I met Sjoerd Post at Jasmax’s Auckland offices on a Friday afternoon. Knowing that he had spent the last three decades as a top executive – including a stint at global oil company Shell – was only slightly intimidating. I also walked into the offices that day aware that Jasmax was recovering from what Post would later refer to as a “mid-life crisis”, which included the departure of some long-serving senior staff members and a round of lay-offs, and knowing that I planned to ask him about these very things.

Upon shaking hands with Sjoerd, any nerves I had dispersed and I could immediately see why a company might choose him as their public face. He appeared relaxed and, from what I could gather, well liked around the office. He carries himself with the confidence that is often characteristic of the Dutch and speaks candidly. Where I expected nicely packaged, PR-approved answers, he offered striking honesty about the challenges both he and his new company have faced in their lifetimes. 

Sjoerd is originally from the Netherlands but came to New Zealand for the first time in 1985. “I like sailing, and Chris Bouzaid had just won the One Ton Cup. My father had also been a prisoner of war with a New Zealander, so we grew up hearing stories about it. This was, of course, pre-internet time, so I had one photo of a New Zealand bungalow and I thought, that looks pretty nice, I’ll go there.”

After working for Shell in New Zealand, he then served two stints in Europe with the company. While in London, he met his wife Stephanie, who now co-directs the Auckland Art Fair. The pair moved back to New Zealand six years ago with their two daughters. “We’re back permanently. We came back because we wanted to give [our daughters] a sense of belonging in this country.”

The new CEO officially took on his role at Jasmax in September 2018, after serving most recently as the Chief Executive of Refining New Zealand. He admits, “My previous role in New Zealand was running a refinery; I don’t know anything about refining, just like I know nothing about architecture.” But, he says, “getting the most out of a firm where you are the CEO and working with people when you are not the content expert is an interesting challenge.”

He explains that, no matter the industry, as a CEO, “you are always trying to give talented people the chance to perform to their full potential. That’s what you’re striving for all the time.”

He notes that a deep personal passion for their occupation unites the employees he has led recently – first engineers and now architects. “But, I would say that an engineering conversation is possibly slightly more driven by logic, whereas a design conversation is slightly more driven by feeling. I’ve already stood up twice in our monthly meeting saying: ‘Profitability is not a bad thing; we’re not just here for social good. If we’re profitable, we can actually pay you decent salaries and reward you well’.”

Sjoerd and Stephanie have always been interested in the arts, which explains his decision to move into the architecture and design industry. “I always [refer to] Michelangelo: one day he was the architect of a building, and the next day he was chiselling away at David. If you like the visual arts, then you are interested in what things look like, and the same is true of architecture.”

Post acts as a self-proclaimed “layperson” for the firm. “I think that ‘chief executive’ or ‘leader’ is a bit exaggerated in terms of what it means. Your role is really making sure that the best decisions get made, but not necessarily because you are the best decision maker. It’s because you attempt to have the clearest process to create a collective decision that is, through a diversity of inputs, the best one that you could make,” he says.

When asked why Jasmax created the role of CEO, he says: “If I were to theorise about it, I would say because you want to get a diverse view and that a layperson is really important to test the boundaries of what you have always been doing. I know you’ve been doing it like this for the last 20 years, but is that really the best way? And, practical things as well, like holding people to account. Jasmax is a phenomenal company, but there are still points where you can say, ‘Look, you’ve got an impressive design process and protocol; how do you know that you’re executing it at all times?’”

Sjoerd doesn’t dance around the difficulties that Jasmax has faced in the last year or so, nor does he offer corporate platitudes. “I think it’s pretty public knowledge that we went through what I would call a ‘Jasmax mid-life crisis’ last year. We had a look at ourselves; we restructured ourselves,” he says. “I wasn’t there, but it was clearly a tense period for people and there was some real soul searching. But, what has come out of it is really strong.

“We’re clear on what we want to be and which sectors of the industry we want to be competing in. There’s clarity around geography. We want to be strong in the South Island, strong in Wellington – let’s execute it. Normally, as a CEO, you come in and there is this expectation that you’ll make changes – because you’re a CEO and you need to prove yourself. Whereas, in my role, I’m executing what [Jasmax] had already thought of, because it’s good.” 

One can tell that he strongly believes in the company’s vision and capabilities. “With a reorganisation, it’s always painful for people because it’s difficult to accept change. So, my first presentation to all staff had the tagline, ‘We need to get our mojo back’. And, now, I think this place is alive.” 

So, what does Post see for the future of Jasmax? “I keep telling people what we should aspire to be; we should get jobs for no other reason than that we’re Jasmax. We should be like a Lamborghini or a Ferrari. It doesn’t matter what it costs; you want those people. So, what do you need to do to get there? You don’t want to be a Skoda, the cheapest. You don’t want a Volkswagen because it’s reliable. You want Jasmax because it is a Ferrari. You want to be a brand, and that’s where I can challenge them.”

One way in which the company is pushing forward is with the unveiling of their digital innovation website earlier this year. The website showcases the types of technology – including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and specialised Building Information Modelling (BIM) – that can be used to support the design process. Though this technology is likely being used by many firms around the country, Jasmax has created an impressive website that brings the technologies down to earth and makes them relatable for the layperson, which prospective clients often are. “If you’ve decided that you want to be the Lamborghini of architecture, you have to be leading in the digital innovation space,” Post comments. 

Post speaks with authority about his short-term goals for Jasmax: “It is already an excellent company, but I want to continue to shift it towards design excellence and bi-culturalism – that’s the priority. I think we have our mojo back. So, now it’s about producing great design for customers.”

In terms of diversity, Sjoerd shows a real sensitivity to not only gender diversity and inclusion, but also the uniquely New Zealand issues facing Maori representation. “In a New Zealand context, you have a phenomenal Maori renaissance going on,” he says, “and you want to be tapping into the strength of this country’s bi-cultural background.”

Perhaps Post’s many years of experience have taught him well, or perhaps he has a naturally charming demeanour, but he comes across as very approachable. He cites an instance where an employee brought up an issue with him following the Auckland Architecture Awards: “I got challenged last night by one of our team members in terms of how we accept awards. We picked up three awards but where was the moment that we said that we worked in a bi-cultural way with expert external input? Why weren’t we referring to that at least in the thank you? You know, you sit there, and it clicks. I immediately sent her an email back saying I get it. I copied in the people who put our buildings forward for these prizes and said we need to tweak the process and remind ourselves to be really respectful.”

Post says being a leader who promotes diversity in the workplace involves working a lot of things in a lot of ways, from advocating for and supporting women in the workplace to taking a stance of inclusiveness towards LGBTQ+ staff. He recalls working as the senior executive sponsor for the LGBTQ+ community while at Shell and how eye opening it was to see the struggles of the global LGBTQ+ community. “I find inclusiveness very important in your leadership role. I think it really all starts with your own heart. I have two daughters and if I were to come home and I was not promoting [diversity] rigorously, my life wouldn’t be worth living.” 

Overall, I came away with the impression that Sjoerd is optimistic about the future of Jasmax: “We are revitalised; we are re-energised; we’re back strong and we know what we want to achieve.”