In the 80’s International Sales Director Rob Vrieswijk ended up at MTV in London for a practical training project, where he became acquainted with the house party phenomenon He then became a successful organizer of such parties in the Netherlands. In the early 90's, he thought it was time for a more serious business sector. He became a sales manager for Aspa Office Supplies. In 2001, this company was acquired by Corporate Express. Rob saw an opportunity for his next career step; he initiated a talk to offer: “Just let me set up something international.” After that, he was given the opportunity to manage international accounts. “I have more or less been through all the commercial ‘ranks’, from junior account manager, via sales manager to finally international accounts sales director.”

When asked for the most important characteristics of a good commercialist he says: “Perseverance, resilience and energy.” As a fanatic rugby player – he even played a number of matches for the Dutch national team – he knows what that means. “I think that people should have a natural drive. Unfortunately, not everyone has that. Sometimes I do not understand why one of our operating companies does not pick up the business that is out there on the street. What I would like to change is for our opcos to see the International Accounts Team as an instrument that they can use to generate business.”

“The culture of Corporate Express has become more informal. The main establishment in Amsterdam really used to be the head office. The arrival of Corporate Express Europe has rather shaken things up. More noise too; if we win an international deal, the entire department hears about it!”