{"organism":"Page","children":[{"organism":"Container.Raw","children":[{"organism":"Metadata","model":{"title":"Alles is familie: Henrike de Wit en vier generaties Shell-ers","text":"\u003Cp\u003EIn de rubriek Alles is Shell-familie duiken we in de bijzondere verhalen van Shell-families. Hoe is het om bij Shell te werken én deel uit te maken van een familiegeschiedenis die soms generaties teruggaat? Bij persoonlijk assistent Safety, Environment en Assetmanagement Henrike de Wit bestaat de band met Shell al vier generaties en houdt zo al meer dan een eeuw stand. De familie ging de hele wereld over.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n","links":[{"name":"Lees over vluchten en thuiskomen","value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/nieuws/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit.html"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/_jcr_content/root/metadata.shellimg.jpeg/1790000989080/netherlands-venster2608sep-andre-henrike-de-wit-hdw-169.jpeg","alt":"André en Henrike de Wit (Foto-origineel vierkant. Voor juiste beeldformaat is AI (Adobe Photoshop) gebruikt om het deel links van de gefotografeerden te verlengen)","width":3708,"height":2085},"date":"2026-09-23T09:23:00.000Z","tags":[{"name":"Olie en Gas","value":"shell:netherlands/olie-en-gas"},{"name":"Carriere","value":"shell:netherlands/careers"},{"name":"Geschiedenis","value":"shell:netherlands/shell-venster-magazine/geschiedenis"},{"name":"Interviews","value":"shell:netherlands/shell-venster-magazine/interviews"}]},"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/metadata"},{"organism":"ContentOwner","model":{},"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/contentowner"},{"organism":"Container.Header","children":[{"organism":"Container.Raw","ref":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/_jcr_content/root/header/inherited.model.json","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/header/inherited","model":{}},{"organism":"Breadcrumb","model":{"links":[{"name":"Home","value":"https://www.shell.nl/"},{"name":"Over ons","value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons.html"},{"name":"Nieuws","value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/nieuws.html"},{"name":"Shell Venster 2026","value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/nieuws/shell-venster-2026.html"},{"name":"Alles is familie Henrike de Wit","value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/nieuws/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit.html"}]},"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/header/breadcrumb"}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/header","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Main","children":[{"organism":"Container.Section","children":[{"organism":"PageHeader.Date","color":"inherited","model":{"title":"Alles is familie: Henrike de Wit en vier generaties Shell-ers","text":"\u003Cp\u003EIn de rubriek Alles is Shell-familie duiken we in de bijzondere verhalen van Shell-families. Hoe is het om bij Shell te werken én deel uit te maken van een familiegeschiedenis die soms generaties teruggaat? Bij persoonlijk assistent Safety, Environment & Asset Management Henrike de Wit bestaat de band met Shell al vier generaties en houdt zo al meer dan een eeuw stand. Een verhaal over avontuur, vluchten en thuiskomen.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n","image":{"src":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/_jcr_content/root/main/section/page_header.shellimg.jpeg/1790062437159/netherlands-venster2608sep-andre-henrike-de-wit-hdw-166-genexp.jpeg","alt":"André en Henrike de Wit (Foto-origineel vierkant. Voor juiste beeldformaat is AI (Adobe Photoshop) gebruikt om het deel links van de gefotografeerden te verlengen)","width":3708,"height":1392},"date":"2026-09-23T09:23:00.000Z"},"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section/page_header"},{"organism":"Author.Info","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section/author","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETekst:\u003C/b\u003E Dionne Kramer. \u003Cb\u003EBeeld:\u003C/b\u003E via Henrike de Wit en Shell Historical Heritage & Archive\u003Cbr\u003E\r\n\u003Cb\u003EOpeningsfoto: \u003C/b\u003EVader André en dochter Henrike de Wit, anno 2026. De orignele foto is vierkant. Voor publicatie op het juiste formaat is de linkerzijde vanaf André's arm verlengd met behulp van AI (Adobe Photoshop)\u003C/p\u003E\r\n","links":[{}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/_jcr_content/root/main/section/author.shellimg.jpeg/1790157251518/netherlands-venster2608sep-andre-henrike-de-wit-hdw-169.jpeg","alt":"André en Henrike de Wit (Foto-origineel vierkant. Voor juiste beeldformaat is AI (Adobe Photoshop) gebruikt om het deel links van de gefotografeerden te verlengen)","width":3708,"height":2085}}},{"organism":"CallToAction.Stacked","color":"brand3","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section/call_to_action","model":{"links":[{"name":"For English, click here or scroll down","value":"#english"}]}},{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"brand1-solid","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple/text_293467848","model":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003EIn dit verhaal:\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n","links":[{"name":"Van Enschede naar Oman","value":"#oman","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/navigation/arrow-down-circle.svg"},{"name":"Overgrootvader begon bij Shell in Roemenië","value":"#roemenie","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/navigation/arrow-down-circle.svg"},{"name":"Op de vlucht naar Bandung in toenmalig Nederlands-Indië","value":"#bandung","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/navigation/arrow-down-circle.svg"},{"name":"Japanse inval, interneringskamp en Birma-spoorlijn","value":"#japanse-inval","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/navigation/arrow-down-circle.svg"},{"name":"Na de Tweede Wereldoorlog keren de De Wits terug naar Nederland","value":"#nederland","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/navigation/arrow-down-circle.svg"},{"name":"Naar Shell in Argentinië","value":"#argentinie","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/navigation/arrow-down-circle.svg"},{"name":"Wonen in Den Haag","value":"#denhaag","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/navigation/arrow-down-circle.svg"},{"name":"Henrike's vader neemt het gezin mee van Oman naar Maleisië","value":"#maleisie","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/navigation/arrow-down-circle.svg"},{"name":"Het gezin landt in Wassenaar","value":"#wassenaar","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/navigation/arrow-down-circle.svg"},{"name":"Naar het historische Shell-gebouw (C30) in Den Haag","value":"#shellcampusdenhaag","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/navigation/arrow-down-circle.svg"},{"name":"Hoe gaat familie De Wit nu?","value":"#familienu","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/navigation/arrow-down-circle.svg"}]}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple/text","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003EHaar overgrootvader, opa en vader gingen haar voor. Een bijzonder verhaal over avontuur, verre reizen, oorlog, liefde en een familieband met Shell die al meer dan een eeuw standhoudt.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003E‘Welcome to Shell International! Cheers, your dad\u003C/i\u003E’. Dit is op 2 oktober 2006 de eerste e-mail die Henrike de Wit (46) in haar Shell-mailbox krijgt. Een persoonlijk welkom van haar vader André de Wit, die op dat moment voor Shell in Nigeria werkt. Maar ook André’s vader en opa werkten bij het bedrijf. “Shell loopt sinds 1912 als een rode draad door onze familie en heeft ons over de hele wereld gebracht,” vertelt Henrike.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDie rode draad heeft voor een schat aan tastbare herinneringen gezorgd: talloze foto’s, die allereerste e-mail van haar vader, een krantenartikel over haar oma en zelfs de oude stamkaarten van haar overgrootvader en opa.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca id=\"oman\"\u003E\u003C/a\u003EVan Enschede naar Oman\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EZelf wordt Henrike op 9 augustus 1980 geboren in Enschede. Haar vader André is een jaar eerder, na zijn studie Chemische Technologie aan de Universiteit Twente, bij de NAM in Assen begonnen.\u003Cbr\u003E\r\nHaar moeder Ina werkte destijds als secretaresse aan dezelfde universiteit. In de kroeg slaat de vonk over en niet veel later trouwen ze.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 1984 krijgt vader André een baan aangeboden in Oman en zo vertrekt het gezin, inmiddels uitgebreid met zoon Sirp, naar Ras al Hamra. Dat is de belangrijkste woonlocatie (\u003Ci\u003Ecompound\u003C/i\u003E) van Shell in Oman. “Voor ons gezin was dit een heerlijke tijd”, vertelt Henrike. “Ik ging naar de school op het terrein, samen met nog zo’n 20 Shell-kinderen. Er was een strand, zwembad, sportfaciliteiten en allerlei clubs voor de gezinnen en kinderen. We leefden veel buiten, ik had er vriendjes en vriendinnetjes en we reisden ontzettend veel. Mijn vader reed in een terreinwagen en elk weekend gingen we op expeditie. Dat was geweldig. Bovendien heb ik er goed Engels leren spreken, iets waar ik mijn hele leven profijt van heb gehad.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}}],"colspan":8,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple","model":{}},{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"PromoSimple","color":"brand1-subtle","model":{"title":"Meer Alles is familie-verhalen","links":[{"name":"Vader en zoon op de kade van Pernis","value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/nieuws/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-vader-en-zoon-op-de-kade-van-shell-pernis.html","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/navigation/arrow-right-circle.svg"},{"name":"In de voetsporen van papa op Pernis","value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/nieuws/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-voetsporen-papa-op-pernis.html","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/navigation/arrow-right-circle.svg"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/_jcr_content/root/main/section/simple_785072534/promo.shellimg.jpeg/1790012649640/netherlands-venster2604-alles-is-familie-pernis-dennis-jordi-elderkamp-dsc4790-ernstbode-169.jpeg","alt":"Vader en zoon op Pernis (Foto: Ernst Bode)","width":3000,"height":1688}},"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple_785072534/promo"}],"colspan":4,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple_785072534","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Section","color":"brand1-subtle","children":[{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"StandaloneAsset","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_637223578/simple_1334663628/standalone_asset","model":{"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/_jcr_content/root/main/section_637223578/simple_1334663628/standalone_asset.shellimg.png/1790010892446/netherlands-venster2609sep-de-wit-moreni-1922-2x.png","alt":"Johannes Fraikin met Ecatarina en de nog jonge Marianne (Ana Maria) in Moreni, Roemenië, 1922 (Foto via Henrike de Wit)","caption":"Johannes Fraikin met Ecatarina en de nog jonge Marianne (Ana Maria) in Moreni, Roemenië, 1922","width":2340,"height":3092}}},{"organism":"Quote.Small","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_637223578/simple_1334663628/quote","model":{"title":"Henrike de Wit","text":"\u003Cp\u003E\"Mijn overgrootouders vluchtten samen met hun dochter Marianne, mijn oma, per schip naar Bandung\"\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}}],"colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_637223578/simple_1334663628","model":{}},{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_637223578/simple_1317657073/text","model":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca id=\"roemenie\"\u003E\u003C/a\u003EOvergrootvader bij Shell in Roemenië\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMaar Shell gaat in de familiegeschiedenis ruim een eeuw terug. Henrikes overgrootvader Johannes Fraikin wordt in 1890 geboren, het jaar van de oprichting van Shells Nederlandse voorloper — Koninklijke Nederlandsche Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Petroleumbronnen in Nederlandsch-Indië (KNMEP; kortweg ‘de Koninklijke’). In 1912 treedt hij in dienst en wordt direct uitgezonden naar Moreni in Roemenië.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDaar was op dat moment een van de voornaamste Europese centra voor de opkomende olie-industrie, een belang dat in de Eerste Wereldoorlog (1914-1918) alleen maar zou toenemen. Tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog was Roemenië na de Sovjet-Unie de grootste Europese olieproducent. De Shell-locatie in Moreni trok zowel Roemeense als buitenlandse medewerkers en groeide uit tot een levendige gemeenschap. Pas na de nationalisatie van de Roemeense olie-industrie in 1948 verdween de aanwezigheid van Shell uit Moreni.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca id=\"bandung\"\u003E\u003C/a\u003EDe vlucht naar Bandung\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETerug naar Johannes. In Moreni ontmoet hij Ecaterina, een jonge Roemeense vrouw. Ze worden verliefd en trouwen in 1921. Negen maanden later wordt hun dochter Marianne (1921) geboren, de latere oma van Henrike. Marianne groeit tweetalig op en spreekt zowel Roemeens als Nederlands. Het gezin leidt een comfortabel leven en brengt de zomervakanties steevast door in Nederland.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMarianne heeft een zeer bevoorrechte jeugd. Maar de dreiging van de oorlog komt steeds dichterbij. Wanneer Roemenië in 1940 steeds onveiliger wordt. De Sovjet-Unie en nazi-Duitsland hebben grote belangstelling voor de strategisch belangrijke olievelden. Shell besluit haar medewerkers en hun gezinnen te evacueren.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“Mijn overgrootouders vluchtten samen met hun dochter Marianne, mijn oma, per schip naar Bandung in het toenmalige Nederlands-Indië”, vertelt Henrike. “Het was een ontzettend lange en zware reis. Mijn overgrootvader Johannes overleefde de overtocht niet; hij stierf onderweg aan buiktyfus en werd begraven in Bombay.” (De Indiase stad Bombay heet sinds 1995 officieel Mumbai; red.) \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca id=\"japanse-inval\"\u003E\u003C/a\u003EEen nieuwe vonk\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EVoor de negentienjarige Marianne is het verlies van haar vader ingrijpend. Zonder hem moest het gezin in 1941 op een voor haar vreemde plek een nieuw bestaan opbouwen. Met een ongewisse toekomst, want de Japanse expansiedrift bedreigt de enorme Nederlandse kolonie — het latere Indonesië (uitgeroepen 1945, erkend 1949).\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EToch is er ook ruimte voor nieuw geluk. Marianne ontmoet in Bandung (toen nog gespeld als Bandoeng) de Groningse Shell-ingenieur Sippe de Wit (1914). Ook hij werkte voor Shell in Roemenië en de vonk slaat over. “Mijn oma Marianne en opa Sippe waren zo verliefd dat ze binnen een maand zijn getrouwd”, vertelt Henrike.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELang kunnen ze echter niet van hun geluk genieten. Na de verloren slag in de Javazee kapituleren de Nederlands-Indische autoriteiten op 8 maart 1942 en gaat Japan over tot bezetting. Marianne wordt samen met haar moeder geïnterneerd in een Japans kamp. Sippe wordt tewerkgesteld aan de beruchte Birma-spoorlijn. Henrike: “Dat was een zware en gevaarlijke periode die hij ternauwernood heeft overleefd. Na de oorlog ging mijn oma via het Rode Kruis naar hem op zoek. Uiteindelijk vonden ze elkaar terug. De Japanse overgave in 1945 kwam voor hen eigenlijk net op tijd.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}}],"colstart":7,"colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_637223578/simple_1317657073","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_637223578","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Section","children":[{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_1857461243/simple_911473637/text","model":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca id=\"nederland\"\u003E\u003C/a\u003EDe Wits naar Nederland\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMarianne en Sippe komen in Nederland weer op krachten, waar ze na jaren van onzekerheid eindelijk samen aan hun toekomst beginnen. In 1947 wordt in Leiden hun eerste zoon Pieter geboren. Daarna volgen nog twee dochters en twee zoons, onder wie André — de vader van Henrike. Hij komt in 1952 ter wereld.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShell blijft een belangrijke rol in het leven van de De Wits spelen. Het gezin verhuist regelmatig naar verre bestemmingen, waaronder Colombia, Nieuw-Guinea en Borneo. \"Mijn vader heeft verteld dat mijn oma Marianne overal waar ze kwam een warm thuis wist te creëren\", zegt Henrike.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“Ze stond bekend als een gastvrije en verbindende kracht binnen de internationale Shell-gemeenschappen. Met haar open blik, talenkennis en aanpassingsvermogen voelde zij zich overal thuis — een echte wereldburger, zonder haar \u003Ci\u003Eroots\u003C/i\u003E te verliezen.” \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca id=\"argentinie\"\u003E\u003C/a\u003EShell Diadema in Argentinië\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 1956 wordt Sippe benoemd tot \u003Ci\u003Efield manager\u003C/i\u003E bij Shell Diadema in Argentinië. Het gezin verhuist naar het olieplaatsje nabij Comodoro Rivadavia. Zoals op veel afgelegen Shell-locaties heeft het bedrijf daar een complete gemeenschap opgebouwd, met woningen, een school, een ziekenhuis, een supermarkt, een zwembad en een sociëteit. Voor de familie De Wit voelt Diadema als een klein dorp op zichzelf. Dochter Renée woont vandaag de dag nog steeds in Argentinië.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHet leven in Argentinië bevalt de familie De Wit uitstekend. In 1964 ontvangt Sippe in Buenos Aires zelfs de onderscheiding Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Henrike: “Dat was een bijzondere erkenning. Hij kreeg deze onderscheiding onder andere voor zijn inzet voor de belangen van de Nederlandse en Britse Shell gemeenschap in Zuid-Argentinië.” \u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca id=\"denhaag\"\u003E\u003C/a\u003EDe Sportlaan in Den Haag\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 1969 gaat Sippe, na 32 dienstjaren bij Shell — inclusief de zogenoemde tropenjaren — met pensioen. Sippe en Marianne keren terug naar Nederland. “Ze kochten een huis aan de Sportlaan in Den Haag”, vertelt Henrike. “Mijn vader André en zijn broers waren inmiddels klaar met het  jongensinternaat in Warmond, een plek die destijds heel gebruikelijk was voor kinderen van uitgezonden Shell-medewerkers.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDe wens van Sippe dat een van zijn zoons ooit bij Shell gaat werken, komt uit wanneer André in 1979 bij Shell-dochter NAM, in Assen begint. “Mijn opa was ontzettend trots op al zijn kinderen”, lacht Henrike. “Maar de gesprekken gingen opvallend vaak over Shell. Die bleef toch zijn grote passie.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}}],"colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_1857461243/simple_911473637","model":{}},{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"StandaloneAsset","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_1857461243/simple_1431509024/standalone_asset","model":{"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/_jcr_content/root/main/section_1857461243/simple_1431509024/standalone_asset.shellimg.png/1790011671138/netherlands-venster2608sep-de-wit-miri1990-hdw4x.png","alt":"Het gezin De Wit in Miri, Maleisië, 1990 (Foto via Henrike de Wit)","caption":"Het gezin De Wit in Miri, Maleisië, 1990","width":2560,"height":1912}}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_1857461243/simple_1431509024/text","model":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca id=\"maleisie\"\u003E\u003C/a\u003EMaleisië, of toch niet\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENet als zijn vader zit ook André niet stil bij Shell. Van Oman gaat het in 1989 naar Miri in Maleisië. Henrike heeft er dan inmiddels nog een zusje bij, Catharina. In Miri sluit Henrike haar basisschooltijd af, op de Piasau-school in een klas van slechts zes leerlingen. “De overgang van Oman naar Maleisië was voor mij niet heel groot. Wel was de Shell-compound in Miri een stuk kleiner. En omdat we zo’n kleine klas hadden, konden we de eindmusical van de basisschool alleen opvoeren met jongere leerlingen erbij.” \u003Cbr\u003E\r\nAls twaalfjarige gaat Henrike naar Nederland voor haar vervolgopleiding, op het internaat De Santhorst in Wassenaar, waar nog ongeveer twintig andere kinderen van uitgezonden Shell-ers verblijven. “Ik had verschrikkelijk veel heimwee en heb het uiteindelijk maar twee jaar volgehouden”, vertelt Henrike. “Je moet je voorstellen dat contact met thuis vooral via fax verliep en dat we maar één keer per week mochten bellen. Tegenwoordig kun je videobellen en elkaar dagelijks zien via je telefoon. Als dat toen had gekund, had ik het misschien langer volgehouden.”\u003Cbr\u003E\r\nOm als gezin dichter bij elkaar te zijn, wordt André op eigen verzoek overgeplaatst naar Shell in Nederland. Daarmee komt in 1994 voorlopig een einde aan een periode van buitenlandse uitzendingen die al generaties lang zo kenmerkend was voor de familie De Wit.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}}],"colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_1857461243/simple_1431509024","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_1857461243","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Section","color":"brand1-subtle","children":[{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_738503153/simple_1092471652/text","model":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca id=\"wassenaar\"\u003E\u003C/a\u003EWassenaar en expatbloed\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHet gezin De Wit koopt een huis in Wassenaar. André werkt op de Shell-locaties in Schiedam en Rijswijk. “Maar het expatbloed gaat waar het niet kruipen kan”, vertelt Henrike lachend. “Mijn vader vertrok al snel weer als productiespecialist naar Nigeria. Mijn moeder vond het juist fijn om in Nederland te blijven. Dus was mijn vader continu acht weken weg en een maand thuis.” Het blijft niet bij Nigeria. In de jaren die volgen vervult André verschillende internationale functies, onder meer op het Russische eiland Sakhalin en in Brazilië.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHenrike haalt in 1997 op het Rijnlands Lyceum in Wassenaar haar mavodiploma, gaat door naar de Hotelschool en komt uiteindelijk op moeders advies op de secretaresseopleiding aan het Schoevers-instituut terecht. “Dat was echt helemaal mijn ding. Mijn moeder had dat goed gezien.” Bij de start van het nieuwe millennium begint Henrike als secretaresse bij RAND, een Amerikaanse denktank in Leiden. \u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}},{"organism":"StandaloneAsset","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_738503153/simple_1092471652/standalone_asset_124","model":{"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/_jcr_content/root/main/section_738503153/simple_1092471652/standalone_asset_124.shellimg.jpeg/1790012152149/netherlands-shell-c30-shellhistoricalheritagearchive.jpeg","alt":"Historische foto van gebouw C30, het toenmalige hoofdkantoor van heel Shell, begin 1940 (Shell Historical Heritage & Archive)","caption":"Historische foto van gebouw C30, het toenmalige hoofdkantoor van heel Shell, begin 1940","width":1280,"height":964}}}],"colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_738503153/simple_1092471652","model":{}},{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_738503153/simple_1538572449/text_copy","model":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca id=\"shellcampusdenhaag\"\u003E\u003C/a\u003ENaar “het prachtige gebouw”\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EToch kijkt ze stiekem al verder. Net als haar vader, opa en overgrootvader voelt ze zich aangetrokken tot Shell. Ze wil het liefst direct in Den Haag aan de slag, maar dat loopt anders. Door een vacaturestop zit een baan bij Shell er op dat moment nog niet in. “In 2005 was ik wel toe aan een nieuwe uitdaging”, vertelt Henrike. “Via mijn moeder hoorde ik dat veel functies van Shell Londen naar Den Haag zouden verhuizen. Dus ik heb de stoute schoenen aangetrokken en contact gezocht met Shell.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOp 1 oktober 2006 begint ze als secretaresse bij het Headquarters Directorate in wat ze zelf “het prachtige gebouw” aan de Carel van Bylandtlaan 30 (C30) noemt. “En juist in dat historische Shell-pand had opa Sippe in 1937 zijn eerste sollicitatiegesprek voor zijn uitzending naar Roemenië. Dat vond ik heel speciaal.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHet blijkt een vliegende start van haar Shell-carrière. Ze groeit in 2008 door via persoonlijk assistent voor Shell International naar PA voor de vice-president verantwoordelijk voor Group CO\u003Csub\u003E2 \u003C/sub\u003Ein 2010. Ze woont in het begin nog bij haar ouders in Wassenaar, en niet ver van huis ontmoet ze haar man Rob in een café. Ze krijgen twee zoons, in 2015 en 2020, en trouwen in 2023.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca id=\"familienu\"\u003E\u003C/a\u003EVeiligheid, milieu en asset management\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESinds 2014 is Henrike de ‘rechterhand’ van de executive vice-president voor veiligheid, milieu en asset management — sinds 2025 Helen Forde — binnen de Shell-divisie Integrated Gas die wordt geleid door de Nederlander Cederic Cremers. “Na al die jaren heb ik met veel verschillende managers gewerkt en elke samenwerking brengt weer nieuwe uitdagingen en kansen met zich mee. Daardoor blijft het werk zich ontwikkelen. Ik krijg veel mee van wat er binnen Shell speelt en kan alle kanten op. Ik hoop dit nog heel lang te mogen doen.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EVader André is inmiddels al negen jaar met pensioen; in 2017 sloot hij zijn carrière na 38 jaar af bij Shell in Brazilië. Oma Marianna overleed in 2014, op 92-jarige leeftijd. Opa Sippe ging in 1996 al heen, dus maakte niet meer mee dat Henrike voor Shell werkt.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKomt er misschien zelfs een vijfde generatie De Wit bij Shell? Henrike zegt dat haar twee eigen zoons nog te jong zijn. Maar bonuszoon Robbie volgt de opleiding tot Instrumentenmaker in Leiden — precies dezelfde richting als overgrootvader Johannes Fraikin ruim een eeuw geleden. Robbie gaat in februari op derdejaarsstage bij Shell op de Energy Transition Campus Amsterdam. “Hoe bijzonder is dat!”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}}],"colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_738503153/simple_1538572449","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_738503153","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Section","children":[{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_759528298/text","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca id=\"english\"\u003E\u003C/a\u003EEnglish version\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}},{"organism":"StandaloneAsset","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_759528298/standalone_asset","model":{"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/_jcr_content/root/main/section_759528298/standalone_asset.shellimg.jpeg/1790145289716/netherlands-venster2608sep-andre-henrike-de-wit-hdw-166-genexp.jpeg","alt":"André and Henrike de Wit (Original photo is square. For the right size in just this publication AI (Adobe Photoshop) has been used to expand the photo. Everything left from André's arm has been AI generated) (Photo via Henrike de Wit)","caption":"André and Henrike de Wit (Original photo is square. For the right size in just this publication AI (Adobe Photoshop) has been used to expand the photo. Everything left from André's arm has been AI generated)","width":3708,"height":1392}}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_759528298/text_981472534","model":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003EAll in the family: Henrike de Wit and four generations of Shellonians\u003C/h2\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E23 Sep 2026\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAll in the Family explores the remarkable stories of Shell families. What is it like to work at Shell while also being part of a family history that, in some cases, stretches back generations? For Henrike de Wit, Personal Assistant in Safety, Environment & Asset Management, the connection with Shell spans four generations and has endured for more than a century. It is a story of adventure, escape, and homecoming.\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}},{"organism":"Author.Info","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_759528298/author_copy","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EText:\u003C/b\u003E Dionne Kramer. \u003Cb\u003EPhotography:\u003C/b\u003E via Henrike de Wit, and Shell Historical Heritage & Archive\u003Cbr\u003E\r\n\u003C/p\u003E\r\n","links":[{}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/_jcr_content/root/main/section_759528298/author_copy.shellimg.jpeg/1790157267372/netherlands-venster2608sep-andre-henrike-de-wit-hdw-169.jpeg","alt":"André en Henrike de Wit (Foto-origineel vierkant. Voor juiste beeldformaat is AI (Adobe Photoshop) gebruikt om het deel links van de gefotografeerden te verlengen)","width":3708,"height":2085}}},{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_759528298/simple/text","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003EHer great-grandfather, grandfather and father all went before her. It is a remarkable story of adventure, long-distance travel, war, love, and a family connection with Shell that has endured for more than a century.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003E“Welcome to Shell International! Cheers, your dad.”\u003C/i\u003E This was the first email \u003Cb\u003EHenrike de Wit (46)\u003C/b\u003E received in her Shell mailbox on 2 October 2006. It was a personal welcome from her father, \u003Cb\u003EAndré de Wit\u003C/b\u003E, who was working for Shell in Nigeria at the time. But André’s father and grandfather had also worked for the company.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“Shell has been a common thread running through our family since 1912 and has taken us all over the world,” says Henrike.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat common thread has left the family with a treasure trove of tangible memories: countless photographs, that very first email from her father, a newspaper article about her grandmother, and even the old employee record cards belonging to her great-grandfather and grandfather.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFrom Enschede to Oman\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHenrike herself was born in Enschede, in the east of the Netherlands, on 9 August 1980. A year earlier, her father André had joined NAM — the gas exploration 50/50 joint venture of the Netherlands run by Shell and Exxon Mobil — in Assen, after graduating in Chemical Engineering from the University of Twente.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHer mother, Ina, worked as a secretary at the same university. They met in a local pub, sparks flew, and before long they were married.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 1984, André was offered a position in Oman, and the family, now joined by son Sirp, moved to Ras al Hamra, Shell’s main residential compound in Oman.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“For our family, it was a wonderful time,” Henrike recalls. “I attended the school on the compound alongside around 20 other Shell children. There was a beach, a swimming pool, sports facilities, and all kinds of clubs for families and children. We spent a lot of time outdoors, I had plenty of friends, and we travelled extensively. My father drove a four-wheel drive, and every weekend we would set off on an expedition. It was fantastic. On top of that, I learnt to speak English fluently there, something that has benefited me throughout my life.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}}],"colspan":8,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_759528298/simple","model":{}},{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"PromoSimple","color":"brand1-subtle","model":{"title":"More personal stories of Shell employees","links":[{"name":"Check shell.nl/careers","value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/carrieres/een-baan-bij-shell--shell-ers-vertellen-zelf.html","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/navigation/arrow-right-circle.svg"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/_jcr_content/root/main/section_759528298/simple_201656776/promo_copy.shellimg.jpeg/1790155373008/netherlands-venster2605-pernis-colleenrink-1000033714ernsbode-169.jpeg","alt":"Een Shell-medewerker in de werkplaats van Shell Pernis (Foto: Ernst Bode)","width":3708,"height":2086}},"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_759528298/simple_201656776/promo_copy"}],"colspan":4,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_759528298/simple_201656776","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_759528298","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Section","color":"brand1-subtle","children":[{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"StandaloneAsset","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_1652393093/simple/standalone_asset_cop","model":{"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/_jcr_content/root/main/section_1652393093/simple/standalone_asset_cop.shellimg.png/1790146977767/netherlands-venster2609sep-de-wit-moreni-1922-2x.png","alt":"Johannes Fraikin and Ecatarina, with the then still very young Marianne (Ana Maria) in Moreni, Romania, 1922 (Photo via Henrike de Wit)","caption":"Johannes Fraikin and Ecatarina, with the then still very young Marianne (Ana Maria) in Moreni, Romania, 1922","width":2340,"height":3092}}},{"organism":"Quote.Small","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_1652393093/simple/quote_copy","model":{"title":"Henrike de Wit","text":"\u003Cp\u003E“My great-grandparents fled by ship to Bandung with their daughter Marianne, my grandmother”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}}],"colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_1652393093/simple","model":{}},{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_1652393093/simple_1015728027/text","model":{"text":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGreat-grandfather at Shell in Romania\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the family’s connection with Shell stretches back well over a century. Henrike’s great-grandfather, \u003Cb\u003EJohannes Fraikin\u003C/b\u003E, was born in 1890, the same year that Shell’s Dutch predecessor, the \u003Ci\u003ERoyal Dutch Company for the Exploitation of Petroleum Wells in the Dutch East Indies\u003C/i\u003E (\u003Ci\u003EKoninklijke Nederlandsche Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Petroleumbronnen in Nederlandsch-Indië\u003C/i\u003E, KNMEP, commonly known as \u003Ci\u003ERoyal Dutch\u003C/i\u003E), was founded. In 1912, he joined the company and was immediately posted to \u003Cb\u003EMoreni, Romania\u003C/b\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt that time, Moreni was one of Europe’s foremost centres of the emerging oil industry, a strategic importance that would only increase during the First World War (1914-1918). By the Second World War, Romania was Europe’s largest oil producer after the Soviet Union. Shell’s operations in Moreni attracted both Romanian and international employees and developed into a thriving community. Shell’s presence in the town continued until the Romanian oil industry was nationalised in 1948.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe journey to Bandung\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBack to Johannes. While living in Moreni, he met \u003Cb\u003EEcaterina\u003C/b\u003E, a young Romanian woman. They fell in love and married in 1921. Nine months later, their daughter \u003Cb\u003EMarianne\u003C/b\u003E was born, the future grandmother of Henrike. Marianne grew up bilingual, speaking both Romanian and Dutch. The family enjoyed a comfortable life and spent every summer holiday in the Netherlands.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMarianne had a privileged upbringing, but the threat of war was drawing ever closer. By 1940, Romania was becoming increasingly unsafe. Both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany had a keen interest in the strategically important oil fields. Shell decided to evacuate its employees and their families.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“My great-grandparents fled together with their daughter Marianne, my grandmother, by ship to Bandung in what was then the Dutch East Indies,” Henrike explains. “It was an incredibly long and difficult journey. My great-grandfather Johannes did not survive the voyage. He died of typhoid fever en route and was buried in Bombay.” \u003Ci\u003E(The Indian city of Bombay officially became Mumbai in 1995; editor’s note.)\u003C/i\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EA new spark\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor nineteen-year-old Marianne, the loss of her father was devastating. Without him, the family had to build a new life in an unfamiliar place in 1941. Their future was uncertain, as Japanese expansion threatened the vast Dutch colony that would later become Indonesia (declared independent in 1945 and recognised in 1949).\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EYet there was also room for new happiness. In Bandung, Marianne met \u003Cb\u003ESippe de Wit\u003C/b\u003E (born 1914), a Shell engineer from Groningen. He, too, had worked for Shell in Romania, and the two quickly fell in love.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“My grandmother Marianne and grandfather Sippe were so in love that they got married within a month,” says Henrike.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETheir happiness, however, was short-lived. Following the defeat in the Battle of the Java Sea, the authorities of the Dutch East Indies surrendered on 8 March 1942, and Japan began its occupation. Marianne and her mother were interned in a Japanese camp, while Sippe was forced to work on the infamous Burma Railway.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“That was an extremely difficult and dangerous period, one that he only just survived,” says Henrike. “After the war, my grandmother searched for him through the Red Cross. In the end, they found each other again. For them, Japan’s surrender in 1945 came just in time.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}}],"colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_1652393093/simple_1015728027","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_1652393093","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Section","children":[{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_719059690/simple/text","model":{"text":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe De Wits Return to the Netherlands\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBack in the Netherlands, Marianne and Sippe gradually recover and, after years of uncertainty, finally begin building their future together. In 1947, their first son, Pieter, is born in Leiden. Three more sons and daughters follow, including André, Henrike’s father, who is born in 1952.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShell continues to play an important role in the De Wit family's life. The family moves regularly to far-flung destinations, including Colombia, New Guinea and Borneo. “My father told me that my grandmother Marianne managed to create a warm home wherever she went,” says Henrike.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“She was known as a welcoming and unifying force within the international Shell communities. Thanks to her open-minded outlook, language skills and adaptability, she felt at home wherever she lived, a true global citizen who never lost touch with her roots.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EShell Diadema in Argentina\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 1956, Sippe is appointed Field Manager at Shell Diadema in Argentina. The family moves to the oil town near Comodoro Rivadavia. As was the case at many remote Shell locations, the company had built an entire community there, complete with housing, a school, a hospital, a supermarket, a swimming pool and a social club. For the De Wit family, Diadema feels like a small village in its own right. Today, daughter Renée still lives in Argentina.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe De Wit family thoroughly enjoys life in Argentina. In 1964, Sippe is even awarded the distinction of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in Buenos Aires. Henrike explains: “That was a special recognition. He received the honour in part for his commitment to the interests of the Dutch and British Shell community in southern Argentina.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESportlaan in The Hague\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 1969, after 32 years of service with Shell, including his so-called tropical postings, Sippe retires. He and Marianne return to the Netherlands.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“They bought a house on Sportlaan in The Hague,” Henrike recalls. “By then, my father André and his brothers had finished at the boys’ boarding school in Warmond, which at the time was very common for children of Shell employees posted overseas.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESippe’s wish that one of his sons would one day work for Shell comes true when André joins Shell subsidiary NAM in Assen in 1979.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“My grandfather was immensely proud of all his children,” Henrike laughs. “But conversations seemed remarkably often to revolve around Shell. It always remained his great passion.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}}],"colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_719059690/simple","model":{}},{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"StandaloneAsset","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_719059690/simple_1389524291/standalone_asset_cop","model":{"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/_jcr_content/root/main/section_719059690/simple_1389524291/standalone_asset_cop.shellimg.png/1790154559165/netherlands-venster2608sep-de-wit-miri1990-hdw4x.png","alt":"The De Wit family in Miri, Malaysia, 1990 (Photo via Henrike de Wit)","caption":"The De Wit family in Miri, Malaysia, 1990","width":2560,"height":1912}}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_719059690/simple_1389524291/text","model":{"text":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMalaysia, or perhaps not\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELike his father before him, André does not stay in one place for long during his Shell career. In 1989, the family moves from Oman to Miri in Malaysia. By then, Henrike got another younger sister, Catharina. In Miri, Henrike completes her primary school education at Piasau School, in a class of just six pupils. “For me, the transition from Oman to Malaysia was not that significant. The Shell compound in Miri was considerably smaller, though. And because our class was so small, we could only stage our primary school end-of-year play by including younger pupils.” At the age of twelve, Henrike returns to the Netherlands for her secondary education, attending the De Santhorst boarding school in Wassenaar, where around twenty other children of expatriate Shell employees are living. “I was terribly homesick and in the end only managed to stay there for two years,” Henrike recalls. “You have to remember that communication with home was mainly by fax, and we were only allowed to make one phone call a week. Nowadays, you can video call and see each other every day on your phone. If that had been possible back then, I might have stayed longer.” To keep the family closer together, André requests a transfer to Shell in the Netherlands. As a result, in 1994, a period of overseas postings that had characterised generations of the De Wit family comes, at least for the time being, to an end.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}}],"colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_719059690/simple_1389524291","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_719059690","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Section","color":"brand1-subtle","children":[{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_902193637/simple/text","model":{"text":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWassenaar and expat blood\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe De Wit family buys a house in Wassenaar, a town close to The Hague. André works at Shell locations in Schiedam and Rijswijk, which are a relatively short travel distance from home.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“But you can’t suppress the urge to live abroad when it’s in your blood,” Henrike says with a laugh. “My father soon left again, this time for Nigeria as a Production Specialist. My mother, however, preferred to stay in the Netherlands. So my father was away for eight weeks at a time and then home for a month.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENigeria is only the beginning. In the years that follow, André takes on a number of international assignments, including roles on the Russian island of Sakhalin and in Brazil.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHenrike earns her secondary education diploma from the Rijnlands Lyceum in Wassenaar in 1997 before continuing her studies at the Hotel Management School. Ultimately, following her mother’s advice, she enrols in the secretarial programme at the Schoevers Institute. “That was absolutely my thing. My mother saw that perfectly.” At the start of the new millennium, Henrike begins her career as a secretary at RAND, the American think tank based in Leiden.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}},{"organism":"StandaloneAsset","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_902193637/simple/standalone_asset_124","model":{"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/_jcr_content/root/main/section_902193637/simple/standalone_asset_124.shellimg.jpeg/1790154864558/netherlands-shell-c30-shellhistoricalheritagearchive.jpeg","alt":"Historical photo of building C30, the then global headquarters of Shell, photographed in the beginning of 1940 (Photo: Shell Historical Heritage & Archive)","caption":"Historical photo of building C30, the then global headquarters of Shell, photographed in the beginning of 1940","width":1280,"height":964}}}],"colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_902193637/simple","model":{}},{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_902193637/simple_1308865512/text","model":{"text":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003E“That beautiful building”\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EYet Henrike is already looking ahead. Like her father, grandfather and great-grandfather before her, she feels drawn to Shell. Ideally, she would have started working in The Hague straight away, but things turn out differently. A recruitment freeze means that a position at Shell is not immediately available.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“By 2005, I was ready for a new challenge,” Henrike recalls. “Through my mother, I heard that many Shell roles were going to be relocated from London to The Hague. So I decided to take the initiative and get in touch with Shell.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOn 1 October 2006, she joins the Headquarters Directorate as a secretary in what she affectionately calls “that beautiful building” at Carel van Bylandtlaan 30 (C30).\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“And it was in that very historic Shell building that my grandfather Sippe had his first interview for a posting to Romania back in 1937. I thought that was incredibly special.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt proves to be the start of a successful Shell career. In 2008, she progresses to become a Personal Assistant for Shell International, before moving in 2010 to a PA role supporting the Vice President responsible for Group CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C/sub\u003E. During her early years at Shell, she still lives with her parents in Wassenaar. Not far from home, she meets her future husband, Rob, in a local café. They go on to have two sons, born in 2015 and 2020, and marry in 2023.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESafety, Environment and Asset Management\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESince 2014, Henrike has served as the trusted right-hand support to a succession of Executive Vice Presidents (EVP) for Safety, Environment and Asset Management within Shell’s Integrated Gas business, led by Dutch national Cederic Cremers. Since 2025, that EVP role has been held by Helen Forde.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E“Over the years, I’ve worked with many different managers, and every partnership brings new challenges and opportunities. That means the work continues to evolve. I gain valuable insight into what is happening across Shell and have the chance to be involved in a wide variety of activities. I hope to continue doing this for many years to come.”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHenrike’s father, André, has now been retired for nine years. He concluded his 38-year Shell career in Brazil in 2017. Her grandmother Marianne passed away in 2014 at the age of 92. Her grandfather Sippe had already died in 1996 and therefore never saw Henrike join Shell.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECould there even be a fifth generation of the De Wit family at Shell? Henrike says her own two sons are still too young to know. However, her stepson Robbie is currently training as an instrument maker in Leiden, precisely the same profession pursued by great-great-grandfather Johannes Fraikin more than a century ago. In February, Robbie will begin his third-year internship with Shell at the Energy Transition Campus Amsterdam. “How remarkable is that!”\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}}],"colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_902193637/simple_1308865512","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_902193637","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Section","color":"brand1-solid","children":[{"organism":"Container.XF","children":[{"organism":"Container.Section","color":"brand1-solid","children":[{"organism":"PromoCard","color":"brand1","model":{"title":"Meer interviews","links":[{"value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/nieuws/venster/venster---interviews.html"}],"image":{"src":"/content/experience-fragments/shell/amidala/NL/promo-footer-1/nl-venster-general/_jcr_content/root/section_820370745/promo_copy_202919122.shellimg.jpeg/1734442953221/netherlands-venster2412-microphone-169.jpeg","alt":"A microphone and an interviewer","width":2041,"height":1149}},"colspan":4,"id":"/content/experience-fragments/shell/amidala/NL/promo-footer-1/nl-venster-general/jcr_content/root/section_820370745/promo_copy_202919122"},{"organism":"PromoCard","color":"brand1","model":{"title":"Meer energietransitie","links":[{"value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/nieuws/venster/venster-energietransitie.html"}],"image":{"src":"/content/experience-fragments/shell/amidala/NL/promo-footer-1/nl-venster-general/_jcr_content/root/section_820370745/promo_copy.shellimg.jpeg/1734442615265/netherlands-blauwwind-offshorewind-2022-stuartconway.jpeg","alt":"Energietransitie","width":5464,"height":3074}},"colspan":4,"id":"/content/experience-fragments/shell/amidala/NL/promo-footer-1/nl-venster-general/jcr_content/root/section_820370745/promo_copy"},{"organism":"PromoCard","color":"brand1","model":{"title":"Meer specials","links":[{"value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/nieuws/venster/venster-specials.html"}],"image":{"src":"/content/experience-fragments/shell/amidala/NL/promo-footer-1/nl-venster-general/_jcr_content/root/section_820370745/promo.shellimg.png/1785159409496/netherlands-venster2606-zeppelin-rotterdam-171340-adobefirefly-169.png","alt":"Meer specials","width":3708,"height":2086}},"colspan":4,"id":"/content/experience-fragments/shell/amidala/NL/promo-footer-1/nl-venster-general/jcr_content/root/section_820370745/promo"}],"id":"/content/experience-fragments/shell/amidala/NL/promo-footer-1/nl-venster-general/jcr_content/root/section_820370745","model":{"title":"Meer nieuws uit Shell Venster"}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_286382091/experience_fragment","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main/section_286382091","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/main","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Footer","children":[{"organism":"Breadcrumb.Large","model":{"links":[{"name":"Home","value":"https://www.shell.nl/"},{"name":"Over ons","value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons.html"},{"name":"Nieuws","value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/nieuws.html"},{"name":"Shell Venster 2026","value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/nieuws/shell-venster-2026.html"},{"name":"Alles is familie Henrike de Wit","value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/nieuws/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit.html"}]},"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/footer/breadcrumb"},{"organism":"Container.Raw","ref":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/_jcr_content/root/footer/inherited.model.json","id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/footer/inherited","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content/root/footer","model":{}}],"id":"/conf/shell/settings/wcm/templates/base/structure/jcr_content/root","model":{}}],"model":{"title":"Alles is familie Henrike de Wit","text":"In de rubriek Alles is Shell-familie duiken we in de bijzondere verhalen van Shell-families. Hoe is het om bij Shell te werken én deel uit te maken van een familiegeschiedenis die soms generaties teruggaat? Bij persoonlijk assistent Safety, Environment en Assetmanagement Henrike de Wit bestaat de band met Shell al vier generaties en houdt zo al meer dan een eeuw stand. De familie ging de hele wereld over.","date":"2026-09-23T09:23:00.000Z","links":[{"name":"canonical","value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/nieuws/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit.html"},{"name":"hierarchy","value":"nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit"},{"name":"homeTitle","value":"Over ons"},{"name":"homeUrl","value":"https://www.shell.nl/over-ons.html"},{"name":"locale","value":"nl-NL"},{"name":"title","value":"Alles is familie Henrike de Wit | Over ons"},{"name":"textDirection","value":"ltr"},{"name":"template","value":"base"},{"name":"contentPath","value":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit"},{"name":"externalDisclaimerText","value":"Juridische Disclaimer Shell plc\r\n\r\nU verlaat nu de website van Shell in Nederland.\r\n\r\nDe link die u hebt geselecteerd verwijst naar een website die niet is gecontroleerd door Shell plc of een lid van de Shell Group. De informatie en het materiaal op de gekoppelde website worden op geen enkele manier door Shell plc, noch enig ander lid van de Shell Group bevestigd, aangenomen, gecertificeerd of op enige andere manier gevalideerd. Hieronder vallen de sponsor van de website en eventueel beleid en eventuele activiteiten en diensten die op de website worden aangeboden, door enige adverteerder op de website of die aan de website is verbonden.\r\n\r\nBedankt voor uw bezoek aan de website van Shell in Nederland."},{"name":"themeMode"},{"name":"lastModified","value":"2026-09-23T09:54:27.396Z"},{"name":"themeName","value":"base"},{"name":"themePath","value":"/etc.clientlibs/amidala/clientlibs/theme-base"},{"name":"themeCss","value":"/etc.clientlibs/amidala/clientlibs/theme-base.ACSHASHb291465fc8d3c7bcefde74d34044b698.css"}],"tags":[{"name":"Olie en Gas","value":"shell:netherlands/olie-en-gas"},{"name":"Carriere","value":"shell:netherlands/careers"},{"name":"Geschiedenis","value":"shell:netherlands/shell-venster-magazine/geschiedenis"},{"name":"Interviews","value":"shell:netherlands/shell-venster-magazine/interviews"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/_jcr_content/root/metadata.shellimg.jpeg/1790000989080/netherlands-venster2608sep-andre-henrike-de-wit-hdw-169.jpeg","alt":"André en Henrike de Wit (Foto-origineel vierkant. Voor juiste beeldformaat is AI (Adobe Photoshop) gebruikt om het deel links van de gefotografeerden te verlengen)","width":3708,"height":2085}},"id":"/content/shell/countries/netherland/nl_nl/about-us/news/shell-venster-2026/alles-is-familie-henrike-de-wit/jcr_content"}