More than code; our investment in people and environment

When I look back on everything we’ve built with NetRom, I keep realizing: it’s the people who make the difference. At NetRom, we build software, but ultimately we’re building something much bigger: trust, relationships, and a positive impact on people and the environment. You can see this not only in how we work with our clients, in co-creation, with care and openness, but also in what we do beyond the workplace.

Sponsorship is a topic we haven’t discussed here before. Not because it’s unimportant – quite the opposite. And to be honest: we don’t have a tightly defined academic strategy or a detailed policy document on this. What we do have is a kind of benchmark, a set of criteria against which we evaluate all our initiatives.

The main recipients of our sponsorship contributions are undoubtedly the two local universities in Craiova. We maintain very close ties with these institutions – which makes sense, as they are the breeding ground for the talent that works at NetRom. Not only now, but also in the future. We thereby gratefully make use of a Romanian tax scheme that allows companies to donate part of their profits to good causes.

But it doesn’t stop at education. Adriaan Kom (and his colleagues) from our client Visma Onguard is an example of someone who truly impresses. On June 5th, he will climb the Alpe d’HuZes six times to raise money for cancer research. Such achievements, and the passion behind them, deserve our support.

Recently, we also partnered with Iozefina Werle, a chess master and dedicated volunteer. Through her, we sponsor the Dutch Youth Rapid Chess Championship in Woerden. Apart from the fact that chess is a big hobby of mine, I see it as a metaphor for how we work at NetRom: thoughtful, strategic, with attention to the bigger picture.

On a very different level is our sponsorship of Richard Verschoor, a Formula 2 driver. F2 is the gateway to Formula 1, and Richard is an extraordinarily talented, driven, and likeable athlete. His dedication is inspiring, and when we invite him to NetRom events, the enthusiasm among clients and partners is palpable. Our partners first and foremost must share our core values, but sponsorship also needs to serve our commercial and PR interests – and we are upfront about that.

But our sponsorship is not just about visibility. It’s about who we want to be as an organization: honest, involved, and future-focused. At NetRom, we put people first, because we believe that is the only way to lasting impact and real quality. Whether on the racetrack, behind a chessboard, or on the slopes of a French mountain: when people can bring out the best in themselves, something special happens.

That’s what we want to contribute to at NetRom. Every day. In code, in collaboration, and in our social choices.