The story of Khalid Sheikh
Khalid is a rich man. Happily married, father of three children and grandfather of a grandson. He also played a role in the founding of Invest-NL. With his extensive experience and positive-critical attitude, Khalid seeks solutions to challenging issues.
Within Invest-NL, Khalid works in the Business Development department. He is part of the heat transition team. "My activities are diverse but mainly involve networking and identifying prospects to become involved in projects where Invest-NL can add value. It's not a fixed set of tasks. I always say: the market is a constantly shifting panel, and we must therefore always be proactively present."
We are continuously engaged with what is happening in the market and responding to it by anticipating through driving and developing new projects and market instruments.
Khalid was years ago approached by a manager from the Ministry of Finance to provide support in setting up and developing the precursor of Invest-NL. The challenge was significant, not only due to the set objectives but certainly also because of the ambitious timeline within which the organisation had to 'be established'. “It was a great time. The dedication and combination of talented people from diverse backgrounds created an inspiring working environment for me. My final transition to Invest-NL was therefore a logical next step.”
“I have always worked at organisations that go to the extreme to find solutions to difficult issues and that pioneer in new themes such as sustainability, impact, and development. I found the same dedication at Invest-NL. At Invest-NL, people want to contribute to societal questions and thereby to the well-being of the Netherlands. What I see as particularly positive is the drive of my colleagues to make Invest-NL a strong player in the market. A strong brand.”
Khalid is always straightforward. “What you see is what you get. Always be reliable and empathetic. Through your professional attitude, listening ear, and honest answers (however inconvenient they may sometimes be for the prospect), we clearly demonstrate what Invest-NL stands for. That transparency is very important for the relationships we build. And it works. People now know where to find us.”
I am proud that our focus on the warming transition theme has led to recognition from policy and the market.
Creating societal impact has been a common thread throughout Khalid's career. “Twenty years ago, in my role at ABN AMRO, I had the opportunity to lay the foundation for sustainability in the Netherlands by contributing to the establishment of, among others, Global Compact Network Netherlands and internationally The Equator Principles (EPs). That experience still benefits me every day. Sometimes it's a challenge to get parties ‘on board’, but when it works, it’s incredibly inspiring. I also enjoy sharing these experiences with my colleagues.”
Bridging the gap between ‘haves and have-nots’ is another subject that interests him. In emerging markets, but also in the Netherlands. “My motivation has always been to make the issue manageable. Not ‘talk the talk’ but ‘walk the walk’. I am passionate about closing ‘this gap’. It’s about ‘enabling’ those with fewer opportunities, empowering them to truly participate. That would create a completely different world — a world in which everything is distributed more fairly.”