Make-A-Wish Opens International Operations Hub in the Netherlands
The global organization that creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses, opens the new international hub in Hilversum
Since July 2019, Hilversum has become the location of the new operational office of Make-A-Wish International. The goal of moving Make-A-Wish International to the Netherlands was to become more accessible to the affiliates around the world.
U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands, Peter Hoekstra, opens the new office in Hilversum
Granting more wishes by building the organizational infrastructure
The vision of Make-A-Wish International is to grant the wish of every eligible child. The purpose of Make-A-Wish is to grow wishes across the world. This is possible through growing the capacity of existing affiliates and strategically growing new territories. To grow both, there needs to be an emphasis on building strategic capacity at all levels of the enterprise.
“This year we are celebrating our 40th anniversary. The opening of our new office in Hilversum is a great kick-off,” said Luciano Manzo, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish International in the Netherlands. “Just think, there is a wish granted somewhere in the world, every 17 minutes on average. But there are so many more children who need their one true wish. That is why it is vital that Make-A-Wish International continues to build the infrastructure of this global organization to be able to support and grow into the Global Benchmark Children’s Charity…this next strategic step brought us to Hilversum!”
The Netherlands as strategic location for the international hub
As Make-A-Wish has half of the affiliate countries located in and around Europe, it was a strategic move to open the international operations hub in the Netherlands. The Netherlands is located at the center of Europe’s largest markets. Driven by world-class seaports and airports, an extensive network of roads and rail, and a 100% digital telecommunications network that ranks among the world’s best for quality, speed and reliability, Holland’s infrastructure is one of the best on the planet.
About Make-A-Wish International
Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Make-A-Wish seeks to bring every eligible child’s wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child’s treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness. Make-A-Wish is the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, serving children in almost 50 countries worldwide. Together, generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 45,000 volunteers, grant a wish every 16 minutes, on average, somewhere in the world. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted nearly 480,000 wishes to children: more than 30,000 last year alone.
Source: Make-A-Wish International
12 February 2020