Culture Leadership Transformation

In 2000, Arjen Mak, Paul de Vries, Partick Kools and Reinoud Slot, 4 ambitious people joined forces and founded iBanx with the purpose to help organise technical documentation and data for manufacturing companies in an online SAAS platform.

Many iBanx’ clients were more interested in improving their HSE related processes such as Permit to Work, Shift Handover and Lock-out-Tag-out. In 2001, iBanx released PermitCliq, an electronic Permit-To-Work System that was developed together with manufacturing organisations.

Yara, back then called Hydro Agri, asked iBanx to design and deliver a Behaviour Based Safety Program. This intended to improve the Safety Culture on Yara’s site in Sluiskil, Netherlands. It was the first culture change program for Paul van de Griendt. Yara’s HSE performance improved significantly, Yara Sluiskil won a Green Leaf award for their long term HSE performance by the International Fertiliser Association. In addition, the BBS program was recognised by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Social affairs as the industry Best Practice for Behaviour Based Safety Programs.

Over the course of 8 years, iBanx developed two business units. The first BU was all about improving HSE processes based on industry best practices supported by state of the art software and a best-in-class implementation approach. With a client base consisting of companies in oil and gas, onshore and offshore, base and specialty chemicals, energy, waste, food and pharma a solid base for further investments and growth. The second BU designed and delivered cultural transformation programs. With a similar client base, successful programs were delivered to improve HSE performance, employee fulfilment, output, costs etc, also a strong foundation for further development.

For a variety of reasons, the two business units had the wish to be independent. In 2010, Zhimble was founded by Arjen Mak, Paul van de Griendt, Patrick Kools and Reinoud Slot, continuing the cultural transformation activities of iBanx. Zhimble started with the tagline Leadership at every level (quote by Marc van Hijfte) and developed a new logo with a flock of birds swarming. The new Zhimble brand was presented in this video. Patrick Kools left Zhimble shortly after Zhimble was founded.
iBanx continued the HSE improvement software and services activities. Today iBanx is known as UniteX and is a top-notch safety software company for Operational Safety Excellence. To this day iBanx and Zhimble remain connected and there are still warm relationships between the two organisations.

Around 2011, Zhimble partners met Gita Bellin through Reinoud Slot who had been in one of Gita’s programs in 2007. Gita is one of the pioneers of the Transformation Revolution in Human Behaviour, within a wide range of public and corporate sectors. Her contribution to the knowledge of Cultural Transformation and Spiritual Awareness within all areas of human life has emerged globally over the past five decades.

She has developed Consultants and Facilitators to deliver Cultural and Behavioural Transformation Programs to clients worldwide. Her work is now offered on all continents in many languages.

Zhimble embraced Gita’s work and integrated it into client programs. Today, the Zhimble’s founding partners are part of Gita’s support circle to deliver her work.

Various clients requested Zhimble to work internationally in the period commencing 2012. In the years following, we have worked in most European countries and countries such as UK, Canada and United Arab Emirates. We deliver our work directly in 4 languages (English, Dutch, German and French) and work through interpreters in  other languages.

In 2019, after having worked together for over 20 years, Arjen Mak decided to step down as a Zhimble partner and move to the Cape Verdic Islands. This meant saying goodbye to a loved business partner and a friend for life.  Reinoud Slot and Paul van de Griendt continued Zhimble and embarked on a journey of rediscovering the purpose of their collaboration and the renewed purpose of Zhimble.

2022 was the perfect time to redefine Zhimble. Together with Marketing strategist, Ronald Taatgen, Sonja Nisson who is all about valuable content, brilliant storyteller Sharon Tanton and amazing brand identity designer Aga Nabielec we developed a completely new identity for Zhimble. This is now visible on the new Zhimble website and in other Zhimble materials.

One of the things that we are looking for is to add more diversity to the group of people that we work with. Different perspectives, different backgrounds, different ideas, different ways of working, yet all with the Zhimble signature.

After having worked together on Zhimble programs for about a year, Agaath Hermsen decided to join Zhimble as a partner. She brings in new energy, and will no doubt be a driving energy in transforming Zhimble into the future.