A new Director General – the time is right
As of 01 September, 2010, PLDA will have a new man at the helm. A face that many people know, a person many lighting designers have had dealings with:
Wim Aalders.
Why would a man with a good position in a well known lighting company and with a track record of successful international business want to break away from sales and industry relations and take on the job of Director General of PLDA? That is exactly what the PLDA team of interviewers wanted to find out when Wim Aalders was selected as one of the three candidates – the other two also having close relations with a leading lighting company – for the position that Alison Ritter had filled since the association was founded in 1994.
So they asked him:
I want to be a sounding board for the professional association and provide every support for the establishment and official recognition of the profession in as many countries around the world as possible. Representing 780 members in 57 countries requires international communications and the handling of cross border opinions. Given the work I have done within the lighting industry, I am used to public speaking and I am not a stranger to networking. I consider interpersonal skills to be very important and I want to turn around relationships that have gone sour and manage relationships with superiors (the PLDA Council) and peers.
PLDA’s story started over 15 years ago under the banner of The European Lighting Designers’ Association, ELDA with a handful of committed members. Five years later, a Circle of Sponsors was founded. Nowadays PLDA counts around 150 professionals within a membership of over 780 members plus a Circle of Sponsors comprising 20 quality manufacturers. PLDA workshops are recognized all over the world and the one in Alingsås has become a key educational event for lighting designers and students, but also to promote the sound partnership between manufacturers and designers. These are just a few of the many great initiatives that have provided a fruitful start for an even bigger and more powerful association. PLDA is now in a position to set the tone and can be a serious partner to decision-makers on worldwide norms pursuant to lighting.
In spite of PLDA’s success there is room for improvement. Meetings – also at a local level – are not frequent enough, and the attendance of large meetings is sometimes disappointing. Agendas and content need to be fixed well in advance of the meetings to encourage as many professional members, educators, students, sponsors and other members to attend. Circle of Sponsors meetings with lighting designers can be extremely beneficial for both sides. This is not only about products and new developments, but market trends and the meaningful application of new technologies. I can envisage expanding the Circle of Sponsors to include
solar engineering companies, for example.
I would like to see more time spent on the growing number of students, including research students.
During my travels around the world I learned that some lighting designers are known as members of PLDA, but PLDA is not known as an association in itself. For this reason I would like to see PLDA in closer contact with lighting designers’ clients: contractors, consultants, real estate companies or even investors, to make it clear to them how the association works and how they can best work with lighting designers.
Wim Aalders will be working for PLDA full time – 40 hours (at least!) a week compared to Alison’s 20-hour week – and will no longer be employed by We-ef. Much as he found his work for We-ef interesting and rewarding, Wim wanted to move away from the sales and export business and focus on facilitating the goals of the lighting design profession he has got to know over the years.
Wim describes himself as “ambitious, passionate, focussed and organized.” His peopleoriented approach will serve the association and membership well, and his positive attitude and sense of humour will serve him in dealing with an international Council and PLDA members of all kinds and backgrounds.
If you have any questions for Wim Aalders – now or later – please forward them to
ihogrebe@pld-a.org