In the spotlight

Name: Eric van der Wijst
Job title: Account manager Scandinavia
Working at Trouw Nutrition: 11 years

"More than ten years ago I saw Abraham, but I have only been working at Trouw Nutrition since 2012. Before that I worked for many years in the Dutch compound feed business. Around age 50, I decided to change course and broaden my horizons, literally and figuratively. I used to work only in the Netherlands before, I now cover the whole of Scandinavia. I used to focus solely on cattle, but now I deal with all kinds of farm animals on a daily basis, even fish.  

I am not bored. Since I started at Trouw Nutrition, I have not experienced a single boring day. Although it was an adventure, after good coordination with my family, I took this challenge with both hands. The freedom and responsibility I have here are essential to me. I feel fortunate to work in Scandinavia (who wouldn't want to go there?). I still marvel at the extraordinary beauty of the region. The Scandinavian culture also appeals to me greatly; they are down-to-earth and realistic people with whom I enjoy building long-term business relationships.  

Of course, not everything always goes smoothly, but thanks to good communication, both with my customers and my coworkers, we always find a suitable solution. My customers are mainly compound feed producers. The advantage of my previous experience at a compound feed company is that I know exactly what customers/prospects care about and what they don't.  

In terms of personality, I describe myself as follows: a realist and positive person (glass is half full, not half empty). I hate wasting time and always try to see the end and the means in the right context. I am not a specialist, but rather a generalist. Fortunately, I can fall back on a large team of specialists within our company, such as customer care, animal specialists and additive specialists.  

Besides my work, I have several hobbies. My wife runs a cooking studio, where we regularly host groups of guests. We have rosé calves for meat from our own garden. I like doing chores around the house, and I enjoy walks with our dog Sep. I also enjoy restoring old cars, such as a 1965 Fiat 500.  

My motto is: always be realistic. Don't promise things you can't deliver. I always say, 'the only thing I can promise is that I will do my very best for you.'"