Operations Manager India

In 2018, I decided to leave my job as an online retail buyer and find a new challenge abroad. I went to China with the intention of finding a job there. I already knew the country as I had done an internship in Shanghai during my studies. In China, I came into contact with Merijn and we quickly came to an agreement. I returned to the Netherlands to spend a month with Prins in Amersfoort, after which I officially started in China in October.

I was responsible for following up on orders in China. I checked the status with the supplier and passed this information back to the colleagues in Sales in the Netherlands who kept our customers informed. Reliability in achieving the promised delivery time and a quick order turnaround are both very important. I visited the suppliers' sites once or twice a month to monitor production. My tasks also included updating our ERP system, inventory/forecasts, price information and improving processes through greater standardisation and automation.

After three and a half years, I was asked if I would like to manage operations in India. I am an adventurer and enjoy discovering new countries and cultures, so I grasped this opportunity with both hands. The great thing about India is that the country itself is still developing rapidly and Prins is in a start-up phase here. So I have the opportunity of experiencing this growth at first hand and can contribute to shaping it.

In India, as Operations Manager, I keep in close contact with suppliers. The goal is to bring more business to India and grow together with our key business partners. I am responsible for commercial negotiations and building and strengthening relationships. I am also involved in following up on orders, new developments, optimising logistics and payments.

We get the desired results by working very efficiently and flexibly. And there are certainly still plenty of challenges, such as an even faster turnaround time, the first-time-right philosophy on quality and stable pricing. In short, there's plenty to do!

Prince is a very open and dynamic organisation. Of course, I only worked physically in the Netherlands for one month, but I have a lot of high-quality contact with colleagues online. I like the mutual openness and frank discussions. The work is varied and that keeps me on my toes. My personal drive is to deliver the best work we can, every day.

I recently moved to Mumbai, which really is an incredibly busy city. It takes quite a bit of getting used to after life in Shanghai where, for example, I could go for a cycle ride in beautiful sprawling parks. Cycling here would mean getting up very early, at 3 am perhaps, to avoid the crowds and dangerous drivers. Fortunately, there are plenty of other sporting activities for me to discover together with my wife.