A five-year anniversary is a good time to ask our colleague Milly Kalders (Senior Key Account Manager) what she likes most about working in the sector and at The Floral Connection.

Born among the flowers

Milly: “Actually, I’ve been working in the sector for 30 years. I am a real Westland girl and ‘born’ amongst flowers. My grandfather had a flower shop in Delft, a high-end flower shop that expanded into several businesses. So it’s a real family business. From the age of thirteen, I have always helped in my father’s business. My brother took over the company. Now my daughter is back in my brother’s business. When I was young, I wanted to do something other than work in my father’s shop. That’s why I started traveling a lot, giving ski lessons, Club Med, Ibiza, Kos. I learned a lot of languages during that time. After a period of travelling, I started again in the sector, first in plants and a lot for French-speaking companies.

Building good relationships

Milly: “As a Senior Key Account Manager, I work for various clients. I work with all our different departments and various colleagues together. That is also what gives me energy: Connecting different parties, working on good relationships and offering the most suitable product for our customers. I speak four languages (French, English, German, Spanish) and I like the fact that I can use my language skills in my work. Together with colleagues and partners, we collect all the information and put together the best product for the customers. We really need each other. All links have to fit, from the flowers, packaging, production and transport. As a team, we want to deliver the best product to the customer under the best conditions. In collaboration with all links in the supply chain, we want to ensure the best result. Together we are  proud when the product is to the customer’s complete satisfaction.

In the unlikely event that we do not quite succeed in meeting all wishes, we know that we have done everything we can. And I can also talk about that, on behalf of the team, with our client. By the way, I also learned that a bit from my mother: You can deliver less good messages in a good and friendly way. The fact that I speak the language of the country also helps me in the relationship with the customer.”

Inspiring contacts and a great atmosphere

Now that I have been working for this organization for five years, I notice that I have become more and more integrated and get to know the colleagues and the growers even better. Recently I visited some of our growers in Kenya and Uganda. It was impressive to see how big the nurseries are and how many people work there. And of course it is a special country to visit.

At The Floral Connection, it is a pleasure to work with creative and skilled colleagues from different backgrounds. There is also room for creative ideas and to do things differently. It’s nice to feel connected to the other colleagues. In my position, I am a pivot in the company. I get my job satisfaction from the combination of coming up with new ideas, researching all the possibilities, working for satisfied customers and connecting all the links in the chain.