Our CEO, Patrick Mans, recently sat down with Wirtschaftsforum to share insights on iPS Powerful People, the energy transition, and our global vision. Read the full interview below!
The world is becoming increasingly complex, and companies are focusing more and more on their core tasks. With its specialized personnel services, iPS Powerful People contributes to this by focusing on recruitment and tasks related to contract management. The company, based in Capelle aan den IJssel, places a strong emphasis on staffing for various roles in the energy transition and the construction of infrastructure.
Wirtschaftsforum: Patrick, how does iPS Powerful People, or iPS for short, differ from a conventional temporary employment agency?
Patrick: Our most important recruitment service is attracting people with a technical background. These can be individuals working on ships, oil rigs, or in various projects and positions. When we talk about so-called “white-collar jobs,” these can include project managers or directors from different disciplines. Our range of personnel spans from “blue-collar” roles to management and leadership positions. Sometimes these people work for our clients for a certain period, or occasionally on a project basis. In other cases, clients may want to permanently hire our specialists. Our second pillar is payroll services for external employees of our clients. Here, we handle employment contracts, salary negotiations, insurance, and much more.
In which industries are you active?
Patrick: Our fields of activity are marine, offshore energy, and the civil sector with infrastructure construction.
When and by whom was iPS founded, and what does the structure look like today?
Patrick: In 1988, Theo Wanders and Leo Oostendorp opened a small office in Leiden. Some time later, we moved to our current location in Capelle aan den IJssel. Today, we operate twelve offices worldwide, including in Germany, the USA, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and the UK. In addition, we maintain exclusive partnerships in 15 other countries, so we have a global presence. Alongside 150 in-house employees, between 1,400 and 1,600 workers are permanently deployed at client sites. Our current revenue is around 150 million euros. I joined the company in 2010/2011 and have been CEO and co-shareholder for some time now. One of our current projects is the construction of the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel between Denmark and Germany, where we will likely remain active for the next six to seven years. Overall, I would say that about 75 to 80% of our activities take place outside the Netherlands.
Why do you think clients choose to work with iPS?
Patrick: I believe there are three pillars we rely on: recruitment, meaning the people themselves, our expertise regarding the markets and countries where we operate, and our infrastructure, which is necessary to provide the right solutions in our fields of activity. If someone works in Mexico or the USA, we make sure everything related to their stay during a project is well organized.
How do you maintain relationships with existing clients and acquire new ones?
Patrick: We maintain close relationships with our clients and professionals. We actively work on this by visiting them and ensuring everything runs as agreed. To establish contacts with potential new clients, we attend industry events such as conferences, online platforms, or trade fairs like Offshore Energy in Amsterdam or WindEurope in Hamburg or Copenhagen. Occasionally, new contacts come through recommendations from existing clients.
What about marketing?
Patrick: We have a website, are present on social media channels, and share information via newsletters. Essentially, it’s about showcasing as broadly as possible that we have extensive knowledge and long-standing experience in our field.
Is digitalization a topic for iPS?
Patrick Mans: Digitalization is important for our internal processes because we handle a large amount of data, which we naturally use digitally. The same applies to communication and recruitment. Nevertheless, the human factor remains extremely important and should not be underestimated.
What about sustainability? Can you make an impact as a company?
Patrick Mans: We are B Corp certified and strive to keep our CO₂ emissions as low as possible.
How would you describe the culture within iPS?
Patrick Mans: Quite simply with our four core values: Unite, Commit, Innovate, Empower.
And your goals for the coming years?
Patrick Mans: We want to continue growing, play an important role in the energy transition, and keep embracing new challenges as we have so far.
iPS Powerful People
Rivium Westlaan 78
2909 LD Capelle aan den IJssel
Tel.: +31 88 4479494
info@ipspowerfulpeople.com
www.ipspowerfulpeople.com
Read the interview with Wirtschaftsforum in German here.
Lesen Sie das Interview mit Wirtschaftsforum hier auf Deutsch