Sidney De Keersmaeker - Participant 2018-2019
“This Prince Albert Fund experience helped me to grow as a leader.”
Role
Sidney’s project consisted in developing Decospan’s flooring division on the West Coast of the USA.
Responsibilities
The first step was to develop a keen understanding of the local construction industry and its stakeholders, namely architects, designers, flooring contractors, developers… Sidney then proceeded to translate his insights into new go-to-market strategies for every customer segment and implemented them with selected partners. In addition to working on new sales models, he focused on the brand awareness of the company’s floors.
How he benefited
Thanks to his Prince Albert Fund project, Sidney gained valuable insights into the complexities of go-to-market decisions and the far-reaching long-term strategic impact they have. “My main challenge was to set up new go-to-market strategies and partnerships without disrupting existing business agreements”, he says.
He experienced firsthand how challenging it can be to manage the expectations of the different partners involved. This assignment has helped him to become more comfortable with conflicts and taught him how to deal with crisis situations.
The company – Decospan
Decospan, which was established in 1978, is a Belgian manufacturer of wood flooring solutions. The company has since become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of veneer wood panels and floors. With its treasure chest of more than 160 wood species, its state-of-the-art machines, sustainable business model and flexible employees, the company can develop new products that meet the needs of all stakeholders.
“Sidney was able to set up a distribution model for our branded flooring together with our panel distributor. He also developed the relationship with one of the largest flooring contractors of the USA.”