- What were the key moments in your career?
First, choosing right when it came to my first full-time employer was for sure a critical moment. I picked Unilever based on rational arguments (the brands, the excellence in Marketing, the multicultural nature of a globally active company) and on intuition, being attracted by the human and inclusive company culture that I got to witness. And it paid off even more when – shortly after joining – we started putting purpose at the heart of everything we do, long before it become popular. Aiming to be a net positive company.
Secondly, my first cross-functional move - from Marketing to Sales - helped me grow on many levels: Seeing business from consumers’, shoppers’, and retailers’ eyes. Seeing the value of a collaborative approach when working with our retail partners. Understanding how business works E2E.
Thirdly, working with my teams in Germany, Austria and Switzerland on the transformation of our Foods business across portfolio, brands, support models, channels, and organizational set-up. Getting everyone really on board and seeing the progress over the course of several years was very satisfying.
Lastly, discovering my purpose: “Always inspire and lift up. People and ideas.” Which allows me to help my teams achieve their goals and at the same time gives me a lot of energy. Therefore, a clear recommendation to look for that clarity for yourself.
- What kind of work did you want to do when you were a child? And when did you find your career path?
As a child, I was interested in all kinds of fields, from doing patisserie to painting or writing books. Usually something that generated tangible output that could be enjoyed by others. Later, while studying in the US, I got a lot of exposure to real companies’ real business challenges and had the chance to develop product ideas and communication approaches. It made it crystal clear that I wanted to leverage my love for creating added value for people.
- What was your very first reaction to the Covid pandemic? Would you say this is a threat or an opportunity for you?
Let’s go back to March 2021. Like most of us, I had no clue what this new virus would turn into or for how long and how severely it would impact lives all across the globe. My first personal reaction was: There goes the Easter holiday with my family… My first business-related reaction was triggered by the fact that I was still enjoying the last weeks of my maternity leave: “Quickly adjusting plans, anticipating unpredictable developments – this is very much comfort zone for me. This gives me an adrenaline rush. I would really like to help my team navigate through this!” Well, little did I know how much leading I would still be doing in the weeks and months to follow… Of course, this pandemic is one big tragedy – for many on a personal level, for many also on a professional level. No opportunity can take away from that. At the same time, the change in consumer behavior has, of course, provided us also with many opportunities. Linked to an acceleration of trends. Take online for example. On trend before – with a further push during the pandemic due to convenience and safety. Now the job is to ensure that people get hooked, knowing that the maturity point has not been reached in Belgium. Or the trend of focusing on the essentials: more quality time, more time at home – incl. the appreciation of trusted brands or the recession of cooking. This is a great opportunity for us to drive loyalty with someone who only recently discovered the versatility of Knorr bouillon for instance. Or the development towards more conscious choices: for our health and the environment. That’s why we launched products like the Knorr zero salt bouillon or Knorr vegetable wraps or expanded The Vegetarian Butcher for plant-based consumption without a compromise on taste. And: In the process of managing this pandemic, we all have strengthened our self-confidence by seeing once more what we are capable of. With great team work – internally and externally -, for instance when satisfying unpredictable peak demands or when getting a market that needed extra stimulation, such as deodorants, back to growth.
- How would you describe in one sentence the importance of networking?
Networking allows us to connect like-minded people with different experiences and expertise and their ideas, and thus realize opportunities with greater impact. Adding a second sentence: You derive the biggest benefits when you seek to support others instead of focusing on your own short-term returns on your time investment.
- How would you describe in one sentence networking during/in Covid time?
Networking during covid unleashes creativity and is met with a lot of openness since people sit in their home offices and enjoy connecting and discussing ideas.
- How important is Gondola to you?
Since my move to Belgium during this pandemic, Gondola has been of great support as I was embracing a new and pretty unique market, was trying to fully understand its dynamics, and was also building a network of my own. I very much appreciate the team’s determination to have impact and provide added value, thus, also reaching out to understand interests and needs. And, of course, this is closely linked to the people behind Gondola. I have had the pleasure of meeting A LOT of passionate, creative and inclusive people!
- What were your reasons for joining our board?
As you can tell from my reflection on the importance of networking, I truly believe in the value of connecting with others. It helps us grow and jointly address today’s big topics. Therefore, I very much look forward to the discussions with my fellow board members. And quite simply, I don’t want to just take (the insights, the stimulus from the various events…), but also contribute and bring some new ideas or offer fresh eyes on which focus areas could be of biggest value to the members of Gondola Society. Looking forward to a great collaboration!