Clear Ambition
"I joined Kruidvat as a store manager and from the beginning I knew that I wanted to become a District Manager. I shared this with my area manager at the time and since then, I have been given so many great opportunities to learn and develop my skills. I have run both smaller and larger stores and with the support of a great team, gone on to win several awards, including the Global Store award. Recently, I have been promoted to District Manager with responsibility for fourteen stores. Alongside my new role I’m also about to begin a university degree course in retail management. "
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Family Together
"I’m married and have three great kids, and my family inspire me every day to be the best I can be. I enjoy helping people develop and solving problems, whether it’s helping my kids with their homework, or my colleagues to take their next career step. Helping individuals to realise their potential gives me enormous satisfaction and is a very important driver for me.
Even my family are now joining in! My eldest two children who are seventeen and nineteen years old, have joined the Kruidvat team and are working part time in store around their studies.."
Valuing People
"It is so important to create a working environment where people feel valued and free to be themselves. Taking an interest in who people are and their motivations I believe is key to building teams that succeed together. Connecting on a human level, whether it’s talking about someone’s favourite football team or serious conversations about personal ambitions or challenges, makes us better and our teams stronger. And it’s something that people at Kruidvat do exceptionally well."
Sharing Success
"Something remarkable about this business is that, although it is a big global company it has a familiar, friendly feel. People actively share and celebrate successes, whether it’s through local team recognition, global award ceremonies or recommending courses for professional development. My upcoming University degree was recommended to me by my manager, as she completed a similar course a few years ago and has told me that I will find it invaluable, to help me implement my plans and drive forward my district teams.
In my store manager role, I was honoured to be nominated by my area managers for the Global Store Award 2020, during the pandemic. In 2023 myself and the other winners from across the world were flown out to Hong Kong, for a belated awards ceremony and a huge party. Not only did we share an unforgettable week experiencing Hong Kong, but we made connections with global colleagues and were given the opportunity to share that success and sense of achievement together."
One Remarkable Business
"Everyone supports each other to be better and if you express your desire to achieve something, your voice will be heard, and you will be given every opportunity to do it. I share my story with my teams all the time because I think it’s important for people to know that if I can do it, anyone can, all you need is a genuine interest in people, drive to be better and commitment to develop yourself."