What is Ferdinand Fransen?
'''Ferdinand Gregorius Fransen''' ([[Enschede]], 23 February 1928 – [[Borne, Netherlands|Borne]], 11 July 2021) was a [[Dutch people|Dutch]] [[entrepreneur]]. He was director of the Dutch [[Travel|travel company]] Arke (later part of the [[Germany|German]] [[TUI Group|TUI AG]]). Fransen was also [[Chairperson|chairman]] of the [[Football team|football club]] [[FC Twente]]. == Career == Fransen came from a working-class family. His father was a house painter who died in 1938. Fransen played with the second division team VOSTA. He was captain of the first team. He later focused on [[Track and field athletics|athletics]] and became a champion [[Javelin|javelin thrower]]. <ref>{{Cite web|title=Ferdinand Fransen: de kantoorhulp die opklom tot miljonair|url=https://www.tubantia.nl/enschede/ferdinand-fransen-de-kantoorhulp-die-opklom-tot-miljonair~a850f9cd/|access-date=2022-05-23}}</ref> In 1944, Fransen came to work at Travel Agency, Twenthe. In the 1950s, he started the ''Reis- en Passagebureau Arke together with Arke and'' Hennie Agterhuis. Arke retired in 1967 and Agterhuis died in 1973. Fransen became the sole director of the company. He developed the company from a bus travel company to a full [[Tourism|tour]] operator. In 1989, he sold forty percent of his [[Shareholder|shares]] to the German [[TUI Group|Touristik Union International]] (TUI). In 1995, he sold them the rest of his shares. He owned many [[Hotel|hotels]] in the Netherlands and [[Spain]]. These included ''[[Landgoed de Wilmersberg]]'' in [[De Lutte]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Met Ferdinand Fransen ging een reispionier heen die ook kon delen|url=https://www.tubantia.nl/enschede/met-ferdinand-fransen-ging-een-reispionier-heen-die-ook-kon-delen~acd01add/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fnl.wikipedia.org%2F|access-date=2022-05-23}}</ref> In addition to his [[Business|business career]], Fransen was chairman of the football club FC Twente from 1977 to 1984. <ref>{{Cite web|last=Heide|first=Ties van der|date=2021-07-12|title=Ferdinand Fransen overleden: 'Eerst kneep