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REFERENCES
“Menno was employed with Divetech in Grand Cayman as a Manager and Dive Instructor.
He has the customer’s satisfaction foremost in mind, and was always friendly and accommodating towards customers. Menno was in a very unsupervised position and he was very responsible and trust worthy to turn up on time and stay until his duties were done, even if it meant staying past closing time.
Sometimes Menno was required to jump in and help out with diving at short notice and he always did so without hesitation. He is capable of transitioning from one project to another with minimal notice without getting flustered.
I found one of his biggest strengths to be in his business sense, providing analysis and ensuring profitability in decisions and plans. Menno assisted in the marketing plan and generating more business for the company was always his main focus.
When the owner (myself) and the General Manager were off island Menno was left in the position of Operations Manager. He was responsible for opening and closing the dive center properly, and managing the staff throughout the day to make sure everything ran smoothly and on time.
Menno was always very proactive regarding Divetech’s training opportunities, in looking ahead and arranging time to join in on classes or schedule classes for himself to progress his (technical) diving training. He was always eager to learn new things to keep his training sharp and develop as a dive professional.
Menno was the main first contact our customers had when reaching out to Divetech. He developed great relationships with customers and they would turn up on a daily basis wanting to meet the man behind the phone or e-mail.Menno is responsible, hard working, organized and always has the best interest of the company at heart. “
Reference edited to a condensed version and for clarity. Full reference available on request.
Ms. Joanna Mikutowicz (contact)
Owner
Divetech, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
“I have been very happy to have Menno onboard the Infinity Expedition for a year as crew. He was hired to manage our onboard SCUBA dive operation, but quickly took the initiative to take on more responsibilities. With his organisational, communication and general people skills Menno soon became acting Cruise Director. Our guests loved to have Menno around and he showed very effective time management in planning guest activities and being their wingman so to speak with all activities relating to excursions, dive trips and life onboard in general.
As a dive instructor, Menno maintained a serious and professional manner, patiently teaching safe diving practices to his students, and ensuring that even the most uncomfortable or nervous students make it through his courses and continue diving – he always went the extra mile to make sure his students had a positive experience. He managed the boat’s dive operations holistically, and was in charge of equipment maintenance, acquisition of new gear, keeping the paperwork in order, arranging schedules for various concurrent dive courses and fun dives, and many more tasks.
Besides being a fun to be around crewmate he also made our guests feel safe and well taken care of by always keeping an ear open for any questions or issues. In parallel Menno was great at taking care of our marketing, sales and communications. He ensured that our social media exposure was kept up, and that any e-mails from interested guests were quickly and comprehensively answered.
I know Menno as a responsible, pro-active colleague motivated to create a great time for our guests. I highly recommend hiring him if you have the opportunity. I wish him all the best in his next challenge and hope our paths will cross again!”
Mr. Clemens Oestreich (contact)
Owner/Captain
S/V Infinity, Infinity Expedition
Mr. Sascha Schmitt & Ms. Sabine Janneck (contact)
Owners/Managers
The Dive Centre The Big Fish, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
“Menno worked for us as a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor. Although Menno was still relatively junior as an instructor when he came to us, he grabbed the opportunity with both hands and ran with it. What he was initially lacking in teaching experience, he made up for in spades in customer communication and because of this people loved diving with Menno.
He is also very good at after sales by keeping in touch with our guests after they left. I know Menno as an ambitious and commercially savvy guy. A quick thinker and a hard worker. I have no doubt that Menno will be very successful at whatever future endeavor he chooses to take up.”
Mr. Bas Noij (contact)
Owner
VIP Diving, Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands
“I had the pleasure to train with Menno in his goal to become a PADI Instructor at our facility. Of the thousands of Instructors I have trained over the years, Menno is in the top 5{5785e09d7f157841e388556602ed452df373215bab87e1d7bcb5d74bd8927681}. He is a passionate diver at heart, a very conscientious dive professional, customer service oriented and always striving to improve, evolve and exceed his divers expectations.
You only need to look at his employment record since training with me and also how his own diving experiences have advanced. Menno is the consummate professional and I would hire him in a heartbeat.”
Mr. Andy Phillips †
Course Director
Utila Dive Center, Utila ,Honduras
GUEST REVIEWS
“… arranged everything with Menno and ended up with one of the best dive trips of my life.”
December 2018, Divetech, Grand Cayman
“Menno answered all my questions and made the booking process easy.”
August 2018, Divetech, Grand Cayman
“I’d like to give a very HUGE shoutout to Menno, thank you SO VERY MUCH for your patience/ calm and kind demeanour. I very nearly was going to dropout and not do it. But Menno’s calm reassurances helped immensely. Honestly, you were a star.”
August 2018, Divetech, Grand Cayman
“We had booked various dives various dates… Meno great on working for scheduling”
June 2017, Divetech, Grand Cayman
” I have dived with Menno and can recommend him, well qualified and highly professional.”
November 2015, Infinity Expedition
“I spent about 14 days scuba diving with Menno and he was always very organized, knowledgeable and responsible when it came to diving…basically all the things you want from a dive master when you are diving new locations all the time.”
August 2015, Infinity Expedition
“I met Menno in a little café in Neiafu, Tonga. We were sailing around the islands and desperately needed a diving instructor. He came on board with us and fitted in so well he stayed on the ship far longer than me. He turned out to be an amazing dive instructor and shipmate. He has a cool, laidback attitude, lots and lots of good stories, but not the kind to annoy you with it if you don’t ask.”
June 2015, Infinity Expedition
“I have met Menno in Komodo. Really nice and sympatic guy.”
March 2016, Divine Diving, Indonesia
“Als je wilt gaan duiken bij Komodo, dan is Divine Diving een absolute aanrader. Marije, Juvens, Menno en de rest van de mensen van Divine Diving heel erg bedankt voor de fijne tijd bij jullie.”
August 2014, Divine Diving, Indonesia
“The staff, Menno, Jonathon, Stephen, Frank and Bas were all very welcoming and happy to share their knowledge of diving and the island.” “We found everyone to be friendly, professional and safety conscious.”
April 2014, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“Voor mij was dit een nieuwe ervaring, waarbij Menno mij op een prettige manier begeleidt en beoordeeld heeft. Hij legde alles duidelijk uit, was erg rustig, relaxed en behulpzaam en deed het met veel enthousiasme.” “Menno bedankt!”
March 2014, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“… 4 great dives with VIP and Menno. Excellent service, thorough guiding and all in all a very relaxing and at the same time fantastic experience!”
February 2014, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“Our dive master, Menno was GREAT!! He was very knowledgeable and took us to some of his favorite dive spots that were challenging but perfect for our skill level. It was fantastic! We had a great time and he even brought sandwiches for our surface interval. We were treated like we really mattered to this dive operation and that is truely unique.”
February 2014, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“They took care of myself and my snorkeling wife like we were celebrities. Edwin and Meno both were extremely helpful and considerate on my wife’s needs and concerns even though she was only along for the ride. They are all more safety conscious than any other operation I have been with even ones that I was being trained by.”
January 2014, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“Additionally, everyone at VIP has an obvious passion for Bonaire as well as diving. I did all my dives with Bas and Menno– they both had great recommendations for activities and food outside of diving.”
December 2013, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“Once we arrived in Bonaire, the welcome at the shop was excellent and getting us set up with our instructor/guide Menno was smooth.”
“A couple of us took the Advanced Open Water course. We have done many dive trips, with guided and on our own diving. Menno was by far the best instructor we have had. He was enthusiastic, and explained things extremely well. It was clear that he is still excited about his job and enjoys spending time with his guests. On the way to dive sites he stopped to show us historical sites on the island. He also knew the best places to stop for lunch.”
January 2014, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“Menno continued to work with me one-on-one so I was able to finish the course along with the rest of the group. He was an excellent instructor: always supportive and patient, even when a skill took a long time to achieve; always encouraging and as pleased about our successes as we were (if not more!); very invested in teaching well and helping his students get the most out of not just the course, but the experience of diving.”
November 2013, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“Really nice people working there: Big thanks to the team, especially for Menno, my super dive guide, who showed me some wonderful dive sites and was a great conversation partner above the surface as well.”
“Individual service: Got asked what I whished to discover and about my preferences. Menno organized dives in a way my lady could snorkel as well, once she wanted to.”
December 2013, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“… Everything about Divetech is first-rate, from the multiple emails planning the initial logistics of this trip (thanks, Manno)… “
March 2019, Divetech, Grand Cayman
“Menno was so hospitable on the phone, discussing options and great to work with.”
August 2018, Divetech, Grand Cayman
“Thanks again and a special thanks to Menno who was able to keep up with all my inquiries.”
December 2017, Divetech, Grand Cayman
“Menno was very helpful when planning our trip and our dives to make sure that we were all safe.”
April 2017, Divetech, Grand Cayman
” I dived with Menno and he is an outstanding dive professional and awesome person to hang around with. Great character, always happy and supportive.”
September 2015, Infinity Expedition
“I took my Open Water Course with Menno on board of Infinity. I couldn’t have asked for a better instructor! Although I felt a little insecure about diving at first, I was so much at ease with Menno all of the time.”
July 2015, Infinity Expedition
“What more can you ask for in a buddy when exploring the ocean, Menno is always calm, friendly and professional and I’ll give him a big plus for his sense of humor too, diving and traveling should be fun!”
June 2015, Infinity Expedition
“Divemaster Sascha as well as Menno and Phil kept things running smoothly from departure from harbor, out to dive site, and back in again.”
“Menno, good talk on the boat that day!”
April 2015, The Dive Centre The Big Fish, Cook Islands
“Our divemaster was very professional, funny, helpful and knows how to calm down a nervous first-time diver.”
April 2015, The Dive Centre The Big Fish, Cook Islands
“…even if the current were really strong we felt safe all the time, was a pleasure to dive with Menno and juven! We will come back :)”
July 2014, Divine Diving, Indonesia
“…, Menno and the others of VIP, you do live up to the reputation that VIP has of being the best dive operation on the island! I had such a fantastic time playing, laughing, sightseeing and diving with you. Personalities that light up the world,…”
April 2014, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“Menno spent time at the whiteboard going over the basics, then practiced skills in the shallows with me very patiently and with a lot of encouragement.”
February 2014, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“… the dive team is great, especially Menno! He has a great personality and is truly a professional.
“And besides awesome dive sites, Menno also took me around the beautiful island. Diving with VIP Diving was such a great experience, I can’t recommend them enough!”
January 2014, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“Menno of VIP was a fabulous dive master—listening carefully to our goals with the dives, explaining the different options on Bonaire and then leading our very small group (ie they never take more than dive divers per dive master) to the best sites! The diving was incredible! In between our two tank dive(s), Menno drove us around the island showing us the sites and also provided us with turkey and cheese subs he made that morning.”
February 2014, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“Our dive master, Menno, was the best part of the entire experience! He not only knew the best sites and had tips for every site, but was also incredibly knowledgeable about the island itself, it’s history with incredible stories, and ideas to make our vacation the best. He is delightful to spend the day with! We also took the Nitrox course while we were there from Menno. He was a fantastic naturally born teacher, and we not only learned about nitrox diving, but he taught us several things about diving that we had never learned before. His personality was so delightful to be around that we enjoyed our day with him so much–we even signed up for an additional day of guided dives in the land of “unlimited shore diving” and it was a day well spent! He took us to dive sites that we are sure we would have never discovered on our own. The diving was the fantastic, and we can’t wait to go back to Bonaire again, and Menno was the frosting on the cake for the trip!!”
January 2014, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“I dove with Tim and Menno, and they are great instructors that I recommend.”
January 2014, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“Great service, the pick up from our Cruise Ship was on time and Menno was very good in handling my recently certified daughters. 5 star service.”
January 2014, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“We enjoyed several guided dives with Bas, Frank, Menno and Tom. What a great experience and knowledge these very professional instructors have.”
January 2014, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“I was very impressed at the level of service and professionalism. Our instructor Menno, was very thorough, didn’t leave anything out, no shortcuts, but was easy going. He explained himself very well and he made us feel very comfortable and confident during our dives. He even gave us a bit of a tour and was very knowledgeable of the island’s culture and history which definitely adds to the experience.”
December 2013, VIP Diving, Bonaire
“I have a fear of removing my mask underwater, which we discussed thoroughly at the shop, while prepping our gear. Meeno had plenty of patience and worked with me on completing this task several times so I am working towards beating it!”
December 2013, VIP Diving, Bonaire