An EFQM Valued Professional, or EVP as we like to call them, are dedicated individuals with a common belief and purpose in EFQM. EVPs open doors to EFQM - they encourage other organisations to improve, to embed excellence in their strategy, to learn from the EFQM network. EVPs are not trying to "sell", or rather promote, anything but EFQM and the benefits of embedding an excellence philosophy in your strategy.
EVPs act with integrity and they always have the customer/member in mind. They adhere to EFQM's core values. They also have specific skill sets. Referring to the description in the Tipping Point book (by Malcolm Gladwell), EFQM knows connectors (those in our network who know the right people and are willing to connect them to us and others), EFQM know mavens (those who have a thirst for knowledge and love to share their expertise) and salesman (not the usual use of the word - they have a gift to be able to encourage and convince others - we use the word promoter instead).
EFQM has an number of advocates in our network. In fact, our network comprises over 20,000 individuals. However, to start a tipping point to drive the excellence momentum, we would like to work a small dedicated group; hence, we have identified 30 EVPs within the network. These are individuals who represent the variety of our membership - they are not paid or remunerated; they offer their expertise, their enthusiasm to encourage others. At this moment, these are the individuals that have completed an induction programme and have officially joined our EVP network:
- Christian Kaemmerlaen from EIPM
- John Darby from Huntsman
- Felix Horner from Suva
- Urs Bucher from Lucern University
- Niklas Blomquist from Volvo
- Vittorio Cesarotti from Universitá de Roma
- Paul Evans from Liverpool John Moore University
- Guy Peeters from Solvay
- Britt-Marie Olsen from SJ (Swedish Public Railways)
- Jan Willem Willemsen from KPN
- Robert Leloup from EDF
- Siret Kegel from Elcoteq
- Lars-Ivar Gjorv from Iveland Municipality
- Patrick Margaria from EDF
- Maria Jesus Novo from Novia Salcedo
- Polona Briski from Trimo
- Kostas Adamopoulos from TNT Greece
- Lene Lindholm from Grundfos
- patricia Frias from Fondazione Cariplo
- Kiumars Kaivanipour from Teliasonera
- Johann Simmel from BMW
- Aad Streng from Philips
- Janni Lober from Grundfos
- Mia Goetvinck from Ricoh
- Rainer Kutz from Robert Bosch
- Adriano Ruchini from Minerva
- Sabine Kern from VAMED
- Carola Mueller from T-Systems MMS