Arnoud completed his studies in Commercial Economics at the University of Applied Sciences (HU) in Utrecht, Netherlands, with a focus on Management, Sales, and Communication.

Directly after his studies, Arnoud fulfilled his military service while based in Germany. This would be his first ”foreign assignment”, followed by several business management-related foreign assignments during the years to come.

For over a decade, starting in 1988, Arnoud enjoyed a fast-paced international career at Xerox Nederland B.V. in the document management industry. Spending his first years based in Zeist, Netherlands, he soon went on to lead a team as Sales Manager, Central Government.

His experience at Xerox sparked his enthusiasm for recruiting, coaching, motivating, and managing external and internal sales teams to achieve higher performance levels. It also shaped his dedicated management philosophy and work ethic. For any responsible sales manager, regardless of position or job title, respecting agreed targets, deadlines, and general company objectives is a must, even if these might conflict with their own short-term sales interests. Above all, people make the difference. The impossible becomes possible, and success attracts more success. The expression “walk the talk” became Arnoud’s life motto, while he learned the importance of a consistent management style and managing by facts and examples.

In 1996, a foreign assignment took Arnoud to Vienna, where he was Sales Director Bundesländer and management board member, now managing four sales teams in Linz, Graz, Innsbruck, and Salzburg. Along with managing a larger sales force and new regional and cultural challenges, he continued recruiting, training, coaching, and joining client visits all over Austria.

In 2000, Arnoud moved to Mayr-Melnhof Karton, working in its MM Board and Paper division in Vienna. Initially, he was Overseas Market Manager (OVS), responsible for sales to the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America, North America, and Oceania. He oversaw direct sales via his own teams and indirect sales via specialized trading companies and agents. His main mission was to guarantee maximum utilization of production capacities at the manufacturing plants by adapting the OVS export volumes to the fluctuating allocations of the mills.

After three years, Arnoud’s next foreign assignment led him to China to set up two sales teams in Shanghai and Guangzhou. As General Manager, Asia Pacific, recruitment and training of sales staff once again went hand in hand with client visits, acquisitions, and
managing the sales budget for Asia.

Back in Vienna in 2006, Arnoud was appointed Business Unit Director, Overseas, and his sales responsibility was enlarged again to all overseas regions which included sales to 70 countries and two new sales teams. Direct sales teams/offices were set up in Tunisia for the Maghreb region and, later, in Mexico. Both teams achieved impressive growth in client base and sales results. For more than 20 years, Arnoud reported to the same Member of the Board, responsible for Sales & Marketing. From him, Arnoud took over his ”Leading by example” by continuing client visits to understand market developments and client needs, support the sales managers, and contribute to performance improvements.

The COVID-19 pandemic and various other external as well as internal changes eventually resulted in a very different allocation split between European and overseas regions.

It was time for Arnoud to start his own company and share his experience to contribute to the exceptional sales performance of your company.