Eric Berkhof

EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2025 finalist, The Netherlands
CEO of Van Mossel Automotive Group

Eric Berkhof is adding new lanes for the automotive industry through customer-centricity.

Eric Berkhof’s love of all things automotive is part nature and part nurture. His father, Drik, was a car dealer, and Eric recalls father-son outings to look at the gleaming vehicles at the car markets. But it was a college internship in 1982 that really revved up Eric’s interest in the company he would eventually run, Van Mossel Automotive Group. The storied Van Mossel auto dealership is an important player in the Dutch automotive industry and has been for several decades. In 1984, Eric began working for the company full-time, taking on new challenges in 1988, when he began running one of the company’s Volkswagen dealerships. 

Eric was appointed the CEO of Van Mossel Automotive Group in 2018 and since then he has played a significant role in the company’s continued growth. Eric has expanded the unique full-service concept of Van Mossel, which now operates in 470 locations across seven countries and sells more than 185,000 new and used cars each year. 

Strong relationships with car manufacturers enable a comprehensive portfolio for customers. Van Mossel offers a one-stop-shop mobility solution focusing on customers’ every need: from dealerships and leasing companies to body repair services. It’s a model that drives customer satisfaction and solid business growth. For Eric, customer satisfaction is always the top priority, evidenced by his personal mobile phone number being listed on every website. 

With the experience gained and the success achieved, the company’s ambitions now extend beyond the Benelux region. Eric, with his vision of international expansion, remains dedicated to putting his customers’ happiness first.