What draws you to this industry?
I’ve always worked in the graphic sector – often in jobs relating to the printing of brochures, folders and newspapers. It was only after I entered the labelling industry that I discovered how big this sector is. There’s a lot of innovation, and every labelling company has developed its secrets and technologies. I really enjoy working on high-end applications. A shipping label can be very simple, of course, but when it comes to luxury packaging you’re often dealing with incredibly beautiful labels, inlaid with gold foil and special typefaces. The sky’s the limit, and we offer an incredibly broad range of products at DNP. Before DNP, I used to work around four years for a company before moving on. At DNP, I’m in my eighth year now – that says something about this organisation too. It’s the combination of technology, commerce and people that makes this work so special.
What kind of work do you do exactly at DNP?
As Area Sales Manager, I’m responsible for coordinating all sales activities for accounts in my region. This means that I don’t just focus on sales, but also busy myself with product management and marketing. ASMs have a reputation for sticking their noses into everything. And to an extent that’s true. You could say I’m a kind of spider in a web, pulling on strings left and right. I serve some 160 clients in countries like Germany, Austria, Poland and Switzerland. This international character is what clinched it for me at the time. I enjoy working with people from a range of nationalities and cultures. I travel to South Africa once a year; and I also go to France, Spain and Italy for group-wide business. You spend a lot of time in hotels and airports of course, but sometimes I tack on a few days’ holiday. It would be a shame not to have a look around while you’re there.
What do you appreciate most in DNP?
The freedom we’re given. DNP offers loads of personal development opportunities and they appreciate it when you show initiative. Look: DNP may be a large company, but it doesn’t feel like you’re working for this gigantic multinational. We work in small divisions and we don’t have to push our way through all sorts of decision-making layers. On the contrary: we simply drop by each other for a word and get the job done. We’re not afraid to trust our gut feeling and don’t stand in the way of good ideas. This applies both to us as a sale team and to our manager. A work environment like that gives you a lot of energy. Incidentally, this job has left me with something of a ‘professional tic’. For example, whenever I come across a new barcode, I always swipe some cleaning agent along it to check the quality. That may earn me a few wary looks from the other members of my household, but oh well… this is what I do for a living, and I’m proud of it.
