Pictured above: the ever-growing international team met in Amsterdam to celebrate 10 years of WUA
10 years of WUA’s Digital Experience Benchmarks
On September 13th, 2018, WUA’s top clients, suppliers, and friends in the Netherlands celebrated the 10 year anniversary of the company in style at HQ in Amsterdam. I greatly enjoyed being brought back here to take part in the festivities and re-connect with colleagues new and old. Once again, I am reminded to practice gratitude for these fantastic opportunities to travel across the Atlantic. Walking back into Amsterdam felt as if it was yesterday since I left at the end of April. This was certainly helped by folding right back into the ever-excitable group of colleagues at WUA, pictured above. And not to mention the similar off-and-on rainy weather. Being back at the office has allowed me to regain my grounding. This especially important as the team expands and gains a renewed international focus.
Think Global
Previously, WUA predominantly focused on serving the Dutch market while doing research for several Dutch companies in markets abroad. In quick succession, country managers came on board to focus on the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Later, came an additional office for the Czech Republic. With international offices in place, myself included in San Francisco, it is time for the company to think and act globally at the next level. Already, we do research in 18 countries. Now it’s time to match our intention and action with internal alignment and outward communication. To that regard, I’m very happy to see now that the company is moving towards an international website and has instituted better lines of communication and best practice sharing between offices.
Additionally, I had anticipated on heading to Belgrade to assist in the training of a new team of outbound salesmen. To fly out the team to Amsterdam instead to drink the WUA Kool-Aid was a wise decision. These are great developments for the WUA team. Our sales process becomes tightened, the international offices gain more support, and I get to stay longer than two weeks in the Netherlands as originally anticipated.
Running around Holland
As Amsterdam’s most vital company of 2017, we have a reputation of health handing over us. As such, WUA’s accounting firm reached out to ask our colleagues to join their team for the famous ‘Dam tot Dam’ 10-mile run. Of course, I was all in! With glitzy new orange shoes, I joined RS Finance to go from Amsterdam to Zaandam (get it? Dam to Dam?). As our race time approached last week Sunday darkness hung over the route, showering us with non-stop rain. This only added to the Dutch atmosphere somehow. Though I hadn’t been training much as of late, I’m happy to have been able to get under the 1 hour 20-minute mark I was going for.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoTv_I5CMkU/?taken-by=blaanen
Likewise, I’ve been running around the Hollands to visit friends and family during my stay. Especially so in my first two weeks. I had the pleasure of joining my former roommate in The Hague for his housewarming party and get together with youngest brother Ivar for good times in Rotterdam. I finally got to meet my newest nephew Aren as well! All while being based out of my parent’s in Loosdrecht. Now that I’m staying in Holland for a bit longer, I can enjoy even more time on the weekends and after work to spend quality time with Dutch friends.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn9T-vPiAIC/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
I’ll be back soon California!
