As a technical business engineer Koen has always been interested in how people, departments and businesses interact so that he can align processes as efficiently and effectively as possible. Knowing that any chain is only as strong as its weakest link, Koen likes robust supply chains.
He finds solutions that get the best out of people, the organisations they work for and the environments they operate in. Whether it’s procuring raw materials, establishing partnerships with suppliers, implementing procurement systems or professionalising purchasing departments, he puts his heart and soul into everything he does.
Having worked for various multinationals in the Netherlands and abroad, he has wide-ranging experience of a whole variety of different business cultures. Whether it’s the typical precision of a Swiss company like Nestlé, the scale of US companies such as Biogen and Diversey or the down-to-earth Groningen-based company Solidus, he has always been able to align with clients’ organisational culture and achieve change.
Starting out in a supply chain position he then moved into procurement, where he has now worked for over 20 years in a variety of increasingly responsible roles. His activities have ranged from developing and procuring packaging material for a small factory to the European procurement of indirect materials and services and worldwide procurement of raw materials. He has also been responsible for setting up a procurement team in Asia for various private equity companies and a group procurement function for a solid board company in Groningen.
Koen draws on his wide-ranging experience to cast a fresh look at challenges. He is also not afraid to consider whether ‘sacred cows’ perhaps needs changing for a better organisational fit.
Would you like to meet Koen? Come and have a cup of coffee!
