Bijl, partners in public relations

Melvin Voskuijl

Me
After 25 years in Dordrecht and three years in Gouda, I moved to Rotterdam in 2006. It's a wonderful city in which to live and work. I live with my girlfriend, Leonore, in the new Rotterdam-Nesselande area. One of the advantage of living here include is that there's a lake within walking distance from my home where I can surf!

At the young age of 21, I attended the opening of Bijl's former premises. The good impression Bijl made on me at the time obviously stuck, as I now work for them. With so many customers from all manner of sectors, the work never becomes boring. Bijl employees operate at the heart of society!

For example, I'm often involved in roadwork communication projects. We live in a small country, in which all of the land has a designated use. Breaking this pattern causes problems for people. By informing people about this in good time, you can often overcome the worst problems. The developments in the field of information provision offer opportunities to serve people more rapidly and more effectively. I consider it a challenge to fully utilise these opportunities. 

‘He's got the whole world in his hands'
The original photo above was taken in the Tuscan town of Prato. I'm posing in front of a life‑sized picture of the Italian football team with the World Cup. A simple change is all it takes, and the cup is then replaced by the globe. This photo represents my passion for travel, which for me is akin to having the world at my feet. My girlfriend and I are always on the lookout for new travel destinations. So far, this has taken us to several special places, including Mexico, Kenya, Brazil and Costa Rica. Whether far away or close to home, after every trip, we appreciate how lucky we are to be able to do this. To me, that constitutes true wealth...

Hobbies and differences
Sport has been a constant in my life. Football, cycling, fitness training, running and tennis. A little bit of everything. Windsurfing is currently my greatest passion. From my back garden, I walk to the Zevenhuizerplas lake, where I learned to surf my first few metres in the summer of 2008.

I have a deep connection with Italian cuisine. A few years ago, I decided to make my own pizza. It wasn't a success, but I didn't want to simply throw in the towel. This set into motion my quest for the perfect pizza, which has gotten a bit out of hand. I have a special pizza oven at home and my ex-colleagues treated me to a pizza baking course! But my search for the perfect pizza is not over yet. A trip to Naples - the birthplace of pizza - has to be part of that journey. The ultimate goal is to have a wood-burning stove in the garden, but I still have to convince a certain someone. Fortunately, friends and family also enjoy the fruits of my hobby. When asked ‘what do you want to eat?', the answer is invariably ‘Pizza!'