Katrien Vanden Meerssche - Participant 2021-2022
“Because no great story ever started within your comfort zone!”
Role
Katrien had the opportunity to serve as an International Business Development Manager for Gimber, a company in the food and beverages industry, for both the Scandinavian and American Canadian markets.
Responsibilities
“Go, explore, and make it happen!” That is how Katrien’s mission to enter the Scandinavian market started. She built the Gimber brand from scratch, paving the way for exponential growth. Her focus was on business development, dealing with everything from sales, marketing strategy, brand awareness, etc. After Sweden, she moved to Toronto, working on an in-depth analysis of the Canadian market for future expansion.
How she benefited
Katrien had the opportunity to step out of her comfort zone and gain firsthand insight into entrepreneurship. Through this experience, she met a diverse group of individuals from around the globe and built a valuable personal network. She also demonstrated a high degree of flexibility as she had to operate in two different countries. “In Sweden, my efforts resulted in the successful launch of Gimber. I managed to get into the most premium retail and design stores and was thrilled with the encouraging results”, she says.
The company – Gimber
Founded in 2018, Gimber produces an organic alternative to any alcoholic drink in the form of a ginger-based aperitif. The Belgian company’s organic drink is made from premium ginger, lemon, herbs and spices. Its headquarters are in the province of Walloon Brabant. The brand plans to expand its distribution through its export strategy.
“Katrien developed a first go-to-market strategy, from an operational and commercial point of view. During her assignment she managed to successfully open 100 stores in four major cities in Sweden, paving the way for Gimber’s continued growth and expansion in the Nordic region.”