding Foundation, which is a philanthropic foundation. The foundation is dedicated to improving the way people work and cooperate, believing that if we serve each other’s interests, we work together towards a better world. With its knowledge, funding and network, the Goldschmeding Foundation supports promising initiatives with demonstrable societal impact. Together we are dedicated to an inclusive labor market, sustainable ways of working and a humane economy. Working together towards a better world.
A condolences section, including biographical information and pictures has been made available on the corporate website: https://randstad.com/in-memoriam-frits-goldschmeding/
shareholding continuity of Randstad.
Frits Goldschmeding has created a future-proof structure that does not depend on the life and involvement of individuals and that will continue beyond his life. The supporting governance and boards of directors within this structure has been active for years now and as such, is fully prepared for the period post Frits Goldschmeding’s involvement. Please see page 182 in our Annual Report 2023 for more information.
As disclosed by Randstad N.V. in its annual reports, Randstad has signed a continuity agreement with Randstad Beheer, the private holding company of Randstad's founder Frits Goldschmeding. According to its articles of association, the purpose of Randstad Beheer is to participate in Randstad and safeguard the interests of Randstad and its business, among others by promoting the continuity of Randstad and the sustainable success of its business. This is in line with the modus operandi that has been followed over the past decades. The long-term involvement of Randstad Beheer is reflected by its right to nominate one seat on Randstad’s Supervisory Board, provided Randstad Beheer holds a stake in Randstad N.V. of at least 25%. Randstad Beheer has confirmed that it intends to maintain its more than 30% shareholding in Randstad N.V.
about Randstad.
Randstad is a global talent leader with the vision to be the world’s most equitable and specialized talent company. As a partner for talent and through our four specializations - Operational, Professional, Digital and Enterprise - we provide clients with the high-quality, diverse and agile workforces that they need to succeed in a talent scarce world. We help people secure meaningful roles, develop relevant skills and find purpose and belonging in their workplace. Through the value we create, we are committed to a better and more sustainable future for all.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, Randstad operates in 39 markets and has approximately 40,000 employees. In 2023, we supported 2 million talent to find work and generated a revenue of €25.4 billion. Randstad N.V. is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam. For more information, see www.randstad.com