Michiel Bongertman

Michiel is a sales manager at the Maritime & Offshore business unit. He's responsible for project sourcing and fleet support services – in other words, bringing in orders and customers. The company he worked for was acquired by MULTI.engineering in 2013. Michiel stuck around and nearly ten years later, he's still a fixture of our team.

From account manager to sales manager

In 2013, Michiel joined the maritime sector as an account manager at MULTI.engineering. In the meantime, his role has evolved to sales manager. "When I got the chance, I went for it. I'm still really happy about that today, because I enjoy myself every day at work." The most enjoyable aspect for Michiel is without a doubt the contact with people, both internally and externally. The international character of MULTI.engineering and the maritime sector also appeal to him. "It may sound silly, but there's nothing I don't like. Or maybe one thing: the traffic jams around Antwerp. My colleagues from Construction & Infra could stand to look for a solution for that ;-)."

Varied range of tasks keeps the job interesting

"I manage a small team of account managers and sourcing consultants. I make sure that they have all the resources they need to do their jobs well and I act as their sounding board and coach. Also, I'm responsible for our business unit's budget and I try to keep up with the market myself through involvement on a project basis."

Because the duties of a sales manager are so varied, no day is the same. "Usually, my working day starts with a team meeting, followed by a number of appointments with customers. These can take place at the customer's location or via Teams. I also have daily contact with our customers about current projects and I maintain my network by regularly contacting leads. Aside from that, I also do the reports and budgets and I watch the KPIs."

Accessible company with a warm, family atmosphere

"MULTI.engineering is a family business. You can see that in the warmth that it fosters and exudes as a company, towards both customers and employees. It's a sincere, honest and accessible organisation. We don't hold back here, we tell it like it is. Everyone is equal and accessible, including the management. For the employees, it's nice to be part of a team like that. We're all ordinary, ambitious people who want to grow with the company."

The perfect balance between juniors and seniors

After almost ten years, Michiel knows MULTI.engineering through and through. He's also been able to show who he is and what he can do. "I know where I'm headed and how to get there, and that's nice. As a senior staff member, you're taken seriously and you're allowed to contribute ideas and input on decisions about important matters. And vice versa, I also have the feeling that colleagues and customers have a good sense of what I can do for them. Recently, two young colleagues joined the team. They're just out of school and I'm very happy with that. They have the fresh perspective and innovative energy that a company needs. That forces me and other colleagues to take a different approach every now and then and to stay open-minded in the way I look at our business. Reciprocally, we can share our experience and expertise with them. So it's a win-win!"

Ambitious future

Michiel is very content to be working at MULTI.engineering. That's mainly because of the people. "It's so important that you click with the people you work with. They challenge you every day and make sure you enjoy coming to work." But the sector you're working in is at least as important. "The maritime market is exciting and challenging. Nothing beats getting to say that you had a hand in building that one big yacht."

Michael has many goals. He wants to get a lot out of his position, going forward. "I want to look for new customers, expand the business with existing customers and go even more international. There's still a lot of ground that we can and should cover! MULTI.engineering is also open to initiatives, so who knows what else might come my way."