He comes from the Land of Flowers and loves music. In a certain sense, Stijn Vriends, president and CEO of Vittoria Spa for four years, is like an orchestra conductor, given his innate sense of group dynamics and leadership, which he exercises with skillful and amiable firmness. He doesn't come from Sanremo, where music and flowers are one, but from the homeland of tulips that symbolize his country: the Netherlands. And music? It's his passion, particularly the saxophone, which he plays whenever he can to free his mind and find within himself that harmony that becomes a warm and enveloping timbre: sensual.

Stijn Vriends is our "Courageous Captain". This month we will get to know this 52-year-old manager who has been living in Italy with his family for several years and now considers our country his second homeland.

"Am I doing well here? Absolutely, otherwise I would do everything to change my environment, but Italy is truly beautiful. Do I miss the Netherlands? Of course I do; it's my and our country, but here we feel at home," Stijn assures me.

How was his childhood?
"Beautiful. Absolutely serene and joyful, outdoors, like all kids of my generation, who spent time outside playing sports or games. I was born on May 15, 1972, in Breda, the Catholic part of the Netherlands (curiosity: the Cathedral of Breda is dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua - Sint-Antoniuskathedraal-, ed). As a kid, I filled my days with lots of sports, particularly field hockey, which I played until I was 18 and later became a coach. And of course, studying. We don't have middle schools: elementary school is from 4 to 12 years old, then high school from 13 to 18. I attended gymnasium, where I also studied Greek and Latin. Then university, no longer in Breda, but this time in Delft."

What did he graduate in?
"Mechanical engineering."

Only child?
"No, happily surrounded by women: I have three younger sisters and now that I'm married, I also have three magnificent daughters. Mom worked for years as an elementary school teacher following the Montessori method, based on child empowerment and choice. Dad was a manager in the construction sector. First a director of some companies, then self-employed."

When did you discover cycling?
"As a sport since I was a kid, although I was never a fanatic. In the Netherlands, it's impossible not to cycle: it's the preferred mode of transportation for everyone, especially young people".

Did you follow races on TV as a teenager?
"Something, let's say I was informed, but moderately. I always kept an eye on the chronicles of major competitions, and when there were important stages of Tour or Giro, I happened to follow them with friends, but I would be lying if I said I was a great enthusiast".

If I mention Zoetemelk and Kuiper, do they mean anything to you?
"Of course, how could I not know two immense champions who made Dutch cycling great in the 70s and 80s, on par with another first-class champion like Jan Raas? I used to follow them on TV and sometimes I would go see them live with my friends in post-Tour circuits in our area. Let's say I always liked the happening atmosphere that developed around these races and events. Cycling is an excellent vehicle for aggregation; for young people, it was the ultimate experience".

When did you start working?
"I started even before finishing my university studies. I was in Canada, working and studying. I was hired for an internship in a mining company in 1997. I then graduated in the Netherlands and went to work at Tata Steel, a steel mill near Amsterdam. I stayed there for a couple of years before being transferred by Tata Steel to a subsidiary in Belgium, since my wife (married in 2020, ed.) had an excellent job opportunity in that country. We stayed in Belgium for three years, working with steel and aluminum, then in 2003 I felt the need to take a break and make a step up in my professional path. I returned to studying and decided to do an MBA in Switzerland, in Lausanne precisely. I had understood that if I wanted to do more, I needed more skills, more know-how. To manage a company, I needed more information: economics, finance, marketing, and the most logical thing was to do a master's. After a year, I returned to the market".

And how did Italy come into your life?
"By pure chance, as often happens. Initially, the plan was to return to live in the Netherlands, but life led me to meet Andrea Guerra, who at the time was CEO of Merloni Elettrodomestici, and he convinced me to work in Italy with my entire family: it was January 2004. I stayed there for three years: first as operations director for washing machines, based in the Brembate plant, another sign of destiny, although I was completely unaware of it at the time. Every day, going to the factory, I passed in front of the Vittoria headquarters and did so until the end of 2006".

What happened then?
"I seized another work opportunity. I moved to Carraro in Campodarsego (Padua), with the role of COO (chief operating officer) and then general manager of the tractor business unit. I continued commuting from Milan to Veneto. From January 2015, I was CEO at Faster in Rivolta d'Adda, a manufacturer of tractor components. I stayed there for four years before going to manage the integration between a Dutch and an Italian company - creating Ammega Group - which produces rubber products, conveyor belts, and belts. It was during this period that I met Rudie Campagne, the president of Vittoria".

How did your encounter happen? 
"We were both invited by the Dutch Consul in Milan for an evening. We introduced ourselves, started talking, and those who have had the fortune of knowing Rudie know that Campagne has contagious energy: he invited me to visit his new offices in Brembate and from there everything practically began. At that time, Rudie was looking for someone who could take his place, but was also interested in selling the company. So I started looking for an investor who could guarantee a beautiful reality like Vittoria a future worthy of its past and could ensure a leap in quality for an excellence of Italian industry. I found Wise Equity, specialized in investing in small and medium Italian companies, a management company of the Wisequity V Fund (July 11, 2020, ed.), an entirely Italian fund, very attentive and meticulous, which puts its expertise at Vittoria's service. I joined Vittoria in July 2020. At that time we were turning over just over 50 million and now - despite the sharp braking of the bicycle and components market - we are over 70 million, after having touched and exceeded 105 million in the post-Covid boom period. At the beginning of 2023, another investor entered: Vittoria essentially changed ownership, having been acquired by Telemos Capital, a London investment fund, although Wisequity remained with a minority stake".

How is the market today? 
"As I was saying, after two super years, 23 and 24 have been very complicated and difficult years for everyone. The market has not yet restarted, although we see recovery signals in the after-market, but not yet among bicycle manufacturers. I think 2025 will still be a year of sacrifice and transition, but we must be ready: the wait is about to end".

Do you ride a bicycle?
"Yes, and I love it very much. It's a perfect way to stay in shape and train the mind, since the bicycle is a means that allows you to both make friends and pedal while refining your thoughts. It's not just a saying: on a bicycle, you always make good decisions. On a bicycle, you confront things with great clarity. Moreover, the world of cycling, and in this case I'm talking about business, I really like because it's a gentle world, where respect and fairness reign. I notice that those who enter cycling tend to stay. On the other hand, in many aspects, I find it still a very immature environment, where there is great room for growth and this is what I like most, what stimulates me to design and do new things".

When not working, what does he love to do? What is his passion?
"I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling with my wife and daughters, and when I can, I play the saxophone. Did you know I also like to sing?"

Who is his favorite singer?
"No doubt: Frank Sinatra. Nobody like him."

What music does he love?
"Jazz, and consequently, I'll anticipate your question: for me as a musician, there's Charlie Parker, who is considered by everyone as the father of modern jazz. An incredible saxophonist."

Do you love cinema?
"Of course I watch movies, but I can't define myself as a film buff, even though during a certain period of our life, just after arriving in Italy, my wife and I constantly received invitations from Italian friends who proposed films. It was a real initiation ritual: once a week a film from your beautiful Italian cinematography. In practice, we participated in full-fledged film forums, almost complete series dedicated to Fellini and Rossellini, De Sica and Sergio Leone, the Taviani brothers and Luchino Visconti, Sorrentino, Bertolucci up to Benigni and Troisi. If today we hear: 'Who are you, where are you going, what are you bringing'... we not only understand the comic sense of this saying but also know which film it refers to ('Non ci resta che piangere', ed)."

Do you like living in Milan?
"Very much. It's a beautiful, elegant, and welcoming city, also because it's human-sized, just the right size."

Is there a place that you and your wife consider your nest?
"We have a house in the Piacenza hills, that's our 'buen retiro'. Nature, simplicity, protected roads, ideal for cycling, especially with a gravel bike."

No road bikes?
"Occasionally those too."

A flower?
"What a question: the tulip, I couldn't possibly say otherwise."

What do you miss about the Netherlands?
"I find that in the Netherlands there's more balance between men and women. There's more respect and equity, even though in Italy in recent years significant progress has been made. And then the Netherlands is very effective: everything is more organized and simplified, there's less bureaucracy. Milan, in any case, is absolutely not bad: fast, concrete, and spontaneous."

What do you think about Italians?
"They know how to welcome and make themselves loved: how can one not get along with you Italians?"

What are you proud of?
"My family, which is a great family. From a professional standpoint, I'm proud of the Vittoria Park realization. A place for innovation, animation, and enjoyment open to those who love bicycles, to those who want to pedal peacefully in a protected space not far from the city. This space has literally changed Vittoria's face. Additionally, I'm also proud of the new production unit we launched in Thailand for tire production using natural materials like cotton and silk. A model company that is absolutely zero-impact. A true gem of green technology. These are two things that make me proud because they have identified and indelibly marked the new course of Vittoria tires."

What will your future hold?
"Soon we'll be releasing sustainable products made with over 90% natural or recycled materials, with low environmental impact, with which we'll bring cycling components to another dimension, a place where Vittoria has already been operating for a while."

Does he play well?
"I'd say no, I play. But that doesn't matter much, what counts is doing it with commitment and passion. It's like cycling: if only those who ride as fast as Pogačar were to cycle, nobody would pedal. The important thing is to give your best, try to measure yourself, with commitment and dedication, consistently. Exactly like in any other aspect of life. Music educates, music makes us better. Do you know why I play?"

Why?
"Because I really like it. Isn't that a great reason?"

And what do the neighbors say?
"I hope they appreciate... jokes aside, I try to play at the most suitable times, trying not to disturb too much. So far, no complaints."

What does he love about his instrument?
"Taking care of it. Some time ago, I discovered an incredibly skilled craftsman who repairs instruments sublimely. His name is Paolo Sartori, owner of 'L'ancia e L'ottone', a musical instrument repair and sales workshop in Cernusco sul Naviglio (Milan), who has restored my three saxophones. They are important instruments, both emotionally and objectively. They're almost 100 years old, beautiful, valuable objects that require daily, careful, and meticulous maintenance. Now that I've had them fixed, I also appear more skilled because the sound is clearly cleaner and warmer. I'm proud of them."