Nine generations of the Van Lanschot family
In 1737, Cornelis van Lanschot founded the Van Lanschot trading company in ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. It was the launch of a successful family business that would become the listed wealth manager Van Lanschot Kempen that we are now.
Up until 2018, a total of nine Van Lanschot generations have been involved in running the company. They have helped the business grow and flourish, and their family values and standards are still an important part of Van Lanschot Kempen’s company culture to this day.
Who were the Van Lanschot family members that helped bring the company to where it is today? Read about it below.
Cornelis van Lanschot (1711 -1789)
As the founder of the Van Lanschot trading company in 1737, Cornelis van Lanschot was active as merchant and cashier in ’s-Hertogenbosch until 1767, based in De Vergulde Ketel building at Markt from 1744.
Godefridus van Lanschot (1743-1799)
Cornelis’s son Godefridus van Lanschot succeeded him in 1767 as Van Lanschot partner. Godefridus continued Van Lanschot’s trading activities and significantly expanded the family business’s property holdings.
Franciscus van Lanschot (1768-1851)
Franciscus van Lanschot took the helm at Van Lanschot when his father Godefridus died in 1799 and changed its name to Firma F. van Lanschot. Under his leadership, the cashier's and banker's business started to take on an increasingly important role alongside trading activities. Franciscus is often seen as the real founder of the Van Lanschot banking activities.
Augustinus van Lanschot (1794-1874)
After Franciscus’s death in 1851, his son Augustinus van Lanschot took over the position as the head of the company, initially together with his brother Godefridus. The latter stayed with the company for only two years. Augustinus would lead the company right until the end of his life, continuing both trading and cashier operations in the same line as his father.
Godefridus van Lanschot (1835-1907)
Godefridus van Lanschot, also known as Fried Sr, took over as partner at Van Lanschot in 1874 upon his father Augustinus’s death. In 1880, he moved the business to the well-known building at the Hooge Steenweg in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and ceased trading activities a year later. From this point on, Van Lanschot exclusively focused on cashiering and banking, as well as securities trading.
Fried Jr (1868-1935) and Karel (1869-1945) van Lanschot
In 1901, Fried van Lanschot Jr and Karel van Lanschot succeeded their father Fried Sr as partners. Together they steered the firm through the stock market crash of 1907. Karel was mainly in charge of debt collection and managing the currency portfolio, while Fried Jr acted as the financier in charge of lending.
Jan van Lanschot (1900–1983)
In 1928, Jan van Lanschot joined Van Lanschot as a partner alongside his father Fried Jr and his uncle Karel. Almost immediately he faced the crisis of the late 1930s. Van Lanschot withstood this particular storm relatively well and during Jan van Lanschot’s four decades of leadership, the bank grew from a local and regionally focused family business into a medium-sized bank.
Henri van Lanschot (1904-1978)
In 1946, Henri van Lanschot succeeded his father Karel, who had stepped down in 1945. As a partner, Henri was put in charge of day-to-day operations at the ’s-Hertogenbosch head office.
Willem van Lanschot (1914-2001)
In 1966, Willem van Lanschot changed jobs from Philips to the Van Lanschot family business as a partner alongside Jan and Henri, which meant that all three branches of the Van Lanschot family were now represented. In the period up to 1978, Willem and his partners launched a new financial structure that turned Van Lanschot into a public limited company (NV by its Dutch acronym). Between 1978 and 1984, he served as the first Chair of F. van Lanschot Bankiers NV’ Supervisory Board.
Jan Cees van Lanschot (1929-1991)
Jan Cees van Lanschot took over the leadership of the firm in 1969 when his father Jan van Lanschot stepped down. In 1978, upon the transformation of Van Lanschot into an NV, he became the first Chair of the F. van Lanschot Bankiers NV’ Management Board. His death in 1991 meant the final departure of the Van Lanschot family from the company’s executive board.
Godfried van Lanschot (1964)
Godfried van Lanschot, son of Jan Cees, joined Van Lanschot’s Supervisory Board in 2006. With his three four-year terms of service and departure in 2018, he represents the ninth and last generation of the Van Lanschot family at the company. However, the family still holds a significant equity stake in Van Lanschot Kempen.