Nick de Haas returns to HTC
When Nick de Haas started as an assistant technician at HTC International on July 1, 2000, as a 17-year-old, his first job was an assignment in Switzerland.
He had just left school when his father, the founder of the company, gave him a pair of wire cutters and a screwdriver. “I liked cables; I liked them more than school,” Nick laughs. His parents saw that too, so early that morning, he was picked up by colleagues Henk Matthijssen and Wesley Smits for a three-week job in Switzerland. These are men with whom he has recently shared many old stories, as these two gentlemen still work for HTC International. Just like about fifteen other colleagues Nick remembers from his early years at HTC.
His early years, because as of March 1, 2023, Nick, now 40, is returning to work at HTC. “To provide commercial support to the HTC team,” as he describes it.
Letting go of ‘baby’ ClearVox
After Nick left HTC in 2007—by then a chief technician—to further develop his commercial skills, he focused his energy on developing and launching the ClearVox Nexxt communication platform. This was under the umbrella of telecom provider X2com. He shifted his focus from data networks to telecommunications. He poured his heart and soul into it and gained a wealth of (commercial) experience. He calls ClearVox Nexxt “his baby.” “But now that the platform has 75,000 users and reputable companies believe in it, I can let it go. My schedule was also becoming clearer,” he notes. “I compare it to a child moving out on their own. At a certain point, it is simply time. And for ClearVox Nexxt, that moment has now arrived.”
A natural moment
It happened exactly when a commercial colleague left HTC, creating a natural entry point for Nick to return to his “old flame.” As of March 1, 2023, that step is a reality, and he will once again apply the experience he has gained since leaving HTC. “Over the years, I have developed as a professional, but also as a person. From a loose cannon to a mature data and telecom professional. I am now bringing the (interpersonal) knowledge and experience I have gained since 2007 back to HTC.” His main ambition? “To take the great company that HTC International already is even further. By immersing ourselves even more in our customers’ needs,” he explains. “So that we actually know which communication and/or data solution a customer needs before a question is even asked.”
“When we achieve that TOGETHER as a team, I will be delighted to remain part of ‘Team HTC’ for years to come, to take the company TOGETHER from its 30th anniversary, which we are celebrating this year, to its 50th anniversary in 2043.”
Thanks to ‘Team Home’
A mission that Nick will dedicate himself to with great energy and pleasure. He does so knowing that his wife and four children support him one hundred percent. “After all, there is no ‘Team HTC’ without a fantastic ‘Team Home,'” he concludes.