Hanneke Spruyt & Harm-Jan Mens from Procter & Gamble

This move helps to attract young talent ”

Ariel, Dreft, Gillette, Pampers, Always, Oral-B, Head & Shoulders: these top brands are all fixtures on our supermarket and drug store shelves. Based in the US, their parent company Procter & Gamble (P&G) has been around more than 180 years and markets a wide range of household products. From its beginnings selling soap and candles, today P&G has grown to become a vast global corporation. Just under two years ago, P&G’s Dutch office relocated to Delftse Poort, and its employees couldn’t be happier about it. We caught up with Harm-Jan Mens, commercial director for P&G Netherlands, and Hanneke Spruyt Panbakker, vice president of sales and Benelux country leader at P&G.

LAST YEAR, PROCTER & GAMBLE NETHERLANDS MOVED TO DELFTSE POORT, IN THE MIDDLE OF RCD. GOOD DECISION, SO FAR?

Hanneke: “For years we were on Heer Bokelweg in Rotterdam, and then in the Alexandrium. The building was fine, but the neighbourhood lacked activity. When it came time to renew the contract or relocate after all, we started looking around in the centre. We employ a lot of young people, and we wanted to take their priorities into account. We looked at a massive number of buildings, and finally chose Delftse Poort. It has been such a positive change! We’re right in the heart of the city and the energy is great. The building was modernized just as we wanted. Everything feels completely different now.” Harm-Jan: “This office is part of P&G’s France-Belgium-Netherlands cluster, so it’s a great location, logistically. You have fast connections everywhere by Thalys and transport links to Amsterdam are ideal. Commuting to this office is much more efficient, which means the move was also a sustainable choice. This location helps to attract young talent and people are eager to work here, and we’re always in search of talent for all our disciplines.”

BOTH OF YOU HAVE WORKED FOR P&G ABROAD, AND YOUR CURRENT JOBS ARE ALSO VERY INTERNATIONALLY ORIENTED. WHAT HAS THAT BEEN LIKE?

Hanneke: “I started at P&G in 2001 and in 2004 I fell in love with a man who lived in Moscow at the time. After an extended trip around Moscow, I asked myself: do I see myself living here? Moscow is completely different to what we’re used to in the Netherlands, and to go to that part of the world wasn’t something that had ever occurred to me before. But then I thought, this has come onto my path for a reason and it’s a unique chance to not only live but work here for a while. I decided to move to Russia and set up P&G’s outside sales force there. I was working alongside Russian hypermarket directors, for example. That period was very valuable both personally and professionally, and for that I’m incredibly grateful.” Harm-Jan: “Not long after graduating, I got to go to the P&G head office in Switzerland on a business course. I loved it so much that I wanted to stay. The diversity of countries you could work in and the people really appealed to me. When working for P&G I lived in Brussels for 3 years and in Geneva for 7 years. I did a lot of travelling for P&G from Nigeria and Pakistan to Russia and Dubai. Working in such a diverse team and with different cultures is very inspiring. When returning to the Netherlands we chose Rotterdam to settle, and we really like it here. For our children growing up in the Netherlands and having everything in such close proximity feels normal, but it really is a luxury.”

ABOUT HANNEKE:

- At P&G since 2001 - Has lived in Rotterdam from age 6 and feels like a native - Mother of 3 - Enjoys going to see

Feyenoord on Sundays

ABOUT HARM-JAN:

- At P&G since 2004 - Has a background in finance - Father of 3 - Enjoys cycling to work

HOW DO YOU AND EVERYONE AT P&G USE THIS LOCATION?

Harm-Jan: “RCD has all amenities and that’s great not only for our employees, but for our guests and clients as well. They can take the train in, stay at the Marriott Rotterdam and we have loads of nice places to eat nearby. Everything is integrated and that’s brilliant. The relocation was a good energy booster for us and everyone is really pleased about it. The location is perfect to combine work and fun which is fully in line with our P&G culture.”

SUSTAINABILITY IS A BIG TOPIC WITHIN P&G. COULD YOU SAY MORE ABOUT THIS?

Hanneke: “It’s true that we have set very high sustainability targets. By 2040 we want to achieve Net-Zero emissions across our operations and supply-chain. We are also working hard to make our packaging 100% recycleable or reusable by 2030. Our Gillette refillable razors are no longer sold in plastic packaging, but cardboard, for example, which makes a big difference.” Harm-Jan: “Our Ariel laundry detergent works at colder temperatures, which enables consumers to save energy by washing colder. We’re also making sustainable choices in-house and encourage employees to take electric or public transport or cycle to work. These are just some of the many actions P&G is pursuing.”