A WOMAN WHO COUNTS December 1984 Number 2 PAGE Contents: Page Walking to sell 2 Readers' letters 2 A woman who counts 3 A dunce without us 4 Small but plucky 5 Management changes 5 In brief 5 A fine experience 6 A champion player 6 More profit 7 Throw them away? 7 Black's not a colour 8 The best People INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE HEINEKEN TOWARDS 1985 How does Mr. G. van Schaik, vice-chairman of our Executive Board, see Heineken on the threshold of 1985? We went along to interview him to find out. "Heineken intends to remain an international business concentrating on top-quality alcoholic beverages and soft drinks. And it also intends to expand" were Van Schaik's first words. "Well, there's certainly no doubt that we have a lead over any of our competitors in the world as regards the size of our sales area. There's no other drinks group that sells its products on so many markets. Heineken is the lager with the widest international distribution in the world. In that field we're the world record-holders." Mr. Van Schaik expands further on this point. Calmly, but emphatically, he reminds us that a champion needs to do a lot to hold on to his title. In the sports world he has to keep on training unceasingly if he doesn't want to get knocked off his pedestalAnd the same applies to us. We know for sure that our competitors will do their utmost to try to catch up with us. They won't find it an easy job, as we've succeeded over the past 35 years in building up a highly international circle of customers thanks to our big, world-wide network of specialised and dedicated agents and distributors. "We are big", he continues, "but that also means that our organisation is rather cumbersome and may have difficulty in adapting alertly to the many things that are happening in the world. Providing service is something that has helped to make us big. But all around us we can see standards of service declining. I truly hope that that spirit of being of service to others will not disappear at Heineken. Another thing I think is incredibly dangerous is that some people sometimes claim that almost all beer brewed throughout the world is of more or less the same quality. If we, as Heineken employees, start to believe that sort of fairy story, then we're simply demolishing our own future. In any case, there's no truth in it. Heineken stands head and shoulders above all others beers. And to prove my point: there are thousands of beer brands in the world. But there are only a few of those which are considered by consumers in highly different markets as being truly luxury beers. And, of those few, Heineken is the biggest." "We're international. Within our concern we work together with employees of various nations, diverse cultures. We can all learn from one Heineken France's Mutzig brewery in the snow. A water colour by Pascale Duanyer-Marziou, wife of H. Marziou, desk- manager of Heineken France's Commercial Department for the Eastern part of France. In the past ten years Mrs. Marziou has exhibited her works with success both in France and abroad. another. All the know-how we build up in this way has to help us keep that lead we now have. That know-how is so terribly important. That exchange of knowledge. There's no longer any question of a one-way traffic within our concernI mean from just one country to the others." There is a moment of silence and then Mr. Van Schaik concludes with the following words: "At the moment we're the world record-holders. Every world champion in sport can train as much as he likes, but he will get that bit older all the time until, one day, he'll be the loser. He ought to be able to stay young. The big difference between a sportsman and a company is that a company can stay young thanks to the mentality of its employees! Thanks to those employees and all those good resources we have in our company, we've got the basis for a good future. And so that also gives me a good basis for confidently wishing you all: G. van Schaik, vice-chairman of the Executive Board of Heineken N. V., pictured during our conversation. There is a strong note of conviction in Mr. Van Schaik's voice as he says this. And in the same tone he adds: "It's the people who have to make it come true. I mean, our employees. They have to use their talents when they go on to the market to sell. They have to be sure that they have the backing of colleagues who can work quickly and can respond effectively and rapidly to new challenges." The word 'people' keeps recurring in his story. He's well aware that in a big organisation there may occasionally be things that are frustrating to the individual. But what he would like to shout out loud to such people is: "Look at what's happening out there with your company in mind and use that as a goal to work towards. Don't wrap yourself away inside the cocoon of the organisation and sit there moping. The fun is out there!" From the smile on his face it's easy to see that he means what he says.

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Heineken International Magazine | 1984 | | pagina 1