Karlien Vermeiren

Product Manager for the professional range at DCM

In 2003, I graduated as a bioengineer in agriculture. It was when I saw a bag of DCM potting soil at home, that I decided to take my chance and to send an unsolicited application. A few months later, I was selected for an open position at DCM.

Initially I started in an all-round technical back office position, where I was responsible for writing packaging and sales support texts and advising customers, both for the Retail and Professional departments.

Today, I am one of the product managers. The team of product manager consists of 5 colleagues, each one of us having his/her own portfolio. I am the ‘point of  contact’ for new and existing products for our Professional Business Unit. The responsibility for a product goes from A to Z, including composition, quality control, packaging, stock management, internal training, sales support, certification, etc. Therefore, consultation and teamwork with R&D, production, sales, marketing, compliance, etc. are essential.

My job is not limited to office tasks. At international trade fairs, open days, presentations and trainings, I come into direct contact with both suppliers and users of our products. I can see with my own eyes how our products prove their added value in practice while following up the practical trials. Thanks to the contacts with sister companies and customers abroad, I can use my language skills on a daily basis.

Because I started in a very broad position, I was able to get an idea of everything the company has to offer. This allowed me to discover what I really like to do. What still fascinates me after 16 years is the fact that you never stop learning ; we continue to innovate at different levels, which keeps us creative and attentive. I think, working together with different colleagues and departments is very enriching. This way we can share our expertise and complete our knowledge to grow together.