Original production by Thrive HR Exchange
Hosted by Matthew Chapman, Co-creator of Thrive HR Exchange and Founder of ChapmanCG

When the Netherlands went into an ‘overnight’ lockdown, companies and employees had to quickly adapt to working from home and ensuring workplaces were COVID-safe. With a large proportion of their workers in factories, global confectionary manufacturer Perfetti van Melle set in motion a plan across two focus areas: health & wellbeing and business continuity.

Richard Martinus, who looks after HR across the European region, highlights how the organisation tackled the following areas:

• Crisis management – working with organisational leads and external consultants.

• Employee health and wellbeing – listening, providing support and direction.

• Social responsibility – organisation and employee-led community initiatives.

Guest Bio:

Richard Martinus has extensive international HR experience in various companies and industries. Early career he held various HR roles with Royal Philips Electronics in the Netherlands and the UK. In 2008 he joined Prudential in Hong Kong as the regional CHRO for the Insurance business. Returning to Europe in 2013, he spent 6 years as Group Head of Global HR for Generali in Milan, Italy. Since 2019 he has been operating as the HR Director for the BU Europe and BLX within Perfetti van Melle - well known for its brands such as Chupa Chups, Mentos, Fruitella and Smint.

Richard has a MA in Human Studies and a Doctorate in Business Administration with a specialisation in Cross-Cultural Management.