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PROUDLY PRESENTS
Willem.E. Drost
Resident of The USA and 3-DNET® VIP member
Email contact : exec@exec.org
VIDEO INTRODUCTION®
INTERVIEW WITH 3-DNET® Interview in Dutch
Question 1 : Tell me about yourself
As a middle child I grew up living in different parts of the world due to my father’s position with Royal Dutch Shell. During my secondary education I was sent to boarding school in Europe to prepare for the university. After graduation, I completed the mandatory military training for which I was stationed in Germany. In The Netherlands I attended Law School and graduated, cum laude, majoring in business law, taxes and finance. Before I graduated I was recruited to become Management Trainee at a multi-national food conglomerate, Royal Wessanen N.V., operating in many countries around the world. After various quick moves through the organization, I became the youngest Corporate Staff Director/Corporate Legal Counsel and later Secretary of the Board of Directors. In that position I was a.o. involved with M&A, corporate finance, corporate organizational and legal structure and international tax structures.
To round out my business experience, I was enrolled in the Advanced Management program at Columbia University in NY from which I graduated in the top 5% of my group of 170 participants , majoring in marketing, strategic planning and finance. I was , subsequently moved around among various divisions as Division President. At the time I was scheduled to continue my career at corporate the Chairman, my mentor, died suddenly and I ended up continuing my career with the company in the US. From there I was recruited twice to become CEO of two larger privately held companies, which added a whole new dimension to my management experience. I feel very fortunate with the broad personal and professional experiences and great education that gives me a unique international perspective that has been a key benefit in building my career and shaping my personal life. I’m married to an incredibly supportive wife and have a 20 year old son attending college in California.
Question 2 : What can you offer to your next employer ?
* A unique breadth and depth of international business experience gained through multiple moves between high level corporate staff positions and line positions in a variety of companies in different parts of the world.
* My proven track record of successful turning around, merging, restructuring and aggressively growing a range of companies by using my visionary, people-oriented and progressive leadership style and management experience.
* The versatility of being able to tackle (simultaneously) a broad range of business issues, both at the level of complex corporate issues and that of operational business units.
* And, further, the ability to straddle different business cultures to be effective in today’s global and highly competitive business environment.
Question 3 : What are your strengths ?
* A highly motivated and goal oriented leadership style and drive to lead the charge in moving businesses forward.
* The capability to envision future business opportunities for a wide range of companies, to develop compelling new business strategies and action plans, to execute on them, and to gain a competitive advantage.
* The skills to fine tune companies and to improve their financial performance and organizational effectiveness.
* Strong interpersonal skills for team building and coaching as well as for creating strong business relationships with suppliers and customers.
* Instilling a “can-do attitude, with integrity” throughout the organization and creating a positive work environment in which all employees can thrive.
* Using new technologies and management practices to create an image of leadership for the company in the market place.
Question 4 : What are your accomplishments ?
Well, having been involved with so many different business situations I can tell about quite a number of ‘war stories’ that I’m very proud of. But, let me take two examples from both staff and line experiences.
I was once recruited to turnaround a privately held company for which the economic outlook appeared real dim and morale was very low. This was even worsened when I felt the necessity, as one of my first actions, to reduce the staff by 30%. Three years later, the same company was recognized with the Champion of Industry Award for applying new, ground braking technologies and new management techniques in a traditional business environment. The company was, subsequently, featured on CNN HLN as an example of how the remarkable productivity increases in the US economy are for a large part driven by traditional companies applying new technologies.
As Corporate Staff Director/Secretary of the Board of Directors and Corporate Acquisition Team member I was involved in two simultaneous acquisitions in the US (and a spin-off in Italy, among other things!). Because of the very high stock price of the company, the Board of Directors wanted to pay for the acquisitions in shares, the sellers, however, insisted on cash.
I was assigned to find out a financial/legal solution that would satisfy both sides. After exploring the options in different international financial markets, I was able to come up with a complex ( but, right!) financial arrangement in the London market. I authored the prospectus for the issue of new shares which became one of the most successful financial transactions for the corporation, yielding almost $100 mm.
Question 5 : What are your limitations ?
Like other managers with my kind of drive to move an organization forward, I can be impatient at times. But, practice has taught me to find the right pace in effectively managing different type of organizations when moving through change projects and rapid growth. it.
Question 6 : How much are you worth ?
I always like to measure my worth to an organization in terms of how many times I earn back my salary in the form of tangible increases in financial performance, employee productivity and customer service performance. I’m very proud of my accomplishments in that respect by consistently either meeting or exceeding expectations, that can be fairly aggressive.
Question 7 : What are your ambitions for the future ?
I want to continue to grow my leadership skills by continuing to take on new and bigger challenges and reach for the highest level of executive management where my skills and talents can take me.
Question 8 : How long would it take you start contributing to the firm?
I have a track record of starting to contribute very quickly. In fact, my multiple transfers and recruitments are the result of my ability to very quickly familiarize myself with the dynamics, strengths and weaknesses and challenges and opportunities of any company I was put in charge of. And, subsequently, to translate the acquired knowledge into compelling and winning business strategies, while getting the entire organization in alignment for its execution.
Question 9: What is your management style?
Visionary, inspiring, optimistic and consultative leadership. My eternal optimism, ability to foresee future business opportunities and my coaching skills have made every single company I was put in charge of, a better place, in any respect, at the time I was moved on to the next challenge. I like to judge my management style in terms of the many lives I have affected in a positive way by using my talents and skills to make other people grow, both professionally and personally, as a key strategy to secure the future of the company.
Question 10: Why do you think you have a good potential to be a manager?
I have the ability to define a clear and viable direction for a company and to organize and inspire people to ralley behind it . I just totally enjoy the dynamics of running a company, no matter how big the challenges are.
I thrive constantly being challenged by an ever changing competitive environment and to turn challenges into opportunities while bringing others along to accomplish that.
Question 11: Why do you think you have a good potential to be a manager?
As a real builder, I look for people with the potential to grow with the company and to adapt to change in order to create in the organization an entire culture that is positive towards growth and change. These are crucial abilities for any company to be successful in today’ s global and highly competitive environment.
I’m also very keen on personal traits, such as a positive and optimistic attitude, team player, good listener, hard worker, creative and good fit with the organization. Scoring high on these points is more important to me than experience with the specific type of business of the company.
Question 12: As a manager, have you ever had to fire someone?
Yes of course. The first time, I felt uncomfortable because of all the implications. When you fire someone, it is not easy, but sometimes it is better to fire somebody, knowing that you are helping the project and helping that person in assessing is own career.
Question 13: What do you see as the most difficult task of being a manager?
Creating total alignment of the entire organization with the company goals (especially in change projects), while overcoming personal agendas, turf battles and personal insecurities. But at the same time, this is also one of the most rewarding tasks when accomplished and the organization turns into a well-oiled piece of machinery and an environment that that fosters personal growth for all employees.
Question 14: Describe what you feel is the best work environment?
An environment in which people feel respected, encouraged and supported to take initiatives and take calculated risks and share in the good fortune of the company And also, an environment where people like to work because the company cares about them. Those are the most productive organizations.
Question 15: Looking back how do you describe your past employer?
Having managed such a diverse group of companies, I almost need to lump them together and find a common theme. And that common theme is the incredible freedom I was always given to shape my job and to set the company direction , such in response to always meeting or exceeding expectations and building trust.
Question 16: What have you done to increase productivity, performance, efficiency, etc..?
Such increases are invariably the result of a combination of measures such as training, empowering and internal promotion of employees and very effective communications between all levels within the organization. Teach employees about what makes our suppliers and customer continue to do business with the company. Performance related incentives based on budgets and performance goals set with active involvement of employees themselves. Such to make them feel directly involved in the welfare of the company and improve the effectiveness of the organization. And, further, investments in new technologies and methodologies to give the employees the tools to do things more cost efficiently. And last, but not least, strong financial controls to measure and impact the overall performance of the company.
Question 17: Whether you are a "computer wizard", how do you respond to the financial side of your responsibilities?
I consider my proficiency with the financial aspects of managing a business as one of the key strength that I can offer and I strongly believe that this needs to be a high priority for any executive. Without strong financial controls, it would be hard to hold people accountable and effectively manage the business.
I like to keep my finger at the pulse of the financial performance of the company all the time. For this reason I use, especially in turnaround and startup situations, the CFO/Controller as my right hand person and the ultimate financial watchdog to timely detect financial problems and devise corrective actions.
I’m also a big proponent of long term financial planning as a tool to prioritize and evaluate investments, determine how to optimally finance the operations and capital investments, etc..
All in all I just like to have all the critical financial data at my fingertips.
Question 18: How many people have you supervised in your recent job?
I have managed organizations with up to almost 500 employees. In the last job I supervised, directly and indirectly, around 350 employees.
Question 19: What do you like more, working with figures or words?
I focus on being very good at both, because I believe that to be a great business leader you need to excel in both. As mentioned before, I like to feel being in control by having all the critical numbers at my fingertips. But at the same time, you’ve got to have strong verbal skills to effectively communicate the goals and plans of the company and to inspire people to act on them.
Question 20: How do you think that your subordinates receive you?
In any assignment I was always able to gain the trust and respect of people at all levels in the organization by using my experience, skills and talents not to intimidate them, but, to empower, encourage and inspire them. If so asked, many former employees of all kinds of backgrounds and levels, will say that I had high expectations, but that I was also very fair and honest and that I touched their professional ad personal lifes in a very positive way.
Question 21: What do you think of your previous boss?
As CEO I mostly did not report to one specific boss, but rather, to a Board of Directors. But there is one boss that I need to single out because he put such a huge stamp on my exciting career that took me through about every aspect of business management. And that was the former chairman of the Board of Directors of Royal Wessanen N.V.. He was a true mentor who had the courage to take young people with potential and coach and encourage them to take on positions of high responsibility( and put them through their paces in a very challenging way!) as part of his succession planning strategy. As a result I worked my way up quickly in the corporate hierarchy at aver young age. But, the succession plan also dictated a three year rotation for the fast trackers between staff and line and between different business units in various countries. And thus my staff jobs ranged from corporate finance (Stock exchange intros and stock issues in London, Frankfurt, Zuerich), M&A, international tax structures , corporate legal structure and corporate legal counsel to project management for the building of plants and transfer of know-how in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Most of my line positions were in the US where I have managed a variety of corporate divisions. I could not have wished for a more exciting career and a better boss!
Question 22: Describe a situation in which your work was criticized?
The one that springs in mind was the investment in a totally unproven technology that I felt could give the company (TBC) a competitive edge, if successful. The majority of the Board of Directors criticized it as being too far ‘out-of-the-box’. But, I trusted my gut feel and my numbers and held my ground and eventually got the majority support (with some caviats ! ). The project turned out to be a great marketing and operational success, giving us access to new business opportunities at the expense of our competition. Now, a few years later, the same technology has been adopted by all major competitors. The big lesson was that only with total integrity and honesty, such contentious matters can be pulled off. y of corporate divisions. I could not have wished for a more exciting career and a better boss!
Question 23: If I spoke with your boss what he would say about your greatest strength and weaknesses?
He will say; He brings true leadership to your company in terms of vision, strategic planning, team building, developing new business, always looking to do things different and better, putting effective financial controls in place, challenging his employees to be creative, increasing financial performance through improved productivity and efficiency, creating a positive image for the company in the market place. He is well liked and respected by all employees . He is highly regarded in our industry for his track record and involvement with many industry functions, such as chairman of our state and industry wide marketing organization.
On the negative side he will say; Never a dull moment with him. It’s hard to keep up with his constant flow of new ideas and initiatives. He is a perfectionist who can have very high expectations of others. Impatient, at times.
Question 24: How can you handle life under pressure and with tough deadlines?
Part of it is practice, part personality. I am used to constantly juggle ‘priorities and urgencies’, especially in a large, public company environment. I am good at anticipating things and having contingency plans in place to effectively manage crisisis.
But also, as a person I’m very confident and very rarely loose my cool. One of my bosses one time said after overcoming two union drives in a year during a the start up of a new division: ‘even an earhquake of 7 on the Richter scale will not shake him out of his chair!’. I believe that being confident, under all circumstances, is crucial for being an effective leader of any type of organization.
I’m also very good at flipping the switch from the business mode to the off-duty mode, to recharge the battery and keep things in perspective.
Question 25: What do you think you do better: staff work or line work?
I’m not biased in that respect because I have very successfully operated in both arenas. I very much like running a company, but, I also know that high level staff positions can be equally rewarding in terms of professional challenges. For me, it depends primarily on the opportunity a function, staff or line, offers me to make a impactful contribution by fully applying all of my talents, experiences and skill s.
Question 26: In your current position, what problem have you identified that was previously overlooked?
I can not think of a serious mishap that I would do differently in the future. But, as a fast moving manager I always have to be mindful that I don’t loose people out of my slipstream , especially when going through major change projects or rapid growth situations.
Question 27: If you had a choice of job and a company what would you choose?
I don’t have a preference for a specific company or position. In general, I like the dynamics of growing company and operating on the cutting edge. But, that can be found in many types of businesses. What counts for me is the environment in which I can have the maximum impact. And that, is more dependent on the quality of people you can surround yourself with.
Question 28:Do you have any objection to take a psychological test?
Absolutely not. In fact, I believe that taking them on a regular basis can be a very healthy reality check of how you are being perceived by others. Even when they become more predictable, it’s good to see yourself in the mirror every now and then.
Question 29: Do you consider yourself as a creative person?
Very much so. I believe that my creative and visionary side is one of my biggest assets that has helped me tremendously in putting companies back on track where others stumbled. And it is not just a matter of using one’s own imagination, it also triggers the desire to constantly explore new and better ways of doing things and to embrace novel ideas.
Question 30: How do you describe your personality?
Very engaging, positive, open minded, social and compassionate, driven and passionate about anything I undertake, always thinking ahead and very supportive of others, especially of those who are going out on a limb for me and those willing to stick their neck out.
Question 31: What is your outside reading you do?
I am a voracious reader because I like to be on top of everything around me and to keep my imagination going. For that reason I read multiple newspapers (incl. WSJ) and a variety of business magazines. The Harvard Business Journal is a must read for me. To balance things out, I read a lot of fiction from a wide range of authors.
Question 32: What are some of your outside activities?
To balance my life, I do a lot of sports activities (tennis, skiing, swimming) and visit the health club four to five times a week. I love to take my sailboat out for clearing the mind.
But, I’m also always involved in outside functions such as trade organizations, city counsel committees, board member of private (sports) clubs, in order to interact with totally different people and use my talents to make a meaningful contribution to community activities and projects (such as building community sports facilities).
My most exciting outside function is my membership of the Advisory Committee of the School of Economic Sciences at Washington State University. In that function I’m involved, among other things, in the merger of schools within the university and the review of their degree programs to ensure that they are in line with trends in the job market. I totally enjoy doing guest lectures.
Question 33: Are you continuing your education?
Learning is an ongoing thing for me that I’m passionate about. Because, it gives me the tools to be an effective manager, parent, community member, etc . in this ever faster changing world. My outside jobs, such as the one at Washington State University are, obviously, another way to maintain a routine of continuing learning. And this does not only apply to myself, I’m always a big advocate of training and learning of the people I surround myself with to keep everybody up to speed in their careers and their personal lifes.
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