We’ll wrap up our introduction to our sales team with the newest — and freshest! — addition to the company, Denis Robidou. This specialist in fresh vegetable export joined the Pouliquen team in early September. Fluent in English and German, Denis is responsible for developing the company’s business in the Northern and Eastern European markets together with Emmanuelle Bosser. Learn about the experience, motivation and role of Pouliquen’s “new kid on the block” in this profile.
A career in the fresh vegetable export industry
At 47, Denis has had almost 25 years of experience in the fresh vegetable sector. After obtaining a technical diploma in international sales in 1996, he began his career in this industry and has never left it. His previous positions have always been highly export-focused, which has enabled him to acquire solid knowledge and skills in the field. Pouliquen is the 4th Prince de Bretagne distributor he’s worked for. It goes without saying that he’s familiar with the company! However, each distributor has its own vision of the market and its own values, ways of working and goals. This new sales role is not without its challenges for Denis. That, among other things, is what attracted him to it.
“Pouliquen has know-how, spirit, and good business logic.”
When Denis was asked why he wanted to join our team, he spoke of Pouliquen’s vision and the way the company is organised.
“I needed a role in a more family-like, people-focused structure. The concept of large companies doesn’t suit me. Here, things are even better than I’d imagined! It’s very professional and efficient, but stress-free. I never thought that this sort of culture could be so well-maintained within a company. It does me good. People aren’t just numbers. And for its customers, Pouliquen is much more of a partner than a supplier. That also counts for a lot.” The company’s positioning, its local base and its commitment to supporting local producers were also factors that motivated Denis to apply for the position.
A presence in the Saint-Malo production area
Denis lives in the Saint-Malo region (Ille-et-Vilaine), an area producing leeks, cauliflower, green cabbage and Romanesco. The company’s organisational setup allows him to work out of the office in Cléder one day a week and telework the rest of the time. This arrangement allows Denis to enjoy a good quality of life without planning a move or commuting every day. Organising Denis’ working time in this way also provides the company with a representative to monitor its activity in the Saint-Malo area, where he can visit growers and packing stations.
A spirit of sharing and teamwork
In his free time, Denis coaches a junior basketball team. From time to time, he returns to the school where he completed his studies, sharing his vision of the field and his professional experience and helping to correct tests. Recently, he’s also become the parent of one of its students, as his eldest son Antoine has decided to pursue the same studies as his father. “It was his decision: I didn’t pressure him”, he insists when explaining to us (with just a touch of pride) that his son has chosen to follow in his footsteps.
Denis is seen as a positive, friendly and supportive person by his colleagues, as well as a bit of a joker. They particularly appreciate the outlandishly-patterned shirts he manages to find and proudly sport both at work and at trade shows, as visitors to the Pouliquen stand at the latest Fruit Attraction show in Madrid had a chance to find out.
Welcome to Pouliquen, Denis!