Aad Ouborg

About Aad Ouborg

Aad Ouborg was born in 1959 in Vlissingen. Together with his four sisters, he grew up in Breda. After four years of studying (medicine and physiotherapy), he followed his heart and started his entrepreneurial journey. From his student room in Utrecht, Ouborg became the importer of BaByliss in 1983, a French brand in beauty and hair care equipment. There was no money for large-scale advertising campaigns, but Ouborg quickly found the key to his success: doing business differently, thinking creatively, and collaborating. He sought partnerships with stars like Patricia Paay, the Dolly Dots, Linda de Mol, and René Froger, who promoted his products. The free publicity generated by this ‘celebrity endorsement’ benefited all parties involved. In its first year, BaByliss achieved a turnover of one hundred thousand; ten years later, that figure reached 25 million guilders, making BaByliss number one in the Dutch personal care market.

In July 1994, Ouborg sold BaByliss and introduced a new brand: Princess Household Appliances. With this company in household appliances, he became the world’s largest provider of chrome household appliances. The company became known for its distinctive way of doing business, out-of-the-box consumer actions, and organizing events that generated significant media attention. Celebrities such as Philippe Starck, Chef Ramzi, Tonny Eyk, Cas Spijkers, Paul Huf, Inge de Bruijn, Jan des Bouvrie, and many other (international) stars collaborated with Princess. A famous saying from founder Ouborg is “Entrepreneurship is entertaining.” Products from Princess are sold in 75 countries.

Aad Ouborg sold Princess Household Appliances at the end of 2009 but retained the name Princess for other activities. He continues to operate with the companies of the Ouborg Group, such as Princess Entertainment, Princess Hotels, Ouborg Monumenten Vastgoed, and Borgs Onroerend Goed. In everything he does, he adheres to the same strategy of doing business differently, thinking creatively, developing innovative products and services, and devising unique marketing actions. He, along with his children, is launching several new brands in the international market.

Together with his son Tim and daughter Florentine, Aad Ouborg started Princess Traveller and Princess Sportsgear. Both brands distinguish themselves through innovative and high-quality products. Princess Traveller develops ultra-light sustainable PET suitcases, suitcases with built-in scales, and a high-tech suitcase with a built-in battery to charge a laptop or mobile phone on the go. This innovation was awarded the international Red Dot design award in 2015. Princess Sportsgear is known for the Boostiq hockey stick, an innovation in the hockey world due to the special rubber on the striking and receiving surface. Even now, well-known names are putting both the Princess Sportsgear and Princess Traveller brands in the spotlight with striking and attention-grabbing marketing actions worldwide.

At the end of July 2014, Aad Ouborg launched yet another new brand: Bourgini, the Starmaker at home. The brand was entirely conceived and designed by the Ouborg family: Aad, his twin sister Els, and three of Aad’s children Tim, Florentine, and Nikki. Bourgini offers a wide range of household appliances, such as blenders, deep fryers, fondue sets, grills, baking plates, kettles, juicers, sandwich makers, etc. Bourgini also profiles itself through unique marketing actions and product innovation. Top chef Jacob Jan Boerma from restaurant De Leest, awarded three Michelin stars, is one of the Starmakers of the Bourgini brand. Thanks to his involvement, Bourgini positions itself as a brand that delivers top-quality appliances. Also in July 2014, Princess Hotel Collection was launched, a refreshing hotel formula with a strong focus on transparency and value for money. Princess Hotel Collection stands for high quality, homely service, and a fair price.

Aad Ouborg has authored three books. “Entrepreneurship is Entertaining” (2011) discusses his career and describes the emergence and functioning of relationship, retail, and event marketing. In 2014, Ouborg wrote the bestseller “Doing Business Differently,” in which he describes that successful entrepreneurship revolves around effectively utilizing the five elements of sales, marketing, product innovation, creativity, and distinctiveness. In the management book “International Entrepreneurship,” published in 2015, Ouborg provides numerous powerful and useful tips that encourage entrepreneurs to venture boldly into global markets. The five elements from “Doing Business Differently” also play a significant role in this book.

Aad Ouborg is an ambassador for organizations including NTCC, MB4, FCN, and Bizworld, and is part of the advisory board of the Culibus Foundation. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the child development organization SOS Children’s Villages and is also the founder of a network of family businesses within this foundation. Ouborg is also active for the Victim Support Fund.

Aad Ouborg regularly gives lectures both domestically and internationally to inspire people with his over 30 years of experience as an international entrepreneur.