Bertus Servaas


Bertus Jan-Willem Servaas is a Polish entrepreneur of Dutch nationality, president of the PGE Vive Kielce handball club, majority shareholder of the VIVE Group companies, president of the management board of Vive Textile Recycling, the largest company of the Polish textile recycling industry.

Biography

Between 1976 and 1982 he played football for AFC Ajax Amsterdam, but a leg injury prevented him from continuing his career.
In 1991 he moved to Poland. Through buy-out of 25% of shares, he became a co-owner of a small second-hand clothes wholesale, at the time located in Szczukowskie Górki. After a fire which burned down almost all goods and buildings during the night of 7 to 8 October 2002, he rebuilt the company, moving it to Kielce, to the halls previously owned by Chemar.
In 2002 he became the owner of Kolporter Kielce handball club, who since then have been the champions of Poland nine times, won 12 Polish Cups and won the 2015/2016 Champions League.
In 2003 he received the Kielce City Award from the Kielce City Mayor Wojciech Lubawski for promoting sport and acting for development of the city. He is the founder of the VIVE Heart to Children foundation helping ill and disabled children, as well as the STU Club acting for development of Kielce and the region, which brings together the companies from the Świętokrzyskie region.
In 2012 he applied for Polish citizenship, and he was granted one at the end of 2014.

Awards and distinctions