Laura Hoste - Participant 2018-2019
“Being the only person based in the US for Amoobi, I ended up wearing many hats and developing many new skills.”
Role
Laura’s task was to set up the American subsidiary of Amoobi, assessing opportunities in the US and Canadian markets and the possibility to replicate the European business model in North America.
Responsibilities
At the start of the project, Laura took the time to get acquainted with the Amoobi solutions. Next, she conducted research and met as many retailers and brands as possible to get a good view of the US market. After a few months, she was able to close her first deals with a number of leading, high-profile retailers, brands and food service companies. She was also involved in the implementation of the project and the analysis of the deliverables for the customers.
How she benefited
For Laura, her Prince Albert Fund year was a fantastic learning curve, both on the professional and personal level. She encountered many challenges as everything seemed exactly the opposite of what she had experienced in her previous job: working with a remote team, in an entirely new market, carrying a wide variety of responsibilities and pitching a complex product.
“I developed some serious project management skills, creating a US Incorporation from scratch, and developed my analytical side. I also was able to develop my strategic thinking by being involved in the company’s strategy, pricing and positioning”, she explains.
The company – Amoobi
Amoobi is a Belgian scale-up that helps retailers to optimize store performance by offering unique insights from customer behavior data and retail expertise. The company has developed a unique approach to in-store analytics, leading to business optimization and increase in sales. Since its creation in 2011, Amoobi has worked in more than 10 countries, mostly in Western Europe, for many of the largest retailers.
“Laura created added value for Amoobi, meeting and exceeding her sales targets. Most importantly she managed to acquire our company’s first American customers, including some of the biggest retailers in this market.”