I am Sam, Senior Product Manager and team leader of the Dutch and French speaking Juvigo teams. I joined Juvigo when my former employer decided to move my department from Berlin to Lisbon. When I started looking for a new Dutch speaking job in Berlin, I ended up at Juvigo. I have been working here for over 5 years now.
“Within Juvigo I try to make my mark by improving and expanding our product together with my colleagues.”
What do holiday camps and language trips mean to you?
When I was young, summer camps were a way for me to travel with my best friends from school. I would go to camp for a week or 10 days every summer and it was always the highlight of my summer. It was a great way to meet new people and explore other countries. I still have friends that I met at camp over 20 years ago.
What exactly do you do at Juvigo? Can you describe a typical working day?
I started as Product Manager for the Flemish and Dutch market in 2019. A year later we expanded to France, Spain and Portugal and then I grew to International Product Manager. After 4 years at Juvigo my title became Senior Product Manager. In short, I am responsible for the international markets at Juvigo and I am involved in all international teams and help where necessary. Together with our CEO Björn and my German colleague Kimon we also sit together weekly to make improvements to our product. Every working day is different for me, it can range from contact with my partners to coaching other product managers, from finding new partners to optimizing our website. That variety in tasks keeps it interesting.
What responsibilities do you have within your team and what are the main goals you are working towards?
As team lead for the Dutch and French speaking markets I am mainly involved in coaching my team members on a daily basis. Together with Julia, I am the point of contact when they have questions about the tasks they are working on. After 5 years I have mastered most of the tasks and can therefore help where necessary. For both my teams I determine the targets on a weekly and annual basis and I also follow up whether we achieve those targets. The most important goal is that we achieve growth as a team and that everyone enjoys being part of the success of our markets.
What do you like most about working at Juvigo?
The variety of tasks, the diversity of colleagues and the trust I have from my supervisor Björn Viergutz. I really appreciate working for someone who gives me enough freedom and trust to lead my teams and markets. Many of my colleagues and ex-colleagues have also become good friends outside of work hours and that is certainly something I also experience as positive!
What do you like least about working at Juvigo?
In recent years I have become less and less enthusiastic about answering the phone myself when customers call. Fortunately, we now have a larger team and those moments have become increasingly rare.
What skills do you think would be most valuable to have in your role at Juvigo?
I have a background in social work and as a teacher in Dutch for non-native newcomers. I think my social skills and patience are very valuable in coaching our interns and product managers.
What is the biggest challenge you face in your work? How do you deal with it?
The biggest challenge is growing in our markets year after year. We are always looking for new ways to continue growing. Björn is a very good leader who regularly takes the time to sit together and guide us where necessary. He gives Julia and me new angles that we can work on to be even more successful next year than the current year. That motivates us to get started on the tasks ahead with our team.
Can you share a moment when you were especially proud of yourself or your team?
When Julia became Product Manager for the Dutch market, I was very proud. She started as an intern in my team and grew step by step into the role she has now. I see many colleagues come and go, but when she was assigned to that role, I was very proud and happy to have her by my side as a permanent colleague.
What do you think sets Juvigo apart from other booking platforms, both for customers and employees?
We are the most international booking platform for holiday camps in Europe, both in our range of holiday camps and in the nationalities in our company. Everyone in our company loves to travel, speaks several languages and contributes to the success of Juvigo.
If you could book a holiday through Juvigo for yourself, which camp or destination would you go to?
Juvigo offers many destinations that I still want to visit. Last year I visited our partner Alcatraz in Sweden for a 3 day canoe trip in the wild. That was an unforgettable experience! Our surf camps in Spain and Portugal are still on my bucket list.
What inspires you in your work and how do you stay motivated and involved?
I attach great importance to personal contact with my partners, colleagues and boss. I am very target-driven and make it my mission to bring in more bookings for our partners year after year.
What impact do you hope to have within Juvigo, both on your team and on the organization as a whole?
I prefer to look at the short term rather than the long term and currently want to achieve the best result with my current team. We have certain team targets that I try to achieve with them and then we look further to the future. Within Juvigo I try to make my mark by improving and expanding our product together with my colleagues. It would be great if people in Flanders and the Netherlands spontaneously and primarily think of Juvigo when it comes to holiday camps, youth trips and language holidays.
Finally, is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Be yourself, do what you love with people who make you happy and enjoy life.
Would you like to start your career at Juvigo? Then take a look at our international job offers and find the right job for you.
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