Roland Kahn on the 'ups' & 'downs'

In the book, Kahn reflects on his adventures as a starting entrepreneur and the colourful retail career that followed.

In the book, Kahn looks back on his adventures as a starting entrepreneur and the colorful retail career that followed. For example, he discusses the early years of CoolCat and the buy & build strategy that led to the acquisitions of America Today, MS Mode, among others, but also his attempts to take over V&D and HEMA. His very first steps as a real estate owner and investor, which formed the basis for his current business empire Cool Investments, are also discussed.

The book, which reads like a picaresque novel, is therefore not only 'required reading' for enterprising people, but at the same time interesting for anyone who is interested in the person behind the businessman.

Uninhibitedly honest

In addition to the main character, Roland Kahn, Reinilde van Ekris also spoke for the book with his three adult children, former commissioner Dries van de Beek and entrepreneur Bas Smit about their relationship and collaboration with Roland. Each of them was uninhibitedly honest. Reinilde van Ekris: “I have interviewed many entrepreneurs. But never before have I heard the main character and his immediate inner circle talk so openly about what concerns and concerns them. It has led to a story in which you go from one surprise to the next. It was very interesting to write this.”

The proceeds

The book KAHN, – My life, my loves, my work is available at VD.nl and (online) bookstores. The net proceeds from the book will entirely benefit research into the treatment of patients with melanoma skin cancer at the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek (AVL).

Roland Kahn is closely involved with this hospital as a donor and is grateful to all employees of the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek for their unwavering commitment to his own healing and that of many other patients.

The research that Roland wants to finance with his own donations and the proceeds from the book tries to answer why some patients (like Roland himself) respond so wonderfully to a new immunotherapy, while others do not. The AVL hopes to be able to better determine who needs which therapy and how the treatment can be made even more effective.