About us
Working together on ingenious solutions for biosphere, society and economy
We are a consultancy and engineering firm that helps clients all over the world find solutions to complex challenges in the fields of water, energy, infrastructure, land use, the environment, and construction. Together with our clients and partners, we exploit our high levels of expertise and engagement to create a better living environment for everyone, all over the world, now and in the future.
We do this with the conviction that only as a collective – by getting the best out of ourselves and each other – can we provide added value, in a culture of entrepreneurship and trust that inspires and stimulates.
Proud of our origins
This conviction was shared by our founders Willem Gerrit Witteveen, an experienced city architect, and Goosen Siger Bos, a young and driven civil engineer. In 1946, they founded Witteveen+Bos together in order to make a contribution to a major challenge facing society at the time: rebuilding the Netherlands following the Second World War. From that time on, our company has continued to reflect the changing issues facing society.
Over the years, by growing for the most part autonomously, we have managed to retain our identity and safeguard our culture. Our aim is to work on fascinating, challenging projects on which our employees can realise their ambitions.
Entrepreneurship and engagement
At Witteveen+Bos, the company’s owners are its employees. Since 1992, company shares have been wholly owned by employees. This employee participation is a huge strength which encourages entrepreneurship and engagement. Every year, Witteveen+Bos shares its profits via profit sharing payments to employees and dividends to shareholders. This form of profit sharing underlines our deep conviction that, since Witteveen+Bos’s success is made possible by all of us, everyone should get to share in it.
‘Anyone can get involved. That’s the strength of the participation system: it really feels like it’s our company’ - Bart-Jan Keizer, employee at Witteveen+Bos
At the heart of society
In 2024, our company comprises more than 1,450 colleagues who work together worldwide on almost 5,000 projects a year, in a network comprising 22 offices in 9 countries. The challenges we work on involve the entire chain, from policy, planning processes and design to contracting and works supervision, with our services becoming increasingly digitalised in recent years. On all our projects, we commit to creating a more climate-neutral, nature-inclusive and circular economy.
In everything we do, we strive for sustainable relationships with our clients by working as best we can to understand their needs and expectations. In doing so, we remain cognisant of our responsibility to provide maximum added value to society, with our company code forming an important guideline for our actions.
You can find more information about our organisation in our most recent annual reports.