Mariël Koerhuis receives the award given by the ‘Dutch Business Club’, supported by the Dutch Embassy in Spain, for her great work as general manager of Johan Cruyff Institute
Mariël Koerhuis, general manager of Johan Cruyff Institute, has been distinguished as ‘best Dutch manager of the year’ by the Dutch Business Club, a non-profit organization that recognizes the entrepreneurship and business excellence of Dutch managers based in Spain and promotes networking among the community. The award, endorsed by the Dutch Embassy in Spain and audited by Ernst & Young, was presented at an event during the Netherlands Business Meeting held on October 20 in Madrid.
Mariël Koerhuis received the award from the Ambassador of The Netherlands, Mr. Roel Nieuwenkamp.
Mariël Koerhuis was recognized for her great work at the head of Johan Cruyff Institute, an organization that represents the academic legacy of Johan Cruyff worldwide and whose mission is to professionalize the sports industry through higher education and talent development. With more than 25 years of experience in the industry, Mariël was praised by the jury for her leadership style, personality and intrinsic motivation for the entrepreneurial project, aspects that did not go unnoticed in her thank-you speech. “I am very grateful and proud to receive this recognition for my career as a Dutch manager in Spain. I dedicate it to our founder, Johan Cruyff, for giving me the opportunity, and to my team for accompanying me on this journey,” said Mariël.
“I dedicate this recognition to our founder, Johan Cruyff, for giving me the opportunity, and to my team for accompanying me on this journey” – Mariël Koerhuis
The criteria that the jury of the Dutch Business Club, composed of the presidents of the regional Dutch business clubs in Spain, takes into account in its evaluation of candidates are: the quality of the business plan, the degree of innovation of the services offered, the care and treatment of the company’s human team, the degree of sustainability of the company, and the special skills of the managers selected in the fulfillment of their professional work.
The award is the result of a laborious process that is carried out in different phases and consists of an evaluation of the submitted documentation (strategic plan, financial reports and leadership style assessments), two interviews with members of the jury, participation in an online workshop on leadership, a visit to the company’s headquarters by members of the jury, and the defense of the candidacy during the Netherlands Business Meeting held in Madrid.
