From student to logistics project manager: “I solve complex supply chain problems.”

Opportunities, development, and fun.

I am glad I made the most of different extracurricular activities that enriched my experience. In the first year of my Master's, I joined a student association and later became a member of a fraternity. I also did a full-time board year at AIESEC, a global organisation for young people to develop leadership skills, where I was responsible for finance and external relations. The following year, I organised the event Create Tomorrow. Besides making friends, many of whom I still see almost every week, I developed organisational and communication skills, which have been valuable both personally and professionally.

One unforgettable experience was organising Create Tomorrow. It was a huge event held on campus where students worked on real business cases, which took a year of planning and coordination. Well-known TV stars and artists were present, and it ended with a big after-party.

I am currently responsible for planning and executing a major change in the logistics network in the Benelux region: relocating thousands of pallets from one distribution centre to another. Therefore, we need to reorganise our entire supply chain, from planning to customer service, including updating all automated systems to reflect the change. At the same time, we have to ensure that deliveries to customers continue without disruptions.

I lead the overall execution of the project and work with a team of four people, as well as many other colleagues. Among some of my responsibilities are coordinating all stakeholders, keeping the hundreds of employees at Unilever informed on the project as we need their input, and aligning the pallet relocation with our logistics service providers. While I lead the team and delegate tasks, I am also involved in the technical side. For example, I am working out how this change impacts our entire production planning process. Since much of it is automated, I need to make sure everything continues to run smoothly.

I enjoy the challenge of answering questions like “How do we move thousands of pallets?”. It may seem simple, but it is quite a complex process with wide-reaching consequences. What motivates me is breaking a project down into smaller, tangible parts and understanding how everything works together as one. In large organisations with many departments, it is essential to have someone who understands how everything connects and how a change in one area will affect the others. I am like a spider in the web, connecting the dots to see the bigger picture.

I started in the planning team and later moved into a more technical position, managing the systems used by the Benelux planning team. And now I am a project manager. Transitioning to that role didn’t happen by itself. I was connecting with people from different departments, trying to understand what they do, and building relationships. And there is still a lot to discover within the company. I believe that if you are curious and do your best, new opportunities will come your way.

The biggest takeaway was learning to break down complex problems that appear simple at first: this skill is essential in logistics. The Master’s taught me to look at processes as systems where everything is interconnected, and a small change in one area impacts all the others. I also learned about algorithms and heuristics, which are part of the planning systems I use in my work, so I didn’t need to learn the principles from scratch.

A lot, it has been continuous upskilling. For example, when I graduated, generative AI wasn’t as popular as it is now, so I had to keep up with new technologies. I am also still learning how to lead a team: how to keep everyone on track while making sure they feel supported and motivated. But that is a challenge I enjoy. I think I will never stop learning. There is always something new to discover and improve.

I aspire to be a leader, and by this I mean someone who is a subject matter expert and capable of managing a high-performing team. In my opinion, people in leadership roles are often either technical experts or can manage a high-performing team. I look up to those who combine both qualities, and that is who I hope to become.

Choose your internships wisely. During your bachelor’s or master’s, you will likely have an opportunity to gain work experience. It is important to figure out what kind of company or organisation suits you. The experience you gain can shape your future career and open doors later on.