HR Director Jeroen Diepenmaat
Jeroen Diepenmaat, HR Director of Saint-Gobain Abrasives Benelux & Northern Europe on the importance of English
“I think it is of major importance to be able to speak business English to meet the demands of modern employers. And of course, to meet the demands of employees as well. In my daily work as the HR Director Benelux and Northern Europe for the French multinational Saint-Gobain, I have experienced that effective internal communication (internal between different Saint-Gobain companies, employees, Works Council, unions) and external communication (to all stakeholders, shareholders and others) is essential for the success of any business and especially for the success in my current professional role.
‘Building bridges’ between all disciplines, companies, employees and others involved in an international setting is often a challenge, that’s clear… So it is not only about the language but also about the cultural understanding and about managing mutual expectations or differences.
Nevertheless: within a global Multinational corporation like Saint-Gobain, an extensive English vocabulary enables you to communicate accurately; the English language bridges the gap between different countries and cultures. By studying International Business Administration you can improve your overall English language ability while learning to apply scientific methods and generate solutions to complex business problems.”