Employee Profile: Managing Director, ZyLAB Benelux
I started working at ZyLAB in 2001. My professional background is in industrial automation and my educational background is a combination of technology and economics. That's why my role is on the commercial side. The combination of HTS (Higher Technical School) and HEAO (Higher Economical & Administrative Education) is perfectly suited for this. With experience in two previous companies my appointment at ZyLAB gave me an opportunity to put forward some interesting new ideas within the business applications of the ZyLAB products.
During the years I've been working at ZyLAB the world of document management applications has changed significantly. ZyLAB's expansion into the U.S. market was the impetus for several developments that are a big priority within the company. This attracted the attention of international analysts such as Gartner and IDC who also began to show an interest in our Dutch projects and customers. Developments in major international projects in the U.S. and at the United Nations have broadened the ZyLAB product considerably.
Being able to develop our software in collaboration with customers in the Benelux is also a very interesting part of the job. International software companies like ZyLAB have a tendency to plan prototypes and innovate in the home market first where language and distance present no obstacles. In our case, these processes take place across the wider Benelux region. This flexibility is very attractive to customers and to our own people within the Benelux department.
In my role as Managing Director I lead a team that is involved in both the commercial and technical sides of the business. Marketing and account management are obviously also essential to our success. Everyone in our organization works with a number of customers. We exchange a lot of information between us and we learn from each other's ideas and experiences.
Looking back I see that the progress of my career within ZyLAB has been proportionate to the size and complexity of the customer projects I worked on. This is typical within the world of ICT, and was very much my experience. When you have a long-term relationship with a customer, you gain a level of confidence in one another that allows you to undertake greater challenges together. Mutual trust and respect is the foundation for increasingly larger projects and investments.
Managing the sales team is also a very important part of my work. I have a solid list of active customers but I also help colleagues to create their own customer base. Everyone has preferences which are automatically reflected in their daily approach to their work and their new plans. Users of our software come from intelligence/investigative and legal/law enforcement organizations, but research and technical information is also often the subject of our projects.
The work I am engaged in can be quite complex both from the technical and organizational perspectives. But the end result is simple and very effective for the customer. This, along with the mix of clients and colleagues, makes for a interesting combination.
If this brief introduction has gained your interest and if ZyLAB seems like an interesting working environment for you, please send a covering letter along with a CV to our HR department humanresource@zylab.com or take a look at the jobs section on this website.