The mission of the Royal Dutch Soccer Association (KNVB) is to elevate soccer in the Netherlands to an increasingly higher level and to utilise the unifying power of soccer for a positive impact on society. This aligns with PwC's purpose: building trust in society and helping solve important problems.
That is why we are a strategic knowledge partner of the KNVB. We are a different kind of partner for the KNVB than a regular sponsor. We use our knowledge and our brainpower to help the association with their mission.
We leverage our knowledge and expertise to assist them with their problems, challenges, and issues, specifically in the areas of sustainability (ESG) and impact measurement, (equal) opportunities, and matters related to innovation and technology.
Playback of this video is not currently available
A recent example of our collaboration with the KNVB is our contribution to the 'Dragons Den' pitch session. The session was intended to come up with new and refreshing ideas and all departments of the KNVB were allowed to participate.
Because we believe that good ideas add value to football and the enjoyment that millions experience from it, we made 50,000 euros of hours available from PwC to bring the most impactful, original and innovative idea one step closer to reality. Veronique Roos (board member of PwC), Martin Bond (partner at PwC) were in the jury together with Dave Dekker (commercial director KNVB) and Giel Kirkels (head of research and innovation KNVB). Ultimately, nine departments presented their ideas.
Playback of this video is not currently available
Photo, from left to right: Giel Kirkels (head of research and innovation KNVB), Veronique Roos (PwC board member), Robin Janssen (pitch winner), Martin Bond (partner at PwC) and Dave Dekker (commercial director KNVB).
The pitch for a European Championship para-football emerged as the winner. Separate European Championships and World Cups are currently being organised for the five different para-football forms. This is inefficient and not powerful. The goal now is to merge these forms into one event. The KNVB team will use the budget made available by PwC to prepare a feasibility report.
We are also eager to introduce future top talents to the KNVB and our valuable knowledge partnership. Watch the video here of one of the visits to the campus by our colleagues with motivated students, where they had the opportunity to learn more about, among other things, the accounting profession, the KNVB, and working at PwC.
Playback of this video is not currently available
Caption from left to right: Veronique Roos-Emonds - member of the Board of Directors PwC Netherlands, Marianne van Leeuwen - director of professional football KNVB, Agnes Koops-Aukes - CEO PwC Netherlands, Dave Dekker - commercial director KNVB.
As of 1 September 2023, PwC is a strategic knowledge partner of the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB). The KNVB’s mission is to take football in the Netherlands to an increasingly higher level and to use the connecting power of football for a positive impact on society. “This fits in well with PwC's promise: to build trust in society and help solve important problems. This is a powerful starting point for this new knowledge-driven partnership," says Agnes Koops-Aukes, CEO of PwC Netherlands.
Professional football connects 8.2 million Dutch people from all walks of life. This is according to research conducted by PwC in 2021 on behalf of the KNVB, Eredivisie CV (ECV) and Coöperatie Eerste Divisie (CED). The social impact of football is enormous; football plays an important role in society and in the lives of millions of Dutch people. Football has a unique power to bring people together. A power that is unmatched by any other sport, event or activity in the Netherlands. Koops-Aukes: "In the last years of our previous partnership with the KNVB, we focused on increasing the social relevance of football. This will again be an important part of the future cooperation.”
Playback of this video is not currently available
Marianne van Leeuwen, director of professional football KNVB, agrees, and adds: “With our strategic plan 2022-2026, we are raising the bar in several areas. To take the next step, we need strategic and organisational insights. That’s why we are very happy to have PwC as our knowledge partner.”
The KNVB works together with professional football clubs, amateur associations, the government and social and commercial partners to make a positive impact on society. Van Leeuwen: “Football has so much to offer society and we want to communicate this in a substantive and structural way. But we see more opportunities where we can make an impact together with PwC.” Koops-Aukes: “We will use our broad knowledge and expertise in various areas to tackle the challenges facing the KNVB, so that together we can achieve the greatest possible social impact. I am therefore very enthusiastic about our new collaboration.”