Interview with Stefan Clijnk, Board Member of AGE

1. Congratulations on your recent appointment to the AGE board.
   How do you feel about this new responsibility?
   
   Thank you very much. To be honest I was quite surprised, but very honored when I was asked to join the AGE board on 1 January 2023 by Ludo Plessers, who has decided to retire after a long and meaningful career in the automotive glazing industry.

I really believe in the strength of working together. In my own professional career while working with 123Ruit.nl, our own network of independent automotive glazing specialists in the Netherlands, I saw how working together can create great value for our stakeholders.

If I can play a small role in recreating this scenario in AGE, then I have succeeded in my mission.

I am always open to new challenges and for me personally this is a good opportunity to learn from the other experienced entrepreneurs who jointly form the AGE board.  

2. As the new board member responsible for the technical team and sustainability, what do you see as your priorities in these areas?

Our market is changing rapidly. Technological changes are happening at the speed of light increasing the complexity of windshield replacement. To keep up with all these new developments we need to join forces to continue to offer a high-quality service, grow, and of course, stay true to our name – “experts”.

Due to the rapidly increasing importance of responding to technical changes, AGE has placed more attention on technology and started a new technical team. This technical team will keep track of developments and translate them into concrete actions for our members, based on best practice. Furthermore, we will share technical know-how with our members so as to improve the quality and safety of our services.

If we look at sustainability, we have a big challenge  – to become climate neutral by 2025.

Sustainability and carbon neutrality are perhaps, one of the biggest challenges of mankind. If AGE can contribute to this neutrality, I don’t see a reason why we shouldn’t advance, while simultaneously creating added value for our members and beyond.

Currently, AGE has members who are really advanced in their sustainability approach. AGE has tasked itself with helping each member to take the right steps, with the correct tools, at the right time to achieve sustainability across the network.
I can also see that members who have already taken big steps in sustainability are happy to help other members on their journey, to share their experiences, as well as explain their trajectory and projects.

AGE’s, soon to be announced, sustainability team will focus on bringing information and members together, gathering best cases, and improving each day step by step to reach our long-term goal. We will focus on process of measure, reduce and compensate and also internal policies, such as the 3R’s (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle).

3. What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the automotive glass industry today, and how do you plan to address them?

In the short run we see a challenging year. Prices are still increasing, and availability is an issue. As AGE we are working together with our suppliers and clients to keep the best conditions possible with the same quality of service that they are used to.

At the same time, we are improving our IT to be even more efficient to our final customer and user. We’re also investing in sustainability actions, such as AI implementation to evaluate repair or replace, to lower emissions, costs, and time of response.

4. What do you think sets AGE apart from its competitors in the industry?

Automotive Glass Experts has members all over the world. With more than 7 000 glass professionals we deliver excellent glass services every day. Therefore, we have loads of experience and the willingness to learn from each other is key. Shared information and know-how are a big plus in our group.

We are all specialists, and we combine the strength of being independent with the force of cooperation. This is unique and delivers value for every member.

Moreover, we offer a unique network for our clients when they are abroad for work or holiday. AGE continues to expand each year, and now provides a global dimension to the service and solutions offered.

I also see members who are really flexible and willing to adapt to the market.

5. What do you see as the future of the automotive glass industry and how do you see AGE fitting into this future?

Technology evolves. We will have autonomous cars to some extent. I doubt if we will ever reach the highest level of autonomous driving but for sure our technicians must be prepared.

We will stay ahead of all technical developments, invest in training and focus on quality. To guarantee quality with all our members we’ll probably have our own quality standard worldwide including international training facilities.

In 5 years from now, we’ll have an even more of a global presence and therefore AGE will be an important player for insurance, fleet, and leasing companies.

Also, we are aligned with a sustainable DNA.

We can achieve this all by working together as one.