Katrien Herdewyn - Participant 2017-2018
My expectations, although already pretty high, were far exceeded. The project is more than moving, living and working abroad!
Role
Katrien Herdewyn’s role was to contribute to the successful launch of Halio, a smart-tinting glass, on the North American market, for Halio North America (HNA), a strategic partnership between AGC Glass and Europe.
Responsibilities
Katrien mainly concentrated on the following priorities: the sales lead generation program, the comparative study of the competitors, the Halio Outreach Program, digital marketing, technical certificates and communication material, and participation in trade shows.
How she benefited
Working on a project that focused on the simultaneous launch of a product worldwide meant weekly interactions with partners or coworkers outside the US, in Taiwan, Japan, Ukraine, Singapore, and Belgium. Although the days were long, with very little sleep because of the different time zones, this was also a very educational and energizing experience for Katrien.
“Things that I considered a challenge a year ago are now well within my comfort zone, such as PR, web design, and asset management”. In addition to business development and strategy, this project also gave her the opportunity to grow her technical engineering skills as well as her creative skills.
The company – AGC Glass Europe
AGC, the world’s leading flat glass manufacturer, produces, processes and distributes flat glass for the building industry, the automotive industry and other sectors (transport, solar power and high-tech). The AGC group has 200 companies in over 30 countries with a workforce of more than 50,000 employees, focusing on 4 main business segments: Glass, Electronics, Chemicals and Ceramics. The European HQ are based in Louvain-la-Neuve.
“Katrien has very high standards, which she worked hard to maintain no
matter how many projects she was juggling. Her academic knowledge, along with some of her entrepreneurial experiences, enabled her to make significant contributions during her tenure. She met deadlines and exhibited good judgment when reprioritizations where required.”