Ajax has a ‘Culture programme manager’ from 1 July, who will deal with a safe sporting and working climate. The appointment of Nynke Hagen is a result of the affair surrounding Marc Overmars, who resigned as technical director at the beginning of 2022 due to transgressive behaviour.

Translation of article:

**Ajax has a “Culture Programme Manager” from 1 July, who will deal with a safe sporting and working climate. The appointment of Nynke Hagen is a result of the affair surrounding Marc Overmars, who resigned as technical director at the beginning of 2022 due to transgressive behaviour.**

Hagen has the necessary experience in business with guiding changes and culture management. Until the beginning of last year, she worked at VodafoneZiggo, the main sponsor of Ajax, which became known on Wednesday morning that the contract was extended by two years. Hagen worked at Rabobank in the past year.

The appointment of a culture manager is one of the recommendations that Consultantbureau Berenschot conducted in a study and sports climate at the club last year. A committee with employees of the club, accompanied by a few external experts, made a similar recommendation.

Both the appointment of the committee and the engaging of Berenschot was a consequence of the departure of Overmars, which was given a global suspension by FIFA at the beginning of this year due to events at Ajax. The findings of Berenschot are confidential. According to insiders, the report contains a survey among employees about safety in the workplace. Men, women, boys and girls play football at Ajax. In total, more than 450 employees work at the listed football club.

**Exemplary**

President Michael van Praag has been involved in the interviews with candidates. He calls the arrival of a culture manager “essential” to bed in the organization. “At Ajax you have to deal with both a strong competitive culture on the future and with employees in the office. In both those places it must be safe. Ajax wants to fulfill an exemplary role in this. ”

Hagen will also focus on the Ajax association, where amateurs and volunteers are active. In the youth training, paid employees of Ajax work together with unpaid forces.

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