Wanting to be the best
‘During my interview, my dad spent an hour telling me all about his company; he was full of passion and enthusiasm. There was a world map on his desk and he showed me where we supplied rooted and non-rooted chrysanthemum cuttings to growers. The way he drew me into his vision to be the very best in what he was doing really inspired me. In the end, the very thing I was looking for was right in front of me and there for

Innovating and learning
‘How can we teach our product salesmen/women how to sell our products more efficiently, and how can we boost the image of the chrysanthemum? This is something we constantly ask ourselves. With the aim of learning, innovating and ensuring every grower can be truly successful. By ensuring our product is part of a lifestyle and hitching a ride on the growing demand for green and natural products, under the name of the Belgian Mum. We constantly focus on improving our product and processes. ‘Deuredoen’ that’s what we call it in West-Flanders.’

First step in the chain has to be sustainable
‘We are very aware of the fact that we are the first step in the chain; it all starts with us. So, we work as sustainably as possible; it’s part of our sense of responsibility. We aim to reduce our footprint every year. Sometimes, we achieve a high percentage, sometimes it’s a bit lower. But there’s always progress. We heat water with residual heat and carefully monitor our use of plastic. Flying is an issue because we take our cuttings to countries such as Brazil and Africa. And we can’t do so without using flights. But let’s first focus on our business in Belgium.’

Love your job
‘Perhaps the most important aspect of work is that you should enjoy your job and feel a sense of enthusiasm for what you do. Of course, I don’t spend every day walking around with a huge smile on my face. But you do need to enjoy what you do. If you go to work smiling, you’ll be able to achieve so much more. During job interviews, I always check to see whether there’s a ‘click’. ‘What do you dream of?, is a question I often ask. And when people have worked for us for a while, I often make sure they feel proud of what they’re doing and whether there is still a good relationship. Then I think about whether they are still working in the appropriate role. That’s really important with a team of 40 permanent employees and the same number of seasonal workers. My dream is to retain the number 1 spot in the world in the long-term. That’s what I’ve signed up for. Doing fantastic things with our product image and sustaining our levels of service and quality, at the very least. I am delighted that it’s going so well and very proud of the fact that we’ve been able to weather some pretty heavy storms. And I hope, despite all the pressures of my position and having a family, that I can carry on enjoying the here and now!’