Andreas Goddeeris
Career story
Sales Manager UK/IE-Nordics @Joris Ide / Sales Manager @Kingspan
How long have you been working for Joris Ide?
I've been working in Joris Ide's sales division for 5 years now. However, I have decided to move to Colombia for personal reasons. So I will soon be changing jobs. I am going to join the Kingspan Group to become a Sales Manager in Colombia.
What is your current profession/position within the Joris Ide Group? Describe a typical working week.
I act as the customer interface, not only for product sales, but also for deadlines and deliveries. I spent several years working on the development/transformation of the UK market, and more recently I was involved in the development of the Scandinavian market (Norway, Denmark) with Veerle Abraham.
Bram Goderis assumed responsibility for the UK market in 2020 and I have been helping him in making this transition. As I will soon be moving to another area, we have found a Danish person (welcome Lars Rosengreen!) to take on the development of the Scandinavian market locally for the Joris Ide group. Fun fact: I met him when I was visiting various customers in Denmark, he was working with some of our prospective customers. So that area's future is in safe hands!
Can you tell us about your experience with Joris Ide? How has your career developed since your appointment? How has Joris Ide helped you to develop?
I learned a lot from the UK market, which is highly unique in terms of products, culture and the fact that Kingspan is a market leader there. Joris Ide has never been among the leaders there (unlike other longstanding markets such as Belgium/France).
I started out in internal sales and then, thanks to the ambitious market development strategy introduced by Gauthier Declercq, I was able to move on to the position of Sales Manager. We managed to triple our turnover within the space of 5 years. We made an acquisition to roll out our 'Hub and Spoke' model and recruited people to support the business locally, so it was an incredibly challenging adventure for me. The learning curve accelerated at a furious pace.
Late 2019, Gauthier asked me to focus on a new and very ambitious challenge: the development of the Scandinavian market. Personally, I was more keen to enjoy a new experience in another country, to make the most of my Spanish language skills, and to follow my girlfriend on her travels.The Kingspan opportunity in Colombia then appeared.
How would you describe Joris Ide as an employer?
Joris Ide has a strong entrepreneurial mindset and offers offers exciting opportunities to its employees. My introduction programme included order processing, logistics and production, allowing me to acquire excellent skills and develop a sound basis. Since my arrival, and with the creation of the training programme, and ‘Joris Ide Dictionary’ the company has recently experienced a lot of growth in terms of its new people support and orientation process.
What advice would you give to a new person joining the group?
Listen, analyse and give it your all. Joris Ide is the perfect school for skilled and ambitious young people, because the company helps us build confidence. The fast-growing group is bound to offer great opportunities for people who want to make a strong long-term commitment.
What is your next challenge?
The Colombian sandwich board market has a real growth potential, so my main focus - together with my team of travelling and non-travelling sales people – will be helping to turn Kingspan Colombia into one of the market leaders. I paid a visit to the company during my latest trip to Colombia. There is obviously no comparison with Joris Ide, because the working conditions are really superb here, but I'm so excited about the prospect of meeting new people, discovering a new culture.
One of my other duties will be working together with the Marketing team to develop local prescription/branding activities. This will be something totally new to me, but I've been talking with Willem Van Rootselaar, who has had a lot of experience with this (on the Dutch market). It's a very exciting challenge!
Where do you see yourself in 10 years' time?
Now that' s a good question! If all goes well and I like living there, Kingspan Global has a great deal of ambitious plans for South America, so why not be an integral part of this development in one of the most promising continents in the world? I am someone who thrives on new challenges, new cultures, so why not also travel to other continents on behalf of Kingspan?
Finally, allow me to thank Joris Ide and my colleagues for the 5 wonderful years we have spent together. You have given me the opportunity to develop while enjoying superb working conditions and witnessing dedicated teams at work.
I'm going to miss you all, but we'll keep in touch by phone or Teams!
Thank you for everything.
Andreas.