"The transition from international sales to a national role was a deliberate choice. I wanted to make an impact closer to home and focus more on the Netherlands."
The story
"On July 1, 2025, I started as General Manager of Bronkhorst Netherlands in Veenendaal. Before joining Bronkhorst, I spent seventeen years working in the water industry, much of that time in international sales and management positions. During the last ten years of my career, I worked in a corporate environment. While I learned a great deal there, I eventually felt the need for more entrepreneurship, greater freedom, and an organization where the human side of business plays a more central role. I was already familiar with Bronkhorst by reputation. In Twente, where I come from, the company is known as a socially engaged and people-oriented employer. The combination of being a family-owned business, its entrepreneurial mindset, and its warm company culture immediately appealed to me. Ultimately, that is what motivated me to make the move. What made this transition even more special was my conscious decision to take on a national role. For many years, I worked internationally and was primarily focused outward, but I found it increasingly interesting to focus on the Dutch market. At the same time, I continue to learn about the many applications of our products. What still surprises me is the incredible variety of industries and processes in which our flow solutions are used. The breadth of applications is remarkable and continues to broaden my perspective every day."
Trust and Responsibility from Day One
"One of the first things that stood out to me when joining Bronkhorst was how welcome I felt. Even before my official start date, future colleagues reached out to me through LinkedIn to welcome me to the company. Once I started, I quickly realized that this openness is part of the culture throughout the organization. People connect easily, are approachable, and show genuine interest in one another. For a company of this size, my onboarding experience felt surprisingly personal.
In my current role, I am responsible for the Bronkhorst sales office in Veenendaal. The role extends far beyond sales alone. I lead several departments, including finance, order management, service, and sales. From Veenendaal, we serve customers throughout the Netherlands and are responsible for both our commercial performance and our operational costs. Our focus is not only on customer satisfaction, but also on market development and achieving sustainable growth. We continuously look at how we can support existing customers even better while identifying new opportunities in the market.
My leadership philosophy is straightforward: I try to make myself as unnecessary as possible. I want people to work independently and rely on me as little as possible. My role is to support the team when needed, improve processes, and help colleagues overcome challenges. My door is always open. At the same time, I strongly believe in taking ownership. People are given a great deal of freedom here, but that freedom comes with responsibility. For me, people management and team development are just as important as achieving commercial objectives."
Sharing Experience, Continuing to Grow
"The experience I gained throughout my career plays a role in my work every day. I started in an internal sales position, moved into field sales roles, and eventually progressed into sales management. Over the past 25 years, I have worked in international environments across different markets, cultures, and commercial settings. I have also been involved in the implementation of systems such as CRM, ERP, and CPQ solutions. What I appreciate about Bronkhorst is that there is genuine room to bring that knowledge into the organization and contribute to improvement initiatives.
Another aspect I value is the strong focus on learning and development. The onboarding program immediately makes it clear what opportunities are available for personal and professional growth. For example, I completed the technical training courses and the Sales Introduction Training. My background is not technical, but that is exactly why I enjoy learning new things. Even if you come from outside this industry, there are plenty of opportunities to build knowledge and develop yourself.
What energizes me most is working together toward a shared goal. When colleagues collaborate with a customer to develop a solution and successfully complete a project, it is incredibly rewarding. Ultimately, everything revolves around customer satisfaction. Whether you work directly with customers or behind the scenes, everyone at Bronkhorst contributes to that goal."
