Get acquainted with Ruben Verouden

In this edition of ‘Get acquainted with…’ we introduce Ruben Verouden to you. Ruben is 36 years of age and lives with his wife and children of 1 and 3 in the Dutch village De Lier. He enjoys family life. In good weather he loves preparing fresh produce on his Green Egg. Furthermore, he likes to go for a run or play ball at the local football club.

Ruben has been our Financial Manager since early 2018. In a nutshell, he is responsible for everything that falls under finance. When we ask him about it, it turns out there is a lot to it: "I am responsible for invoicing, payments, debtors and creditors administration and budgets. In addition, of course, I am also responsible for the financial accountability to Harvest House, among others." He is also part of the Management Team and, together with Mark, he manages human resources. "This is a broad package, but we try to do as much work as possible at the office with as few people as possible and keep the overhead to a minimum."

After graduating in Management, Economics and Law Ruben started his working life at the Rabobank, where he was able to develop himself in various positions. In his work at Rabobank Westland, among others, he often visited entrepreneurs and learned a lot about different types of businesses. The last two years he worked at the department 'Special Management', where entrepreneurs who (threaten to) get into financial trouble, receive intensive guidance from the bank. "This is quite a difficult and challenging department, but the goal was always to ensure the continuity of the company. I always put the customer first and found it very valuable to see a customer get back on track."

Affinity with fresh products

After about eight years, Ruben noticed he wanted to develop further. "I wanted to move to a new and different employer and work closer to the operation, more at the controls of a company.” His affinity for fresh products and the fresh produce sector, brought him to Snijpunt. "It is never boring in this sector and no day is the same. There are so many opportunities. It is great to work in such a dynamic sector!"

Sustainable growth

Ruben enjoys working together to achieve growth and to ensure that everything stays on track. "It is great to be able to contribute to this and achieve goals together. There are still so many opportunities, but at the same time also enough challenges to make the most of them." He enjoys the fact that Snijpunt is innovative and regularly introduces new products or new variants of existing products. "As a company, you show that you are not conservative, but progressive and that you think along with the customer." It is his responsibility to ensure that the company's objectives can be achieved. "I am in favour of sustainable growth and always look at what a project means for the company. I look at all aspects with a view to growth."

Teamwork and trust

Right from the start, Ruben has felt appealed by the company's promises and core values. A few of them stand out for him. Reliability/trust is one of them. "Trust is the foundation for working together. When you give people that trust, they grow.” In addition, for Ruben, an agreement really is an agreement. "And if you really can't keep your appointment, communicate about it in time!"
"And of course, working together," he says enthusiastically! "Achieving goals together. Each with his or her own capabilities, but always together. Then celebrate the successes with each other as well."

Ruben likes to develop not only in his work but also privately. "Work is fun, but one´s private life is very important and valuable. With a young family, you are always discovering new things and continuing to develop." The right balance between work and private life is important in that. "That balance is just different for everyone. Good interaction between employer and employee provides that balance. Here, too, trust is very important. You create this culture together."