On 15 June, AmCham had the honor of having Mr. Robert Swaak, CEO of ABN AMRO, present his perspectives on the present and future of the Dutch economy. Mr. Swaak spoke about how the recovery out of the COVID-19 pandemic should not be about returning to the pre-pandemic status quo. In his view, we should take this opportunity to transform our economy and think about long-term growth strategies. He addressed how three important trends will be decisive in whether the Netherlands will continue to outperform, or whether the recovery will be mediocre: globalization, digitalization and sustainability. The Dutch economy is very dependent on what happens in the rest of the world. Trade and cooperation with foreign partners including the connection between the United States and the Netherlands remain vital for the Dutch economy. Simultaneuously, increased digitalization is transforming how we work, the services and products companies offer, and the labor market at large. It also presents opportunities to build a less-re resource-intensive economy, thereby allowing carbon emissions to be decoupled from economic growth more quickly. Sustainability will be a major opportunity that will benefit from transparency and clarity on the climate performance and climate risks of companies. ABN AMRO tries to play its part by focussing its strategy on helping clients with their transition.
AmCham cordially thanks Mr. Swaak for presenting his views and engaging in conversation with AmCham and its Members.
