Written by Peter-Jan Roose
It's only one step from a chocolate factory to the consulting world
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory perfectly describes how I felt on my very first day at Godiva Chocolatier. Arriving, fresh out of school, all excited and ready to conquer the world. Rising through the ranks, assuming three different roles, working hard, travelling the world, spearheading huge supply chain investments, and managing teams, … those 7 ½ years flew by, teaching me some crucial life/business lessons:
Stay hungry
Always push the boundaries, question the as-is and never stop learning! You will fail, you will hit the (imaginary) wall … but it’s crucial to get up and continue!
Get a mentor
Mentoring can make all the difference in your professional career. Mentors show you the ropes, give you space to fail, and continuously push your limits. Every day I count my blessings, thinking back on all the amazing senior mentors I had during my time at Godiva.
Humbleness
No matter what you have done or what you’re working on, you should always remain humble. Climbing the professional ladder is slow, but if you get presumptuous, your fall will be swift.
Customer centricity
Whether your customer is internal or external, listen to what he is asking and really needs. Put your customer first in everything you do.
With all that in mind, I entered the crazy world of consulting, joining PWC. “Fast-paced”, “steep learning curve”, “no comfort zone”: the consulting world is all of that. It was exactly what I was looking for, and it shaped the person I am today. Leading the full-blown digital transformation of a federal public service – which generated hundreds of millions of additional income per annum – to leading a BU in the energy sector on a global finance transformation journey – merging 90+ ERPs to 1 new central ERP – it was a serious journey. I will never forget the people I worked with and the lessons I was taught:
Stakeholder management
In my opinion, the most important component if you want to successfully deliver a project. Invest time early on in getting to know your stakeholders. In the long run, it will increase your chances of delivering the full value to your client.
The power of your network
Sharing your network equals growing your network. I believe this is your biggest asset, whether you realize it or not. If we don’t ask our network, we are in essence saying “no” before the question has been asked.
Why join BrightWolves?
With over 10 years of industry and consulting experience and a proven track record in the delivery of large and complex business transformations, process & performance improvement and as a business partner between Finance, Supply Chain and IT, joining the BrightWolves’ team to focus on transformations of Finance and Operations, seemed the perfect next step in my professional career. The opportunity to coach and mentor hugely talented and driven people in a young and dynamic company, and to have a significant internal impact, as Head of People: I was sold.
Looking back on my first few months at BrightWolves, I’m convinced it was the right decision. Passionate colleagues, amazing clients and the constant drive to excel. I am proud to help make BrightWolves a widely recognized transformation expert that will continue to grow, by helping its clients in their M&A endeavours, increasing efficiency within their operations or helping them in their IoT ventures.