The ROI story of Ojah
Once upon a time … three food engineers brimming with ideas. In 2009, there came the eureka, or Ojah, moment and one of their ideas became an instant smash hit. With the legendary words, “Verhip, it looks just like chicken!” the plant-based chicken was born.
Ojah first partnered with Velde in 2015. Now, years later, time for Wilko van der Velden and Carlijn Cornelissen to talk about the partnership with Frank Giezen (CEO), Bastian Dijkstra (International Sales Manager and former Velde candidate) and Johan Temme (Account Manager and former Velde candidate).
Trip down memory lane
Since its founding in 2009, Ojah is entering a growth spurt. In 2015, it was time to take a close look at their organizational ambitions and further strategy. Frank: ”Initially, we were looking for another filling of the CEO role, which is how Velde came our way. But even though it was easy for Velde to say ‘yes’ immediately, she challenged us and the stakeholders to start a discussion with each other. What direction does Ojah want to take? Is everyone on the same page with each other?” Velde had stirred something loose. It was clear that first the organizational ambitions had to be clear. Frank’s ambition was clear: Ojah must become a world player. No sooner said than done. To reach this dot on the horizon, there were several tasks that had to be fulfilled.
The collaboration
Frank: ”Velde helped define Ojah’s culture.” Wilko: ”When I first entered Ojah, it struck me immediately: both product, ideas and the drive of the founders are a great basis for success. Only the internal structure was missing for the next step. Partly this drive is something we were looking for in candidates. In the end it’s all about job happiness, of both client and candidate.”
On behalf of Ojah, Velde has mediated several colleagues, including Bastian Dijkstra. Bastian: ”Especially the personal approach and the comprehensive process appeals to me. It lays the foundation for a good feeling. As a candidate I already knew where Ojah stood because of the conversations I had with Velde. You don’t come in uninformed. I myself had a different background, for example, but because Ojah’s ambition was so clearly formulated, I knew we had the same goal.”
– Frank Giezen
Half a word is enough
Frank: ”What is also striking about Velde is that you often know better than us what we are looking for. Of course we have an idea, but because you are so well organised, you know how to give substance to our idea. Half a word is enough for you. Wilko: ”We were always looking for people with entrepreneurship and drive. Ojah is a dynamic organization and the position we are recruiting for now may look very different in a year’s time. So in our interviews with candidates we put the focus on this.”
One of the colleagues who started through Velde is Johan Temme. He started April 1, 2021, in the middle of the intelligent lockdown. We asked him how he experienced the process. Johan: ”Initially, I wanted to start working at Ojah as soon as possible. When I heard that there were several talks with Velde in between, I found that quite unfortunate. Once I sat down with you, I noticed that you really knew what Ojah was looking for and asked me about it professionally. It also helped me during the first meetings with Frank and Bastian. Wilko or Carlijn pointed out relevant things during the conversation that I forgot to mention.
Proud
Overall, we look back with pride on the cooperation with Ojah. Proud of the contribution Velde was able to make to the success of the organization and proud of all the stakeholders who made the cooperation a success. It is with great curiosity that we reflect on the future. How fast will Ojah continue to grow? One thing is certain: we are working daily to realize Ojah’s ambitions….
At Velde, we believe in For Great Ambitions. The better the ambitions of our candidates and clients match, the more benefit and job satisfaction both experience.
Want to know more about this? Then contact Carlijn Cornelissen.
Contact Wilko
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