We sat down with our newest PaperCutter, Ad van Amrooij, to get to know our new ead of Global Sales a little better.
PC: So…tell us about yourself!
AD: I grew up in the Netherlands but I had always had a desire to live in Australia or New Zealand. It wasn’t until 1996 when I was at a certain age (!) that I decided to pack up my life and make the move to live in Melbourne, Australia. It was a choice between moving to Sydney or in Melbourne and I had the help from my two friends from Australia who lived in Amsterdam, one friend was from Sydney and the other friend was from Melbourne who both convinced me that Melbourne was the most European city. They weren’t wrong!
PC: OK… we’ve tried a number of ways on our own… how DO you pronounce your surname?
AD: Ha! Yes.. the combination of ‘ij’ is pronounced as a letter ‘Y’. For example, in the alphabet where you have ‘x-y-z’, in dutch, it is “x-ij-z’. So Amrooij comes out as “Am-Ro-ee”. For my three girls, their surname is spelled with a ‘y’ on their birth certificate to make it easier for them - and for their teachers!
PC: What did you do prior to joining PaperCut?
AD: I was very fortunate to have held positions across different countries and different industries; The Netherlands where I graduated as an accountant and started as a junior administrator for the National Gas Distribution Company and where I ended up co-owning and building a SAP consulting company whilst working as a programmer, to Australia where I worked for KPMG and IBM running their businesses, back to the Netherlands, Singapore and Australia working for BHP Billiton, managing their enterprise systems globally. Finally ending back in Australia, Melbourne of course, to work for Infosys and Fujitsu in various senior roles.
PC: What attracted you to PaperCut and the role?
AD: To be honest I was attracted to PaperCut the company! I was lucky to be given a glimpse into the culture of PaperCut where you are given a barista course (just in case) and where there is a “Lego” meeting room in the head office! The other aspect is PaperCut’s agility and nimbleness, which is different to the big corporate world I was used to. A company where the CEO can send you messages with emojis just shows you the kind of CEO he is. The company’s sincere interest in sustainability and its staff care were also very important in my decision making.
PC: What are you looking forward to most here at PaperCut?
AD: As a print software solution company, I am looking forward to helping PaperCut grow their business by maximizing sales and leveraging of what they have been creating so far, in turn, it can be reinvested back into the business. It’s the underpinning of sustainability and cutting waste which appeals to me.
PC: What’s your vision for the channel?
AD: Although a bit early, my vision is to bring the whole PaperCut ecosystem closer to the customer in conjunction with our channel partners which will bring longevity of the customer base through ongoing renewals and upgrades.
PC: How do you like your coffee?
AD: I like a good cappuccino which I have now mastered at home, but am yet to get right in our coffee area!
PC: What are you passionate about?
AD: My family’s well-being and sustainability.
PC: What do you like to do in your spare time?
AD: I like to spend my extra time with my girls which includes attending their Friday night basketball games. I also coach one of the teams of teenage girls (yikes!). I also like to work with wood and build things. As soon as something needs fixing or replacing at home, my first “go-to” is to figure out an excuse to bring out the tools and solve it through woodworking. This passion may have stemmed from my childhood where I loved playing with wooden blocks. Plus, it ties in with my passion for sustainability - a win win!
