Testimonials

The testimonials below come from Linkedin and are taken one by one and in some cases only translated from the Dutch language. They have been drawn up by the person mentioned without direction or consultation about the content. You can also find these hier.

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Rotterdam Partners

I have had the privilege of working with Saskia on several occasions in Texas and in Rotterdam since 2017. Saskia is not only a very kind person, but also a genuine business development expert and a true economic diplomat helping to further strengthen Dutch-American relations.

In March 2019 Saskia was one of the organizers of the Netherlands Taskforce Healthcare mission to Austin and Houston, Texas. The mission has proved to be successful for us in expanding our network as well as identifying opportunities for trade and investment in the Greater Houston area.

I am looking forward to continue working with Saskia and would recommend any company interested in pursuing opportunities in Texas and or the Netherlands to reach out Saskia and her team at NBSO Texas.

Unal Sezisla
Business Intelligence Manager
Rotterdam Partners
International Trade and Investment

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Ministerie van VWS

I met Saskia Pardaans during the Life Science and Health trade mission in Texas. She and her team organized the trade mission together with the Health Care Task Force, RVO and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. Saskia was responsible for the general program, the individual matchmaking and the organization during the trade mission itself. The content of the program was very diverse and of high quality. Concrete follow-up agreements have been made by the entrepreneurs, which will most likely result in great assignments. Thanks to Saskia’s enthusiasm and professionalism, she provided the delegation with an inspiring and successful week. The trade mission was a success in every respect. Compliments to Saskia and her team for the excellent organization! Saskia is great!

 Erik Gerritsen
Secretary-General

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Siron Fire Protection

I had the pleasure of first meeting Saskia at a RVO meeting in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Immediately I was put at ease by her professional approach and found her to have an extremely organized, approachable and knowledgeable personality. We kept in touch over time as we both had lots in common. Due to the growth of SIRON in Europe and the increase in overseas enquiries I contacted Saskia again with regards to some work in the US. Saskia is based at the Netherlands Business Support Office (NBSO) in Houston. I was planning a visit to Houston to visit clients and Saskia straightaway jumped into action and was kind enough to arrange a whole day of back to back business meetings with different key people who gave SIRON great insight on how to do business in the US. Nothing was too much trouble for Saskia and she was always checking in to see how the day was going and was even kind enough to let me use her own boardroom for the day. For any Dutch company looking to do business in the US I cannot recommend Saskia highly enough. A true professional. We ended the day at a New Year Reception to celebrate the start of 2019 with the NBSO where I met many new contacts. Many thanks Saskia and I look forward to working with you again in the future. You are a credit to the NBSO and thank you for all your assistance.

Antoon Buitenhuis
CEO 

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Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, DC

I met Saskia when I took on my role at the Netherlands Embassy’s Economic Department in Washington DC (December 2015). Saskia served as Chief Representative at the Netherlands Business Support Office in Houston, as she does now. We worked together on a regular basis – at least weekly. I have got to know Saskia as a highly motivated and skillful economic diplomat; well-positioned to connect Dutch entrepreneurs to business opportunities in Texas. I recommend working with Saskia as she has a can-do mentality and is a nice and genuine person on top of that.

Vincent Storimans
Deputy Consul General

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Port of Rotterdam International

Saskia is a very pleasant person to work with. Due to her passion and enthusiasm, she gets a lot of things done. She has been a great help to establish our business in the Houston area.

Roland van Assche
Commercial Director

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Stroopclub

Saskia is highly skilled in what she does and very well connected in her field. She knows exactly who to send your way or who to talk to, in order to build or expand a business in Texas. With creativity and an extensive network, she matches people from all kinds of companies and institutions in various fields, who as a result both enjoy their new successes. Saskia has been very important for The Stroopclub in connecting the dots with some important clients and giving the right exposure to the right persons. Besides her professionalism, she is also a beautiful, strong and fun character to spend time with.

Chantal Piet
CEO

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VNO-NCW Oostland

As chairman of VNO-NCW Oostland, I worked closely with Saskia for some time.
I got to know Saskia as a professional, commercial doer. Saskia is great at organizing events with an eye for details. Due to her commercial attitude, she understands the problems and wishes of entrepreneurs. She knows how to translate this into concrete projects in which she is responsible for both the organization and the process guidance. Due to her boundless energy and enthusiasm, she must be slowed down rather than stimulated. So if you want to have something well organized or achieve a commercial objective, Saskia is a great person to have in your team.

 Cor van der Wel
Chairman VNO-NCW Oostland

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Gemeente Lansingerland

Saskia Pardaans is committed to the business community in Pijnacker-Nootdorp and Lansingerland. Together with her team, she organizes substantive and networking meetings where entrepreneurs and governments meet. The Oostland Day was excellently organised. More than 300 entrepreneurs attended this annual networking event.

Her contribution to the steering group ‘Oostland on the map’ is also of great added value. In short, a businesslike, positive approach, a high degree of expertise and also very enthusiastic and driven.

Ewald van Vliet
Mayor

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Content Marketing Fast Forward CMFF

If you have worked with Saskia once, you will raise the bar considerably with every project partner from now on.

Saskia is a no-nonsense, pragmatic approacher who works with great commitment to achieving the client’s goals. In addition to this results orientation, she also has a great eye for the human factor in organizations. Not in a soft way, by the way. She states things clearly for everyone involved, gets people motivated and moving and thus gets the best out of people and organizations. In short, a very nice partner to work with!

Bert van Loon
entrepreneur  &  Co-Founder

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KBenP

Saskia Pardaans from OSP Opleidingen has provided us with excellent support in a process in which professionalization of our services has been central. In a short time, OSP has trained us in areas such as “conversation techniques” and “presentation”. Result: a more confident and proactive team of Information Professionals!

Paul Baak
CEO 

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Netherlands Business Support Office, Texas

I have been working with Saskia since 2019 as Deputy Representative at NBSO Texas. Saskia is not only a great professional but also a kind and genuine person, with a high team spirit. She is always passionate about her work, pursuing new challenges and goals, with a direct and positive attitude. It has been a pleasure working and learning with Saskia during this time, where I appreciate all the opportunities that she has opened. I highly recommend her, and I am confident that her talents and skills will add value to every team and organization. Thank you, Saskia!

Maria Elana Alamo Jara
Deputy Representative NBSO Houston

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University Medical Center Groningen

Saskia managed a large health delegation visit to Texas I participated in. She set up a great program with a lot of interesting visits to top institutes at the Texas Medical Center as well as some interesting visits to the downtown Houston innovation scene.
I particularly compliment her on her ability to get the delegates focused and was impressed how she managed to drill the group to give targeted and accurate short pitches about their products or services.
Would be very happy to have her organize another trade mission to Texas! Given the overall results of this mission, I would not be surprised if such a follow-up visit would happen sooner rather than later!

Bart Scheerder
International Strategy & Relations 

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The Water Institute of the Gulf

Saskia is a results-oriented, highly-capable business development specialist and manager for the Netherlands Business Support Office (NBSO) in Houston, Texas. Saskia is an efficient, effective and productive developer of B2B, Gov2Gov and academic-industry research collaborations and projects between Dutch- and- Netherlands-based parties. Regardless of the sector, Saskia is able to quickly identify potential projects and partners, activate her broad Netherlands and Texas-based networks, and target joint initiatives to produce tangible results and partnerships. Saskia is skilled and diplomatic, but also no-nonsense and direct, which explains her affinity for Texas and effectiveness with Texans. Her success with water management and flood risk mitigation, the medical sector, the oil and gas sectors, agriculture, IT and other high-tech fields is both impressive and indicative of broad skills and intense curiosity. Saskia is an asset to Dutch-based companies seeking to understand and pursue opportunities in Texas and to Texas-based companies seeking partnerships with leading, innovative Dutch companies.

Dale Morris
Director for Strategic Partnerships

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The Forest Club, Houston

Saskia and myself have worked together since her arrival in 2015 as the Chief Representative of the NBSO. In my role as President of the Netherlands American Chamber of Commerce we united efforts in Houston and aimed to better serve the Dutch business community already in Houston and those Dutch companies and entrepreneurs looking to settle in Texas. When establishing the Houston Chapter for the Netherland America Foundation in Houston it was only natural that Saskia would serve as a Board Member. Saskia has become a formidable force and resource for those looking to give business in Texas a try and recommend you take advantage of all that she and the NBSO can offer.

 Nadia Sant
General Manager

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Greater Houston Partnership

I highly recommend Saskia to any Dutch company looking to do business in Texas. If you are looking for market information, new clients or setting up an operation yourself, her services will be very valuable to you. Her energy and commitment is to be commended. The NBSO is your entry into Texas, I recommend you use it.

Jeffrey Blair
Director Europe, Middle East & Africa

 

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Houweling Group

I met Saskia through the board of VNO-NCW. My experience with Saskia is extremely positive. I know Saskia as an enthusiastic and driven person. Once she sinks her teeth into something, she doesn’t let go. And can also oversee the entire playing field. If something needs to be organized, I can highly recommend Saskia.

Marc Houweling
Managing Director / Owner

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VNO-NCW West

Saskia took over my position as regional manager VNO-NCW Oostland six months ago. A very versatile position where a lot is expected of you. Saskia has picked up the thread well and has already gotten a lot off the ground in a short period of time. She does this with great enthusiasm and her own “personal touch”. Organizing, connecting and operating decisively are qualities that are perfect for her. I am very happy with Saskia Pardaans in this place!

Norma Drost
Manager CEO network

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Koninklijke Nederlandse Gymnastiek Unie

I got to know Saskia in the period Jan-2011 / Mar-2012 during the KNGU project DigiMembers (implementation of web-based membership administration at 1,100 clubs with 250,000 members) as a driven and passionate professional in the field of communication and program management. Along the way in the five KNGU districts, she overcame a lot of resistance and got the collective to focus on the resounding end result that had now been achieved. The experiences she has gained from this strengthen her competencies to make her new position of regional manager Oostland at VNO-NCW a success. Good luck Saskia, we will keep in touch.

Wim Wolters
Manager Finance, Control and ICT

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TU Delft

Saskia Pardaans has a spontaneous and transparent way of training, with which she has brought out the best in everyone at the Library DMA department. She is direct, alert and objective and this combined with her enthusiasm and optimism makes for a refreshing collaboration. She is looking forward to it and makes sure that everyone wants to participate.

Esther Maes
Manager document management

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KNGU

Saskia is a politically sensitive manager. With a feeling for people, she knows how to strike the right chord so that objectives are achieved. Enthusiastic, goal-oriented and pragmatic. A top manager at a high level, but with his feet on the floor!

Dagmar van Stiphout
Manager marketing en communicatie 

 

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Multi Instruments

The training courses from OSP Opleidingen are practical and to the point. It was nice to be able to look in a mirror every now and then. This has given us new insights that help us respond to a changing market.

Michel de Ruiter
  Sales Manager

 

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Kamer van Koophandel

Over the past few months I have had a fantastic time working with my namesake! As chairman of the Oostlanddag, she was businesslike but also very involved. What I appreciate in Saskia is her critical attitude combined with enormous pleasure in her work! I hope to be able to work with her regularly.

Saskia Wong-A-Tjong
Chairman