Building production lines from scratch, that's how I get energised

Rudy

Building something from scratch; that's how Rudy gets energised. From a new R&D centre in Singapore to production lines in Africa. Rudy is entrepreneurial by nature, but where does this drive come from? 

The entrepreneur in Rudy came up when he changed jobs in 2013: from FrieslandCampina's R&D centre in Wageningen to supporting in building an entirely new R&D centre and process technology team in Singapore. 

"I learned a lot in Singapore, amongst others, to take decisions faster. This was a big change for me. When working in R&D you usually want 95% certainty that something works, while I now had to take decisions based on 80% certainty. At the same time, I had to ensure safety, food safety and quality."

When Rudy finalised his assignment after 3 years and moved back to the Netherlands, he started working as a Senior Process Technologist in our supply chain. He supports factories in Nigeria and Ivory Coast in designing new production lines and rebuilding factories. 

You really start with nothing

“I get the most energy from creating a new production process. You really start with nothing. By having many discussions within a team of professionals I make sure to understand the content well to design the process. I'm not an expert in everything, so I need to connect a lot with others, ask questions to understand the impact of certain decisions. I really enjoy working together with a team and to ensure we get the job done together. Everyone should be able to provide input, but eventually we do have to take decisions."

Rudy de Wit and colleagues

The latest production line Rudy designed was a drink yoghurt process line in Nigeria. 

When the first products rolled off the production line I saw the joy of the local team, and the Managing Director even got emotional. This gave such an enormous kick and energy. 

Rudy's mission in Kenia

An experience that Rudy will never forget was his mission via FrieslandCampina's social partner Agriterra, where he supported a local dairy cooperation in Kenia in increasing their production capacity. "The dairy farmers reminded me of my father, who started a small dairy farm with my mother 73 years ago. You start with 4 cows, than 8, and you keep on growing. It was great to talk to the young farmers about their ambitions. All previous experiences from my job, I could now use in designing the factory."

Rudy

Rudy is reflecting on his career path within FrieslandCampina: "I didn't have a specific path that I wanted to follow. I have had many great opportunities and worked on great projects. I am very well aware that I have a very special job." 

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