If we talk about remarkable career paths, then Barbara Van Cleemput‘s is one that counts. From calculation to sales to regional manager: the cheerful positivo knows the Multi Masters feeling.
Tell me, Barbara, how did you end up in the facility industry?
Barbara Van Cleemput: Thanks to my studies, I studied Facility management. After I graduated, I did take a little diversions. When I started applying, it took a while before I could get started anywhere. I first worked in the customer service of a telecom operator. You are young, you want a salary… But I kept applying and eventually I started working in ‘the facilities’ as a calculator.
Learning at Cleaning Masters, the cleaning company of Multi Masters Group
Was that also in cleaning?
Yes, but it wasn’t planned that way at first. During my studies, I had no intention of ending up in the cleaning business. Only during my internship I discovered that it is really something for me and that it is also a lot of fun. So I did my first job as an calculator for five years. And then I suddenly saw the vacancy at Cleaning Masters, the cleaning company of Multi Masters Group.
Indeed, that’s when Cleaning Masters came into the picture…
Yes, but in sales. I really enjoyed doing calculations, but after five years I wanted a new challenge, more commercial. I had no experience. As a calculator you do have an overview of the job because you work with the sales team, but when you do it yourself, it is very different. Via a friend – who also works here – I eventually came into contact with Cleaning Masters. I went for an interview and immediately got the chance to start and learn everything.
The Multi Masters feeling
Did you immediately like the company, the colleagues, etc.?
Certainly, I was received very warmly during my application. It wasn’t ‘Please sit down, I’ll be right with you’, but rather ‘Hello, Barbara!’ I immediately felt the ‘Multi Masters’ feeling: very social, jovial and family-oriented. Everyone in the team was very friendly. Of course, you always have to find your own way, but everyone is open and there is no pigeonholing.
“Even at my previous employer, Multi Masters Group was highly regarded.”
It’s also nice to work for a company that thinks about the future. Multi Masters Group always wants to improve where possible and tries to evolve continuously to be ready for the near and distant future. If you notice something that could be better or different, chances are it’s already been picked up. If not, they will listen to you and do something about it. Everyone is open to improvement, as you can also see from the growth the company is undergoing.
So you already knew that the feeling would be good here?
Yes, through my friend, but Multi Masters Group was also highly regarded by my previous employer. ‘It’s very human, everything runs smoothly, they have quality, …’ That’s how I knew that if I was hired here, it would definitely be good. Of course, you also have to click with your colleagues, but that was immediately the case.
Down-to-earth
It seems to me that you are a group person.
I always try to be good to people. Everyone comes to work to earn a living, of course, but preferably in a pleasant way if possible. That’s what I try to radiate. I think that Multi Masters Group has also given me that feeling. The management is very close to the people, they are very down-to-earth. It’s much more fun to work when everyone is united.
“The slogan of Multi Masters Group – ‘We will look after it’ – is there for a reason, we really take care of the customer.”
Including the management. They are also walking around on the shop floor. For example, if you meet chairman Nicolas de Schutter, he will always say something. You certainly don’t always get that in other companies.
Chance to prove yourself
Let’s take a leap forward: because it didn’t end with being a sales representative. You became a regional manager.
After three years in sales, I was curious about that job. Again, I had little experience, but I got the chance to prove myself. As regional manager, you manage a customer portfolio and, together with the inspection team, check whether the quality we promise is actually there. ‘We will look after it’, the slogan of Multi Masters Group, is not just a slogan. In the end, we do it for the benefit of the customer.
That is the biggest challenge of the job: making sure everyone is satisfied. Of course it is important that the client is satisfied, but as regional manager you also have to manage the inspection team in the right way, so that everything runs smoothly for them as well. In turn, they can make sure that the people on the floor, the ones who make it happen every day, feel good about themselves.
The people on the floor are indeed an important link.
Feeling good
The cleaners ultimately have a very important function within Multi Masters Group. They are the ones who bring our core business to the customer every day. They are an essential part of the chain. If they are not there, nothing happens. In a manner of speaking, we would not even exist. It is therefore important that everyone is treated fairly and that we are there for them.
Is that something you try to radiate to them?
It certainly is. Things can go wrong and you always have people who don’t always mean well. That is the case everywhere. But we have to see that we treat the people who mean well. I want the team to feel good here, I want everyone to enjoy working for Multi Masters Group as much as I do.
Have you seen an evolution within Multi Masters Group over the years?
We have grown tremendously lately. I was there for the five-year plan ‘2022’, and since then a lot of new people have joined. If you are interested in the growth of the company, you know who and what is growing. But the basis of family, trust and warm support is still there.
Seizing opportunities at Multi Masters Group
To conclude: how do you look to the future?
I am still learning every day, so I am certainly not thinking about anything else just yet. But I do know that if I were ready for a new step, there are certainly opportunities within Multi Masters Group and they do give those opportunities.
“It’s nice to work for a company that thinks about the future.”
How do I look back on my career so far? It hasn’t always been easy, but I’m very happy with the steps I’ve taken. I wouldn’t do it any other way and I still seize the opportunities. Also with what I know today, I am very happy to be here!
