I’ve never much taken with the company of bean counters. Yes, necessary, they keep the books straight, attack costs, and, respectfully, by and large, cure insomnia. But, risk takers and conversationalist – well not so much…
My take on the profession took a one-two combination to the head, when I first stepped into the ring with Lim Vermeer a decade ago at the Bellagio bar in Vegas. Tall with collar-length dark blond hair, a GQ lithograph in white linen, and built like an ox; this Dutch cost-performance consultant cut a dash.
Lim brimmed with life and mesmerized with stories of racing his RUF Porsche across the autobahns, boxing workouts, and his penchant for Celtic fusion/rock bands. He defied convention – a committed family man who divided his time between Rotterdam and Baltimore; a super structured thrill seeker organized like a metronome. A legitimate international man of mystery.
On the professional front, Lim was a visible and gregarious member of the Fed IT community. He founded and operated Cost Perform, a cost accounting and efficiency software and consulting company, for more than 30 years. With 500+ customers, Lim’s Cost Perform partnered closely with Teddy Vagias and his Mason Harriman Group, serving Federal agencies. Lim and Teddy shared many adventures together – including shooting machine guns out of helicopters with US special forces, and a bizarre road trip through the Balkans on route from Holland to Greece.
In the decade that whizzed past since I first met Lim, we shared lunch and dinner three or four times a year. I got to meet his family – Yvette and Quinty, Lim’s wife and only child. For a man who traveled so much, Lim was completely committed to his family. Yvette frequently traveled with Lim, dividing time between Holland and Baltimore – that was the rhythm of this Orange Romany marriage. And, the happy couple both lived for their daughter, Quinty.
Ever the proud papa, Lim filled me in on Quinty’s latest accomplishments – acing business school and moving to London to take a prestigious position with J.P. Morgan Chase. Quinty’s London residence gave Lim and Yvette a great excuse to build out the shape of their migration pattern – an Amsterdam, London, Baltimore triangle. They also loved taking in exotic spots – Japan just a few years ago.
Lim and I bonded over sports. Ahead of me, he was a real convert to American sports – a rabid Baltimore Ravens fan. We’d banter about his Feyenoord and my West Ham – as well as our national teams in the World Cup. Real football teams. And, inevitably, there was the F1 – he with Max Verstapen, me with Lewis Hamilton. It was F1 that really provided a perfect summary of Lim’s character – I lost a friendly wager, and he, ever generous, bought me a bottle of Laphroaig to help me commiserate. Gracious to a fault.
Literally, the healthiest person I knew, Lim was always in the gym, watched his alcohol and tobacco use, and was always boxing clever. Just this month, when Yvette and Quinty could not get him to pick up the telephone, they boarded a flight from London to Holland. When they walked in the apartment in Rotterdam, they found Lim unresponsive – just back from the boxing gym. Massive heart attack – he was 57.
Closing thoughts.
Godspeed flying Dutchmen – live like Lim, enjoy every day.
Love your family – Yvette and Quinty Lim’s twin suns.
Don’t sleep on cost accounting – respect.
Heart disease is the number one killer – the first indication that you’re going to have a heart attack, is a heart attack. If you haven’t had a Compute Tomography Angiography (CTA) get one! If insurance won’t cover it – pay for it yourself.
Please join us and Lim’s family for a celebration of Lim Vermeer’s life 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on September 19th at Mason Harriman’s office – 1763 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. You can ask Teddy about that epic road trip through the Balkans.
Lim, I’ll listen for your wooden shoes when I make it to the chequered flag on the other side of that canal.