Name: Paul Nagelkerken
Born: April 7, 1981
Status: Single
Function: IMST, Product Executive - Cold Beverages, Middle East
Hobbies: Field Hockey, Skiing, Motorcycles, Sailing
2005 : Joined Nestle Indonesia PT, Jakarta, for a marketing internship
2006 : BBA in Hospitality management, Hotelschool The Hague, The Netherlands
2006 : Joined Nestle as Foodservices IMST at the International Headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland. 6 Weeks of corporate introduction
2006 : Transferred to Nestle Middle East LLC in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Cold Beverages Product executive, Nestle Professional. 8 Months as Marketing executive, developing the Cold Beverages strategy for the region (13 countries). _3 day training Field Sales Management Best Practices _3 day Workshop on Cold Beverages in Bangkok Thailand _ 2 day market visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2007 Nestle Dubai LLC, Field Sales Representative. Implementing and driving the newly developed Cold Beverages strategies.
“After working in Nestle Indonesia as a marketing intern I knew Nestle was the company I wanted to work for. The open-mindedness and the ‘vibe’ I got from working with so many ambitious people, that at the same time have nothing but respect for each others accomplishments really made me want to pursue a career with Nestle.
Upon arriving in Vevey, Switzerland for the IMST program assessments I knew I made the right choice, because I experienced the same ‘vibe’ as I did in Indonesia, meaning that this must be part of the corporate culture.
Being an IMST requires you to easily adapt to different cultures and most off all be flexible. I experienced this first hand when I started at Nestle Middle East. I was asked if I would like to take on the project of developing the Cold Beverage business with regards to strategies, communication and I&R. This was a major challenge and a major opportunity.
In this hands-on approach I learned through my mistakes, but most off all through the people around me.
After 8 months I moved into sales, working as a Cash Van driver, Field Sales Representative and Key Account manager. Having just finalized the Cold Beverages Project it was up to me to implement and drive this project in the market, again a unique opportunity to see how strategies are translated into sales.
It’s these kinds of projects that show the trust Nestle puts in us and why I enjoy the program so much. From the moment you start you get concrete responsibilities, but also the right support to make it happen. As any FMCG, we face extremely fast changing markets, which require us to think and act faster then the market changes. One minute I would be on the phone with Malaysia about new products to import, the next hour I was calling a factory in Switzerland to discuss an out-of-stock situation for my region, after which I quickly had to adjust the strategy followed by a presentation of the latest sales results and forecast to the board.
After having worked in Senegal and Indonesia I always wanted a career abroad, but as a young graduate you are always being told to wait a few years. When I heard about the IMST program it was the perfect match for me.
I most certainly enjoy the lifestyle of an expatriate, but realize that being an IMST also has responsibilities. You are expected to perform above average in situations that you cannot always control and where your flexibility and adaptation skills will be stretched to its limits. Thinking about, it was that challenge why I joined in the first place!”