Brian Vogel
Account Manager
I have been working in flower export since I was 19. I have mainly always worked in air freight to distant destinations, where I learnt the complexities and challenges of logistics and transporting flowers. I also used to buy in for several years. Thanks to this experience, I know what is going on in the market and understand that procurement is not always easy. These super valuable experiences have made it easier for me to work effectively with my colleagues in procurement. Since about 10 years, I have found out that selling is really my thing. The contact with customers I have every day is something I really enjoy and find enriching. The flowers we sell are packed in boxes and taken to their faraway destination via air freight. There are many factors to consider here. In this line of business, it’s all about the details. The process of constantly improving and innovating everything we do is what I love about my job. Especially when customers come with special requests, I see it as a challenge to organise everything as well as possible and exceed their expectations. It gives me immense satisfaction to see our flowers arrive at their destination in perfect condition, knowing that I contributed to that success.
Read the stories of my colleagues.
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Linda Ceelen
Verwerking
I have now been working at OZ-Hami for more than 12 years and still enjoy working there. What I love about my job is that we are responsible for the finishing touches. What the customer wants, we try to provide. Mooi ingezakt met een barcode erop zodat het makkelijk verkocht kan worden. “Done!” Een mooie mix van bloemen maken. “Geen probleem.” Kou-gevoelige bloemen warm inpakken. “Sure, after all, we want customers to get good quality.” And knowing that our work, our product, our flowers go all over the world and create happy faces everywhere is something I find special and am proud of. Not everything goes abroad, by the way; we also sponsor great initiatives in the Netherlands. Last year, for instance, we delivered small bouquets to participants of NLdoet, we co-sponsored the annual ‘tulip garden’ on Dam Square in Amsterdam, and, among other things, our flowers were in the church at the coronation of King Willem-Alexander. That really puts a smile on my face that we got to do that. Besides flowers being very beautiful products (after all, a party without flowers looks sparse), I stayed here for the atmosphere. In my view, OZ-Hami has become big by staying small. We are not a small company, certainly, but we treat each other very familially. It is cosy, informal and we help each other. I have enjoyed working here for over a decade now, and hope to continue working here for a long time to come.
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Zoë Oberoi
Jr. Marketing and communication officer
Unlike many of my colleagues who have worked here for years, I have only recently joined OZ-Hami. Right from the start, however, I felt the warm family atmosphere here. Many people have known each other for years, but they are hugely open to new faces. Thanks to this open attitude, I soon felt part of the OZ-Hami family. I currently work as a marketing and communications officer. Every week, I have fun creating content from the beautiful flowers we send with care every day. It remains impressive to see the logistics process every day. Every day is different, which is exactly what I love about the flower business. The supply of flowers varies daily, which often requires switching. Although I have no background in the flower industry myself, fortunately there are plenty of colleagues who can and are passionate about flowers. Their enthusiasm and knowledge ensured that I was able to settle in quickly and now enjoy contributing to the team. Cooperation a big plus. Despite still being new, I always feel supported by my colleagues. Everyone is willing to help. This collegiality and team spirit make the work not only productive, but also very enjoyable. All this adds up to me closing my laptop every working day with a smile and (hopefully) a bunch of flowers.
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Megane Gillard
Account Manager
“The passion for flowers has been with me since childhood. I grew up in France and I always knew one thing for sure: I want to do something with flowers later. Coincidentally, I had an uncle who worked in flowers and thanks to him, I was introduced to OZ-Hami in the Netherlands. I then immediately set about arranging an internship there! Once I had two months at OZ-Hami, I didn’t really want to leave. And so, after my internship, I kept calling them until I got to work permanently as a salesperson for region France. I then crammed everything that could go with me into my Citroën and drove that way to the Netherlands for the love of the job! Now I am happy to work every day with the áll most beautiful product in the world, flowers! Because the moment you buy a flower, you buy not only a lot of colour, but also beautiful memories and feeling. For example, I once had someone on the line who wanted her wedding to have her late grandmother’s favourite flowers. Then again, if you can arrange that for someone, it’s the best feeling in the world. That is why I am happy that at OZ-Hami I can really do something special with my passion for flowers.”
