Carel Lammers RIP

Carel Lammers died 8th Oct 2014.

Carel worked for Philips for 26 years. He became a victim of ‘operation Centurion’ which saw thousands of employees forced into early retirement to avoid the company risking bankruptcy. After he retired in 1991, he formed his own consulting company, Focus Consult b.v..

As Carel was finishing his career with Philips, I was just starting mine. I moved to the Netherlands in late 2001 and out paths crossed for the first time shortly thereafter. Carel used to run the Product Management course for Philips Lighting at their training centre in Hilvarenbeek. Hundreds of employees from around the world spent a week there, learning everything there was to know about becoming an elite product manager. The subjects were many and varied and were delivered by both internal and external experts. All aspects were expertly handled and managed by Carel. I was a member of the internal faculty and got to know Carel quite well over the years.He was very precise and always at pains to make sure that the curriculum met the needs of the business and that Philips Product Managers were the best in the world. But he also recognised that such an intensive week needed fun and social interaction too so he always built that into the program.

Willing To Share

He was a real gentleman and always willing to share his knowledge. When it came my time to leave Philips and start my own company, he generously gave me his time and knowledge. He was very open about the pitfalls of working for yourself, the fees and consulting consortia and the minefield that is the Dutch tax system. I am very grateful for the advice that he gave me and I offer my sincere condolences to his family.

Written by Julie Allen

15 Oct