Piet Renson - Participant 2020-2021
“Saying that my Prince Albert Fund project was a very strong career accelerator would definitely be an understatement.”
Role
The initial goal of Piet’s project was to set up a business structure in the United States for Bioracer.
Responsibilities
Piet had to set up the necessary processes to import products in the United States from the recently installed production site in Medellin, Colombia. After he drafted a go-to-market strategy, the decision was made to expand the Montreal office and the North American HQ, with customer service and designers that provide support for the US market. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company benefited from a huge boom in the cycling apparel market, with online becoming the biggest growth segment. He was thus involved in the e-commerce strategy as well.
How he benefited
During his Prince Albert Fund year, Piet’s role changed as he was put in charge of international business development. He started by interviewing all Bioracer’s agents worldwide (Asia, Scandinavia etc.) to assess their needs. He also structured the company’s product portfolio, created marketing material, etc.
“I realized during the Prince Albert Fund project that rarely things go according to plan and that each challenge can also be a new opportunity”, he concludes.
The company – Bioracer
Located in Tessenderlo (Limburg), Bioracer is one of a handful of manufacturers of cycling gear that retains full control over its production process. The company designs, manufactures and sells speedwear to cyclists, triathletes, runners and ice skaters. It is the market leader in custom cycling wear in Europe using only the best European materials to ensure comfort and sustainability. There are 13 companies in the Bio-Racer corporate family.
“With his empathic and structured approach, Piet immediately proved to be an added value, creating an in-depth perspective from the outset, with a budget follow-up.”