Gert-Jan Peeters is a true adventurer who grabs every opportunity for adventure with both hands. In addition to his passion for traveling, he also has a deep love for his work.

Gert-Jan has been the director of our UK division for nearly 25 years. He joined Pellikaan through Richard van Emmerik, a former classmate who still works at Pellikaan today. Gert-Jan and Richard studied Construction together. After graduating, they went their separate ways but met again during their evening studies in Technical Business Administration. “Richard was already working at Pellikaan and told me I should work there too. No sooner said then done. I applied and started as a project manager. After a few years, I worked my way up to director.”

Gert-Jan thoroughly enjoys working at Pellikaan, thanks to several factors: his colleagues, the freedom during projects, and the sense of camaraderie within the company. “When we’re in the UK, we don’t go home at five o’clock because most teams often stay at the project site. We eat and drink together in the evenings, which creates a closer bond with colleagues and even friendships.”

Of course, a lot of hard work is done as well. Gert-Jan leads the UK division, but he certainly doesn’t do it alone—he has a whole team supporting him. Gert-Jan enjoys his work immensely: “It’s very important to secure new projects, because without them, we have no work. I also think it’s important to keep up with the latest developments in construction. But above all, the most important thing is that I enjoy the work I do.”

Outside of work, Gert-Jan loves spending time with friends and doing fun activities. Traveling is also high on his list of hobbies—especially long-distance trips. “I’ve already made several long journeys, but the farthest was to Irian Jaya, now Papua in Indonesia. You can definitely wake me up for an unexpected long trip, but if I could make one true wish, I’d love to go on a real round-the-world trip!”