This past June, Leandro Gomes joined Pouliquen as a junior sales representative. His role is to develop the market in Portugal, the country his family comes from and for which he has great affection. At 26 years old, Leandro is full of energy and ambition. Read on to learn more about our new team member.
A rich tapestry of experiences
After passing his baccalaureate with specialities in economics and social studies, Leandro went on to pursue a technical diploma in sales techniques. His penchant for foreign countries led him to spend a year in Lisbon completing an international technical diploma (the equivalent of a 3-year university degree). His classes were taught in English, and he strengthened his marketing, finance and sales skills. Coupled with his fluency in Portuguese, Spanish and English, this experience abroad put the finishing touches on Leandro’s profile as a sales representative tailor-made for the challenges of export trade.
An initial role in advisory sales
For three and a half years after graduating, Leandro worked as a sales advisor for the well-known French construction materials company Queguiner Matériaux. After spending a few months training at the Landivisiau location, he moved to the Brest office (Queginer’s largest) where he worked until leaving the company last February. Though the position allowed him to acquire a solid set of technical skills, Léandro wanted to move forward in a position with a greater focus on international trade. “Quitting forced me to look for something else, for a job that suited me better.”
From construction to fresh vegetable export
Life is sometimes a series of lucky breaks, and for Leandro, his luck brought him into contact with Flora, who did her work-study placement in Pouliquen’s HR department last year. The two young professionals soon realised that Leandro’s profile might match the company’s needs. After two interviews with Gérard Quillévéré, Leandro was won over by Pouliquen’s team spirit and the prospect of developing the Portuguese market, and had no hesitations about joining the adventure
Developing the Portuguese market: a custom-made role
Today, Leandro is a junior sales representative with a specific task: to develop the fresh vegetable market in Portugal. He’s responsible both for finding new clients and for sourcing the transport and logistics solutions that enable us to provide high-quality service.
With his perfect fluency in both French and Portuguese, Leandro occupies a key role for the company’s growth in this market. His knowledge not only of the language, but of the country and its culture, are valuable assets in thoroughly and rapidly understanding customers’ needs. As well as developing new clients, he’s jointly responsible for the company’s Spanish clients along with senior sales representative Stéphanie, who specialises in Southern Europe.
“What I like about this new role is that I’m working with fresh produce purchased at auction. It’s fast-paced. There’s an adrenaline rush during the buying phase, when you’re trying to find all the products customers have requested.”
Looking ahead
Outside of working hours, Leandro is passionate about sports. He’s been playing football since the age of 17, and also works out three times a week.
Leandro will be at the upcoming Fruit Attraction show in Madrid on 8-11 October. If you haven’t met him yet, he’s excited to meet you, and we look forward to introducing you!
