On June 1st, Ruurd van de Laar officially made the move from the logistics department to the commercial team at Cefetra Dairy. He shares more about this new step in his career within the company.
When Ruurd joined Cefetra Dairy in April 2023, he already had a clear motivation for choosing this path: “Because of my agricultural background, I was always very interested in nutrition. There is constantly something happening in the world of food. The global population keeps growing and of course, everyone needs to eat. That’s why there will always be plenty of opportunities for a company like ours.”
“My logistics background helps me to make better, more practical trading decisions.”
Ruurd van de Laar – Junior Trader
When I graduated, my first ambition was to start directly in trade. But during my very first job interview, the director told me: “When you’ve just finished school, you don’t know much yet. The important thing is to simply get started and learn about the business while working.” That advice stuck with me. Since there were no openings in trade at the time, I decided to join the logistics department instead, determined to learn and prove myself. Over a period of two years, I gained hands-on experience in supply chain planning and worked closely with warehouses, transporters, suppliers, and customers. Now that I have transitioned into trade, I see just how valuable that logistics background is. Understanding the supply chain helps me to make better, more practical commercial decisions.
“One experience I’ll never forget was when a customer rejected a product as too old. After being turned down three times, I didn’t give up and finally got a “yes” on the fourth call. That moment showed me how much energy I get from turning a ‘no’ into a ‘yes’.”
Now that I’m three months into the commercial team, I can clearly see how my logistics background helps me make better, more practical trading decisions. This step feels like a natural evolution, proof that if you stay curious, work hard, and consistently show your value, opportunities will come your way. Today, I’m responsible for the Southern European markets, an exciting challenge. To connect better with partners and grow further, I will start an Italian course this September.
“I would describe our company as down-to-earth and hardworking, with lots of opportunities for both personal and professional growth. We work hard, but there’s also space to blow some steam off. Every Thursday, a group of colleagues takes part in a kickboxing class, many make use of the gym next door, and on Fridays we like to wrap up the week with a drink.”
