Sağlam became CEO of Ballast Nedam four years ago and that was not the best time to step into that position, he says. "It was the beginning of a turbulent period. First of course the corona pandemic, then the war in Ukraine. Rising energy and material prices made our lives very difficult. In 2019, the construction and infrastructure market was booming and then suddenly everything became unpredictable."
The result was that Ballast Nedam, like many other companies, started to make more of a distinction between short-term actions and long-term strategy. "For the time being, we continue to deal with political uncertainty and therefore changes in, for example, our supply chain. Our long-term strategy remains important, but if you want to survive as a company you simply have to tackle current challenges."
What Sağlam has in mind for the long term is clear: "Ballast Nedam does not have to become the largest construction company in the Netherlands. We want to be a specialized, profitable and healthy company with sustainable products. That is why our focus on all projects is now on climate change. We also want to become the “employer of choice” in the market. We need the best talent for our transformation."
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