Folkert Huysinga had been responsible for purchasing and new venture integration at Philips for 10 years when he decided to completely change course and try something new. He started his own business as a change management coach and trainer. His company, called HeartTarget, is located on the smartest square kilometer in Europe: High Tech Campus Eindhoven (HTC).
His role on the campus involves more than his work at HeartTarget, however. “In life, you’re constantly formed by what you experience,” says Folkert. “And you can choose whether you stand still, or whether you learn and grow from those experiences, both positive and negative. I decided to delve deeper into what makes people happy. I had the chance to speak to Leo Bormans, author of The World Book of Happiness, at a lecture he gave.
My most important question to him was, ‘how do I spread more happiness at the High Tech Campus?’ It’s known to be a pretty happy place in Eindhoven, but I still felt that something was missing. He immediately asked me if I wanted to be the ‘happiness ambassador’ for the campus. With 88 different nationalities in 150 different companies and a total of 10,000 people on the campus, this is a huge task, but definitely a rewarding one.”
