Margaretha (Marga) Jeannette Elizabeth Hoek (born 1965), is a Dutch businesswoman, speaker, and author. She is a global sustainability thought leader, Board Member, and Chairwoman. Following a career as a three-time CEO, she dedicated herself to sustainable business as the Founder and CEO of the Dutch Sustainable Business Association De Groene Zaak from 2009 to 2017 which later merged with MVO Netherlands.^[1]

Throughout that same period, she was also the Founder and Chairwoman of the Dutch Sustainable Science Association Het Groene Brein.^[2] Marga Hoek currently serves as a Non-Executive Director and Advisory Council Member for multiple companies in Europe.

Marga Hoek is a business leader. She coined the term “Business for Good” and aims to demonstrate that “business for good is good business,” especially when paired with sustainable technological innovations.

Early life and education

portrait of Marga Hoek
by Hermien Lam

Marga Hoek, born in the Netherlands, is the middle of three children. Hoek's father was the CEO of a construction company, and her grandfather was the captain of a ship. Politically engaged and part of the resistance movement in the Netherlands during World War II, Hoek's grandfather was an inspiration for her entrepreneurial spirit and drive to become a global influencer. Instilling a sense of leadership in her at a young age, Hoek's grandfather taught her the responsibility that comes with the privilege to lead.

Marga Hoek was a student at the National Ballet Academy of Amsterdam in her early youth. She then attended and graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a degree in Communication Sciences. Hoek in addition received an MBA degree from NCOI Opleidingen.^[3]

Career

Marga Hoek's leadership career began at a young age. Throughout her executive career, Hoek held three CEO roles in the property development and construction sector. In her early thirties, Hoek was named CEO at Thunissen,^[4] a mid-sized private construction company in the Netherlands followed by a public role as CEO of Property Development Management at the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, which encompassed the city including Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.^[5] She proceeded to become a member of the Board of Directors of the AEX listed BAM for the housing division.^[6]

In 2009, Marga Hoek was asked to establish the Dutch Sustainable Business Association De Groene Zaak in collaboration with several front running CEOs and companies, which later merged with MVO Netherlands.^[7][8] The mission of De Groene Zaak was to proliferate the transition to a sustainable economy, and it did so by jointly influencing public policies and science. To unlock sustainable solutions and stimulate collaboration between business and scientists, Hoek also founded the Dutch Sustainable Science Association Het Groene Brein, for which she served first as CEO and later as Non-Executive Chairwoman.

Marga Hoek has repositioned herself in a non-executive capacity as a high-level global speaker and author on sustainable business and financial capital.

In 2017, Hoek became a partner with the global boutique firm Chair Mentors International (CMi).^[9][10] which leverages the experience and knowledge of global chairpersons to the benefit of newly appointed CEOs and Executive Committees of international companies.

Since 2019, Hoek is a board member of Aegon N.V.,^[11] Vice Chairwoman of Mazars Accounting NL,^[12] and an Advisory Board Member of Redevco.^[13]

Publications

Hoek's first book was originally published by Vakmedianet in Dutch as Zakendoen in de Nieuwe Economie. It was awarded Management Book of the year in 2014.^[14]

The next year, a global version in English was launched in London as New Economy Business. It received fifth place among 15 Wellbeing Economy essential books.^[15]

Her second book, The Trillion Dollar Shift was published by Routledge and launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 25, 2018.^[16] It was awarded a gold medal by the 2019 Axiom Business Book Awards, which recognizes and promotes the year's best business books.^[17] The Trillion Dollar Shift was also explicitly mentioned in Fortune as “required reading.”^[18]

Marga Hoek's third book Tech for Good is about how advanced technologies can accelerate the transition to a sustainable world while at the same time improve business profitability, market share, and multi-stakeholder return. Tech for Good launched November 2023.

Awards and recognitions

Personal life

Marga Hoek is a mother of three children, all of whom are entrepreneurs. She currently lives in the Netherlands yet considers herself a global citizen.

References