From Poland to the Netherlands, Bogusia Zdanuk has spent much of her career in one Philips company other another. Now as the Refurbishment Supply and Operation Manager at Versuni, an offshoot of Philips’ consumer appliances, she spearheads efforts to reuse and recycle electronics, while also renewing careers as an Women for Women Eindhoven Ambassador.
Bogusia’s journey at Philips began by coincidence. “I started my professional journey in the Philips company in Poland, after I graduated in technical engineering. I spent in Poland five years working for Philips. And then together with my husband, we moved to the Netherlands. Since then, I’ve always worked for the Philips brand. Even sometimes the companies had different names but still, along Philips products.”
Reduce. Reuse. Refurbish. Recycle.
Before the development of the refurbishment program, Bogusia saw a need for it. “In my previous position, I was responsible for the quality of the products in the warehouse. So, I saw many products are returned by the customers.” European regulation allows for returns for up to 30 days or longer. Many companies simply destroyed the projects despite their resale potential. “We were receiving back products in quite good condition or really good condition. It’s really painful to destroy them.”
With Versuni, Bogusia oversees giving a second life to Philips products. “With a group of passionate colleagues, we developed the refurbishment process. All the products that are returned go to the warehouse. Original customers receive their money back. And we sort and process them.” What happens to each product next depends on its condition. If they can be repaired and resold, they are, otherwise they are cannibalized for parts, or their components are broken down and recycled.
This process was developed five years ago, and it has been a huge success. Bogusia says that “every year business is growing 40% compared to the previous year” fuelled by the popularity of e-commerce.
The refurbishment program helps close the loop of electronic waste ensuring that everything that can be used is used or recycled either by Versuni or their partners, thus contributing to the circular economy and sustainability. Bogusia’s passion for her work is clear. “The fantastic point for me is that I’m not only looking at the presentation, excel, or system, but I have a real opportunity to be in the warehouse, to work with the operational people, to see and touch the real products, go to our refurbishment centre, see what and how we are doing. I can see and attend every stage, learn a lot, and improve my skills and the process. It’s a never-ending development process.”
Renewing Careers with Women for Women
Given her enthusiasm for renewal, it’s no wonder she’s also an Ambassador for the Women for Women Eindhoven (WfW) program which relaunches international women’s careers in the Netherlands through professional development workshops and mentorship.
Why? One reason is to pay it forward. To find a job in Poland as an engineer was difficult, but Bogusia was lucky. Someone saw her potential. “The manager of the team who I’d work with saw my CV, and after a test analysing what are my skills and what I can do. She saw potential in my technical background.” She also challenged Bogusia to grow. “The tasks she gave me to do, I could do them well enough to learn some logistics and planning elements. She gave me the chance to learn, to grow. I also realized that with my technical skills, I can be better effective in logistics, not purely technical.”
As an Ambassador for WfW, Bogusia can draw out the potential in rising international talents in southeast Brabant. “I met one of my Talents recently. I remember her from the first meeting when I met her and she was like a small grey mouse, but after one or half a year when we met again, she was really shining. You could see different a posture, different look.”
Unleashing the hidden strengths of locally available international talent is the goal of Expat Spouses Initiative and all our programs WfW, Talent100 and Career Bootcamp. We provide them with support and a proven method to harness their expertise to meet the growing demands of the Dutch labour market.
Expert Advice
Bogusia has two pieces of advice – one each for international talents and potential Ambassadors.
For Talents: “It’s amazing how transferable one’s skills really are. Be more open especially in the beginning, to what we would like to do.” Don’t only follow what is the linear course of your education and CV but also think “about how you can use your skills in another position, which may not be a 100% fit to you.”
For Ambassadors: “Just be yourself. Listen to the Talent and do what you can do but without any special kind of the force. It should be a pleasure for both and not be a list of goals you must achieve.”
Call for Ambassadors
We are always looking for new Ambassadors to support internationals on their professional journeys in Brabant. If you would like to learn more about the Women for Women program or how to become an Ambassador, please contact the Expat Spouses Initiative at info@expatspousesinitiative.org
