By developing the corporate story: ‘VROM, the architect of the house called Holland’, Ramzy gave us a recognizable thread that interlinks all VROM activities.

In the Dutch government VROM is responsible for the policy areas of housing, spatial planning and the environment. Added together, these areas make for a complex, differentiated picture of what VROM represents. You could say that VROM is about the quality of people’s lives, as its mission is to create a safe, healthy and sustainable living environment. It does not do this alone, but in partnership with, amongst others, local authorities, intermediaries and members of the public. In order to optimize such alliances VROM builds and maintains relationships with the parties. You don’t build relationships by letting someone call the shots, but by self-assertion. This starts with a strong sense of identity, translated into a distinctive image and a good story. Because VROM has a lot to tell about a wide array of subjects Ashraf Ramzy used his narrative approach to help VROM write its story and formulate its concept. The configuration and organization of Dutch space, which forms the essence of its work. This core competence and the corporate identity of VROM form the basis for the concept: ‘VROM, the architect of the house called Holland’, designing the contours for a good living climate. The concept guides our story (content) and projects our identity (form), creating a recognizable thread that interlinks all VROM activities.

Ashraf pinpointed the essence of our team’s identity and value. Ashraf is an absolute expert in his field and, on top of that, also very pleasant to work with.

As part of a team, struggling to express their identity and value for their organization, you’re not immediately inclined to think that an external storyteller can help.

Yet, this is exactly what Ashraf did. In a pleasantly critical way, with well-directed questions and suggestions, Ashraf pinpointed the essence of our team’s identity and value, and turned it into a clear and appealing story. Ashraf is an absolute expert in his field and, on top of that, also very pleasant to work with.

Ashraf Ramzy excelled in connecting with us, listening to us and inspiring us.

Ashraf Ramzy took us on a wonderful journey of discovery that resulted in the identification of the common and shared values and goals of the National Institute of Public Health and Environment.  He excelled in connecting with us, listening to us and inspiring us.

Ashraf Ramzy helped us to the core of our identity. I definitely recommend teaming up with him when you need a high impact vision and mission narrative.

When the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water needed to revise its vision and mission statement, Ashraf Ramzy helped us to the core of our identity. Together with him we came up with just seven words “free to move and safe to live” to capture our essence, clarify our purpose and inspire us. I definitely recommend teaming up with him when you need a high impact vision and mission narrative.

A session with Ashraf means digging deeper and deeper until you get to the to the essence of what it is about, the nuclear core. Very special!

I have collaborated with Ashraf twice and both times I was touched by his method. Asking questions, summarizing and giving feedback. That’s basically what he does. But he does it in such an intelligent way that the story structures and clarifies itself, as it were. A session with Ashraf means digging deeper and deeper until you get to the to the essence of what it is about, the nuclear core. Very special!

Ashraf managed to turn something incredibly complex into a very short yet powerful masterstory, enabling us to better shape our future.

Working with Ashraf was a great pleasure. Ashraf helps you truly understand what business you are in and what purpose your organization has. In his words: ‘the nuclear core of what you are doing or pursuing’. In this quest to understand the matter at hand, he leads a process where he asks questions and forces you to be truly honest. After every session I felt intellectually challenged to the limit but most satisfied with my team’s progress and their very positive feedback. In the end Ashraf managed to turn something incredibly complex into a very short yet powerful masterstory, enabling us to better position our program, to more clearly convey our purpose and to better shape our future.

Commissioned by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, together with Ashraf Ramzy, a golden masterstory© has been designed and written for (the long road to) the Pension Agreement.

With tangible results. In 2019, after more than 10 years of disagreement and dissatisfaction in the Netherlands, Minister Wouter Koolmees of Social Affairs and Employment concluded a Pension Agreement with trade unions and employers.