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Robert Heesakkers | Manager Circular Hub
Since 2001, Robert Heesakkers has been building a beautiful and varied career within Royal Ahrend. He was Global Key Account Manager, Sales Manager (including in America), Sales Director at Ahrend UK and later in Amsterdam. Since June 2025, he has been leading the Circular Hub in Veghel. No less than 12,000 m2 where used furniture is given a new life.
How did you come to join the Circular Hub?
I have been working at Ahrend for many years and have held various roles in international sales. I have also lived abroad. One of the great advantages of working for such a large organisation is the range of opportunities available - particularly when you make your ambitions known. A few years ago, the Circular Hub was still a start-up with just four employees; today, we are an enthusiastic team of 27 people, ranging from refurbishment technicians to circular consultants. I originally studied HEAO Small Business, and now I run a small company within a large organisation.
What are your ambitions?
We aim to expand the Circular Hub internationally. For now, the Netherlands will remain at the forefront, as demand for refurbished furniture is growing - particularly among government bodies and organisations such as banks. However, large international clients are also showing increasing interest. That is why we are now beginning to operate beyond our borders, guided by the vision of our Circular Hub in Veghel. This starts with identifying local partners with whom we can collaborate on our circular proposition.
‘One of the great advantages of working for such a large organisation is the wide range of opportunities available to you.’
How motivated are customers to furnish sustainably?
Large clients are often already intrinsically motivated to embrace circular design, partly driven by CSRD guidelines. However, other organisations are also inspired when we share our story. My ambition for 2026 is for my team to be out in the field as much as possible - working even more closely with Sales, as their feedback is extremely valuable to us, and joining them more frequently in conversations with customers who have circular ambitions.
‘Why buy a new chair when you can choose a refurbished product with the same quality and warranty?’
Why is the circular economy so important?
The transition to a circular economy is essential in addressing climate change. Rather than following a linear model, a circular approach focuses on reusing materials already in circulation, significantly reducing CO₂ emissions.
It is also highly rewarding to give products a second, third, or even fourth life. Why buy a new chair when you can choose a refurbished product with the same quality and warranty - one that feels as good as new? At the Circular Hub, we are continuously working to industrialise refurbishment - in other words, to scale up sustainability while achieving cost efficiencies. This is made possible by having our own factory and a team of highly skilled engineers with extensive expertise.
How sustainable are you in your private life?
I drive a fully electric car, and we try to raise our children - our teenage son and daughter - in a conscious way. For example, we encourage simple habits like turning off the lights when leaving a room. That does not always happen automatically, but they have both developed their own sustainable ways of earning extra money. So perhaps some of it is rubbing off after all.
