In 2023, Miranda is going to celebrate her 25th work anniversary at Damaco Group. In her spare time, she loves cooking and traveling and her favourite treat at work is a magnum ice cream with nuts.
Read here the full story behind her career as sales manager and find out why Miranda is called 'the octopus' of Kipco-Damaco🐙.
Hi Miranda! Let's begin easily... briefly describe your function within Kipco-Damaco Belgium.
As sales manager Benelux I am responsible for the purchase and sale of poultry products. In the BNL team, I work together with Nathalie and Felice. Our sales actually go a bit further than BNL, because we also sell fresh poultry to Germany and France. Besides selling our own production, we are also a trading partner for foreign, mainly Polish, Italian and French slaughterhouses. These products are traded in both fresh and frozen poultry.
How did you end up at Kipco-Damaco?
Before I started at Kipco-Damaco, I was in almost daily contact with Brigitte Callewier (mother of the current owners Iris and Bruno Vandaele). I was working at the game and poultry company Euroslach in Kruisem. This company was owned by Raoul Huys and Liliane Vandaele (aunt of Iris and Bruno Vandaele).
At Brigitte's request, I made the switch to Kipco-Damaco, actually with the intention of drafting the first HACCP manual within Kipco-Damaco. At Euroslach, I was already working on this through their sales activities to department stores. But soon I was called into sales, because the customers I previously contacted at Euroslach for guinea fowl, broiler and game products were also buying turkey and chicken products at Kipco-Damaco.
What do you find particularly fascinating in your job?
My job is very fascinating thanks to the many contacts with domestic and foreign customers and suppliers. Because we sell both fresh and frozen products, it is necessary to keep a close eye on the market and always stay ahead of the competition.
The fact that in my early years at Kipco-Damaco, in addition to sales, I also helped the quality department to obtain our first HACCP and BRC quality certificate and the fact that I was the first 'prevention advisor' within Kipco-Damaco and that I also helped to start up the ERP program means that my job is actually very versatile, very varied and never boring.
I try to assist colleagues on all departments with their questions.
Describe your best experience at Kipco-Damaco.
I have many great memories at Kipco-Damaco, but these three stand out:
The staff party given for Iris and Philip's wedding was super, ... especially the act we had rehearsed for the presentation of their gift, i.e. a wellness weekend.
The staff party with playback show was a top party ... I think it was in 2007 ... Everyone arrived dressed up and had prepared an act as a group ... The Vandaele family was 'Jackson 5' and I myself had prepared an act by Andrea Bocelli and Eros Ramazzotti with my colleague Kathleen.
Another great evening was the ladies' night in 2018, when we went to the beauty salon with all the ladies from the office and held a photo shoot on the spot. Top evening with my colleagues.
What was your most difficult moment at Kipco-Damaco?
My most difficult moment was in 1999, when the dioxin crisis broke out and our stock was completely blocked. This happened during my initial phase at Kipco-Damaco, without an ERP system ... using supplier invoices and production sheets to retrieve all tracings ... Fortunately, when I think back, times have changed enormously.
Describe yourself in 3 words :
I would describe myself as
✔️helpful
✔️driven
✔️open book
The latter mainly because my colleagues within my team, who have also been working within Kipco-Damaco for +25 years, know me completely. Not only have we been working together for 25 years, but of course we also talk about our families, children, travels, renovations, hobbies, etc.
12 years ago, an external employee called me 'the octopus' of Kipco-Damaco. He told me that my 'tentacles' reached into the roots of every service. I thought this was funny .
Nicest compliment you have received from a colleague?
I can't think of the nicest compliment, everyone in management and every colleague pays a compliment at the right moment. But I thought this card on 'compliment day' was super cool from our marketing department.
When you are not at Kipco-Damaco, how do you spend your spare time?
I love good food, I find home cooking blissful and relaxing and I can enjoy a visit to a good restaurant. I love to travel a lot. Together with my family I have made many beautiful trips, but in recent years we have also enjoyed a week in the sun or snow without the kids.
Furthermore, I have been a member of the White Star Deinze swimming club for 50 years and a board member for 30 years, the last 8 of which I have been the club's 'president'.
Quick round of questions (answer with 1 word) :
- Morning or evening person 🌞🌙 ? morning person
- What is the object you can't live without at work : my computer 💻
- Favorite treat at work : magnum ice cream with nuts 🍦
- This famous person I would like to have as a colleague: I do not want to trade any colleague ❤️