Ferry Aerts (28) is a hospitality manager at Albron, a hospitality and catering company. Within the company, he supports managers at six Anne&Max locations and one AH To Go location.
How did your career start?
"It began at Albert Heijn. AH started collaborating with Albron to expand their To Go locations. That's how I entered the hospitality, catering, and hospitality industry. I got the opportunity to grow in this sector. Currently, I manage about 140 employees in total. I visit each location—seven in total—once a week."
AH To Go is well-known; tell us about Anne&Max?
"We are a lunchroom offering breakfast, coffee and tea, cake, lunch, brunch, and high tea. We're increasingly adding a focus on drinks. Anne&Max is a very sustainable concept; everything has a purpose behind it. Take our salmon, for example. We source it from a reputable supplier and ensure a fair price. Hospitality is our top priority. Additionally, we aim to raise awareness among our employees about what truly matters in the world. We find that employees choose us because they fully align with our values. Our menu includes many vegan and vegetarian options."
Has this concept personally influenced you?
"I've been inspired by it. At Anne&Max, we're truly committed to it. Since taking on this role, I've started eating vegan four times a week. I'm much more conscious now about things like sustainable clothing. We bring this up in every job interview; it should be a part of who you are and want to be at Anne&Max."
Can you draw parallels with retail?
"Absolutely. I come from retail, where staffing issues were never a big problem. Why is that? In retail, you work as a team; there's an understanding of training programs, growth opportunities, and the path to becoming a team manager. In hospitality, this wasn't always the case, but fortunately, it's changing. I see more people in hospitality choosing the long term. I see it in processes. You work with many different employees, in both retail and hospitality. You know what's expected of you. There are definitely many similarities."
What attracts you to hospitality?
"Someone's having a rough day and comes in for coffee. You engage with them, offer oat milk, suggest they try it. They feel seen and heard, and they leave your place feeling good. Over time, you build a relationship with a guest, you know about their home situation. Then someone walks in, and you think, 'They always have a cappuccino; I'll prepare it in advance.' That's the difference you make in our profession. Making people happy—that's what I find truly beautiful. I wake up to make people happy. I try to extend that enthusiasm to my teams as much as possible. But it's deeply ingrained in me. I can only try to inspire people as much as possible."