While studying Commercial Economics, I was looking for a holiday job to pay for my studies. I was at the temporary employment agency where they again told me that there was no work. In the background, I heard someone calling and saying “Yes, 7 men tomorrow, I’ll take care of that”. I turned around and said “I’m one of them!” At first they said: that’s impossible, because they want men. But I persevered and that’s how I entered the world of logistics.

I have been working in this fascinating sector since 1996. The dynamics of the industry and the diversity of people, customers and activities make me enjoy working in this sector. In the first 16 years, I had several roles within various (international) logistics organisations as Quality Manager, Operations Manager, IT Manager, Logistics Controller, Business Development Manager and General Manager, among others.

Own company:

In 2012 I took the step to use this experience to realise my dream: becoming self-employed and using my experience for more great companies! I chose the name LOGIMPRO, with the subtitle ‘Logistics Improvement Professional’. In recent years, I had several executive and project manager positions at national and international companies. At logistic service providers and shipping companies. The span of control varied from 25 to 350 employees. Furthermore, I have led relocation projects and (customer) implementations in the Netherlands, Belgium and Taiwan.

Besides interim and project management assignments, I also coach teams, logistics students and executives in their role and personal development since 2016. This to learn how they themselves can contribute to their own success and that of the team. How to keep the balance between company results, customer satisfaction and the motivation of people in the team. “People make the difference” is something I whispered at the beginning of my career, but now shout out loud.

An eye for people in organisations:

I was in my first job when a new project was started. “What do we need?” the manager asked. “Forklifts”, said a colleague, “Racking”, said another colleague and I whispered, “Motivated people”. The first reaction was: “We don’t do tea parties here”. Not only did I not open my mouth in meetings for the first months, but I also believed for a long time that I was wrong.

Since then, I keep discovering that where people are motivated, i.e. happy in their work, the company, the team and the person are more successful and happier than where this is not the case. Where there are conflicts, where there is ‘hassle’. And that ‘hassle’ and those conflicts are often because processes were not thought through properly beforehand. But often also because there is something wrong between people. Within teams, between operations and management or between the organisation and its customers. 

I get energy from uncovering that ‘hassle’, working with the people involved and solving it together. Like I get energy from helping managers learn to become happier in their role. And showing them what they themselves can do to make their teams more successful. By staying curious about themselves and others and by getting to know themselves and others better. Especially by discovering and showing their true selves, with all their strengths and vulnerabilities. All this I take into account in my interim assignments, my project manager roles and in my coaching projects.