Testimonials

Role

Kristel Van den Bergh was asked to define the entry strategy for 3D printed clinical applications in China, and subsequently launched a new product line, which represented a large part of her assignment.

Responsibilities

As the Chinese market was new to Materialise’s clinical unit, the first step of the project was to gather market intelligence via extensive desk and field research, and explore partnership opportunities with leading domestic companies. Kristel then focused on launching a new application in the region. Her mission required extensive travel across the country to meet the company’s target customers/partners and to participate in industry events.

Kristel encountered challenges on various levels during her Prince Albert Fund year: China-related, assignment-related and company-related.  She had to learn “how to navigate the complex Chinese business environment”, more specifically establishing relationships in a short time in a new market and gaining access to reliable data were quite challenging. She also had to meet the stakeholders’ expectations, while working in a remote office and across different time zones, which was quite demanding.”

How she benefited

The Prince Albert Fund helped Kristel to progress much faster compared to a traditional career path. “The strategic business development role, the Medical 3D Printing industry and the Chinese business context were all new to me”, she says, “It was the triple challenge I had hoped for”. She also gained experience in how to operate more efficiently at C-level and learned about making sound decisions under uncertainty. But she took it all in her stride and laughs: “It was a fulfilling journey during which I learned about the do’s and don’ts along the way”.