My Journey from the Netherlands to Singapore

‘’A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’’ –  Laozi

Since deciding to study Trade Management Asia at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences in 2011, it has been my dream to live and work in Asia. When I graduated in 2015 I set out to turn this dream into a reality. Luckily, my journey of a thousand miles, or in this case 6,519.41 miles from Amsterdam to Singapore, started at Leaseweb.

In September 2015, I was hired by Leaseweb Netherlands as an Inside Sales Representative (ISR). I hadn’t until that point thought about working in the hosting industry, but sometime fate has a funny way of putting us in exactly the right place. The hosting industry is booming, interesting, and full of opportunities. As an ISR, my main task was to call existing customers and potential new businesses to create new and expand existing relationships. This experience provided me with the basis, or the infrastructure, for a deep understanding of the industry. Working in inside sales teaches you a considerable amount about the industry, customers, and, of course, the products and company itself. It also helps you to become persistent, and to quickly learn from and keep growing after failures.

It wasn’t long after starting at Leaseweb, that the possibility of moving to Asia presented itself. I first came into contact with the Managing Director of Leaseweb Asia Pacific, Bas Winkel, after a New Hire Lunch with the Board in 2016. After speaking with him for some time, I realized that an intra-company transfer would be an excellent way of moving towards my goal of living and working in Asia.  After several Skype and FaceTime calls, face to face meetings in Amsterdam, as well as discussions between the teams, I received the news that I would be starting to work as an Inside Sales Account Manager (ISAM) at Leaseweb Asia Pacific.

The fact that I was offered this opportunity after only 1 year of working at Leaseweb, is incredible. It demonstrates that the career framework Leaseweb provides to its employees really works and proves what Walter van de Waterbeemd, Chief HR Officer, has said many times, ‘’Don’t ask your boss, tell him’’. Tell your manager about your goals and dreams, and then show them that you really want them and can accomplish them through your deeds.

My early days in Singapore (having only been here for two months as I write this), have been intense but a great experience. The team has been incredibly supportive both in terms of work and getting settled in a new place. Business wise, based on my experience from Cloud Expo Asia last October and my early work, there are tremendous opportunities in Asia Pacific. Singapore is a major hub of International business, making it an interesting place for companies to host their physical and cloud-based infrastructure.

My journey of a thousand miles may have brought me to Singapore and Leaseweb Asia Pacific, fulfilling my dream of living and working in Asia, but this isn’t the end. This is just the beginning of my journey to expand Leaseweb’s markets in the Asia Pacific region and, of course, truly immerse myself in a new culture.