“I’m not someone who manages at detail level, and I believe strongly in a model based on indirect reports.”
people with the right passion and a shared goal. My award was recognition of that, so we’ve shared it among all the 120 managers in my supply chain. It was a challenge, because although our fac- tories are spread around the world they are closely linked by the product flows. If something goes wrong in one factory, it affects a lot of others too. Our network is also pretty full, so we don’t have much room to divert production. Plus we’re in a growth market with annual investment of more than €150 million. It was a huge help that the then-boss was a strong advocate of business-group- oriented supply chains. The manufacturing directors initially found it hard to adapt to the new way of working, but they’ve now got used to managing a functional rather than hierarchical organi- zation. For me, it means that I’m now on a journey with a single team. I’ve invested a lot of time in the connections between my people. That has meant speaking regularly from the heart and the gut, then you automatically form a bond over time. Every team meet- ing starts with a check-in: tell us how you are. Most of the time it’s about personal issues; people solve the problems together. So the group of individuals has become a strong community. When a new member joined the team he took a while to adjust but, thanks to my very open management approach and not forcing anything, he is now just as involved as the rest.”
How will you make the next leap? “We’re on the cusp of making choices about groundbreaking tech- nologies in an industry which has done things the same way for the past 60 to 100 years. Some of our powder machines are half a century old and still gas-powered, so it makes sense to invest
now. Drying milk and whey is an energy-intensive and labour- intensive process. Our people have some impressive ideas about energy recovery and the use of electricity and geothermal energy instead of gas, which we’re developing with external partners. Our Borculo factory has switched to using biogas from the local waste treatment plant and pyrolysis oil. And we’re currently talking to a customer about supplying a product in liquid form in order to miss out the drying process completely. Alginate is recovered from our waste water for reuse. To be honest, I wish I could have made these investments earlier and in smaller doses, because there’s now a lot going on all at once. Our network is so full that we have to tackle one factory at a time, because they are out of the running for weeks and sometimes months. We provide all major pharmaceutical companies with medical nutrition for hospitals and products for premature babies. Lives are at risk, so failure to supply is not an option.”
Are you also using this investment period as an opportunity to improve your processes? “In process technology, they work with centralized control rooms; an operator has to check whether everything is OK every three minutes. But wouldn’t it be great if that could be reduced to once every three hours? Our factories are working round the clock. The operators are crucial because they have to make the right decisions. We’re training them in factory management princi- ples – such as to make results visible and to ask questions to pre- vent problems from reoccurring – with as little classroom-based learning as possible. I believe in on-the-job training, and the HR managers and line managers join the sessions. It’s very reward-
Management style “Inspiring, ener- getic, giving people autonomy, enter- prising, connecting, critical. I have a memory like an elephant and see lots of details, such as safety issues in fac- tories. I can be a stickler for accuracy and will correct mistakes in memos, which is a bit childish I suppose. You need to be able to have a laugh and a joke at work, because it keeps you approachable. People have told me that I don’t act like a boss, and I don’t want to be treated like one either.”
Hobbies “I play hockey. And I like bring- ing people together, such as by organ- izing a reunion for the hockey team or by inviting friends round for a meal. I’ll buy crazy ingredients at my local Asian corner shop and try them out at home, with varying degrees of success… For
me, it’s about standing around together in the kitchen with a glass of wine in your hand. That’s when you have the best conversations.”
Vacation “Nowadays we rent a villa, in Spain for example, and use it as a base for exploring the area. When the children are older there will be time for more serious travelling – such as a Land Rover road trip from here to South Africa, that’s one thing still on my bucket list, or exploring Asia, a region I’ve come to love through my work. Not spending too long in one place, and getting to know the local people and culture off the beaten track.”
Clothes “I buy in bulk, five or six shirts at a time. I don’t have the patience to shop. I get my suits from Suit Sup-
ply, and T-shirts and polo shirts from Superdry. We don’t have a dress code at work, so there’s been a huge drop in the number of ties on show. I only wear a jacket when meeting customers or dignitaries.”
Culture “We always have music on at home – a little too loudly, accord- ing to most people – and spanning all genres, from Bach and Rachmaninov to Dutch rock music. When I’m abroad I find it relaxing to visit churches and museums, and I recently went to an exhibition about Buddha at the Tropen- museum here in Amsterdam.”
Books “From Herman Koch to Eng- lish detective stories in the Top 10 at Schiphol Airport, and in good old-fashioned print versions. A lot of
times I read books that have been recommended to me. Everyone told me to read I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes, so that’s my current book. I also read travel stories about places I’m visiting.”
Inspiration “My former boss at Fries- landCampina was an entrepreneur who saw opportunities rather than threats. He acted on instinct and took risks: no endless debates; as soon as you know the facts you make a decision. And if it’s the wrong one you openly admit it, dust yourself off and carry on. He’s ‘big and bold’. I’m not, but he challenged and inspired me to be more enterprising. Entering the awards contest at all was a huge step for me. Claiming victory doesn’t come naturally to me. If it’s a team accomplishment, I’ll keep a low profile.”
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SUPPLY CHAIN MOVEMENT, No.31, Q4 2018
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