VYP training:
Digital and Artistic
Transformation

Often, ‘change’ and ‘transformation’ are used interchangeably in the context of business. Changes can be small or large, but usually consitute of specific actions that lead to desired outcomes. Transformation is fundamental in nature; it seeks to reinvent organizations and create new business models and ways of working. On Friday, July 15th, our Venturn Young Professionals (VYPs) learned all about the topic of transformation during their ‘Innovation & Inspiration’ training day, which had an artistic twist.

The day began with a session on Digital Transformation by Roel Stroeve, who has years of experience in bringing together business and IT. Full of enthusiasm, he enlightened our VYPs about the challenges transformation brings from his own experience. After this interesting morning program, it was time for a lunch in restaurant GalleriAAA, which doubles as a gallery for the artist collective AAAFresh123. While the group enjoyed some Italian cuisine, Venturn partners Niels and Wouter gave the VYPs an update on the latest developments in the organization. After lunch, it was time for our VYPs to tackle the challenges of transformation themselves.

Trusting the vision

The afternoon program took place in the studio right next to the restaurant. In 2009, Hans Kleinjan, Maikel Kleinjan and Roderik Faasen joined forces and started their collective AAAFresh123. In their creative process, they deal with transformation issues ‘on a different level’. The collective went from working on their own individual pieces in the same spaces to creating joint art works. As they often work on the same piece as a trio, so they explained, they have had to embrace the transformational process.

“It takes some getting used to. You have to allow others to make changes to an art piece you might not agree with at first,” Roderik explained to our VYPs. But over the years they’ve mastered the process and learned to trust each other’s vision. “Because the combined end result is always better than you could have imagined by yourself.”

Communication and collaboration

“The combination of digital transformation and an art workshop definitely had some overlap,” according to Roel. “Digital transformation is all about communication. What is set out to be a technical masterpiece could be destined to fail when there’s no communication or collaboration.”

Could our VYPs successfully create an artpiece together as well? We put them to the test and an interesting creative process followed. The end result? Well, it may not be a Picasso or a Van Gogh. But, as even the seasoned collaborators of AAAFresh remarked, our VYPs excelled in teamwork and communication.

Roel was just as impressed with our VYPs: “Many thanks for inviting me and giving me the opportunity to work with this group of young talents and share some of my experience.”

This was the last training before the August summer break. The curriculum will continue in September.