Well-respected moving industry consultant Maarten van Zutphen has died, FIDI announced this morning.
A FIDI Office statement said: ‘Maarten was a highly respected, larger-than-life industry personality who devoted more than 40 years of his life to the moving industry.’
Maarten began his career in 1983, working for the Dutch Department of Defense, managing moves from and to the Netherlands. After turning out the lights at the local AirForce Base and managing 1,500 moves as project leader in one year, Maarten switched to the commercial moving/relocation industry in 1995.
During the past 35 years, Maarten held several management and board positions in the Netherlands and Belgium, with FIDI Affiliates KHZ, De Gruijter, Noble Mobility, Passies, and Gosselin.
He was passionate about industry training and development, was a certified Global Mobility Specialist with talent accreditation, a FIDI Academy Master in Moving (MiM²) alumni, and held various advisory positions in the market.
Maarten was also a lecturer and adviser at Expatise Academy, a training institute for global mobility professionals in the Netherlands. At FIDI, Maarten also served at FIDI as Chair for the FAIM Supervisory Committee (FSC) for several years.
Maarten ultimately went on to set up a successful consultancy business for the moving industry, and in that capacity, he helped numerous FIDI Affiliates and applicants through the FAIM process.
‘Maarten worked closely with the FCC and the FIDI Office on a regular basis and we feel his loss acutely,’ said the FIDI statement. ‘A passionate FIDI and FAIM fan, we valued his expertise and unwavering support. He loved working with us, our Affiliates and applicants and would always go the extra mile to support them.’
FIDI Secretary General Jesse van Sas, said: ‘I have known Maarten for more than 25 years, from the time we were both working as movers and competing with each other, and later developing a close relationship with him as FAIM consultant for FIDI applicants. He was so dedicated to quality and to the clients he guided through the FAIM process, before, during, and after. His enthusiasm and energy were infectious. What a loss for our moving industry.’
FIDI’s Customer Service Office Prachi Sharma said: ‘Maarten always had a great attitude – to get on with things and make them work.’
Isabel Chillopa of FIDI’s FAIM Coordination Centre paid tribute to ‘a true gentleman’, saying: ‘Maarten was a passionate supporter of FIDI and FAIM, leaving a lasting mark on the FIDI community. For many years, he served as our exceptional FCC FSC chair, and in over the past years he guided FIDI applicants through the FAIM process with care and professionalism. His sense of humour and dedication to his work made him a pleasure to work with.
‘Maarten was a kind and hardworking man, with a love for life’s simple pleasures, and as tall as he was nice! Always ready to lend a hand – whether helping us setting up a booth at events or supporting the FCC team – he brought warmth, generosity, and laughter wherever he went. We once joked with him over a beer that he would need to polish his English accent so we could communicate better. From then on, whenever we met, he would ask with a smile, “Is my English getting good?” – a light-hearted moment that added charm to every conversation.’
‘He will be greatly missed, but always fondly remembered.’