In 1987, Dirk Pottilius started at Ziegler as a customs ‘errand boy’. He quickly grew to become head of the customs department of Ziegler Belgium thanks to further training and entrepreneurial spirit. “Working with young people prevents us from getting stuck.”
When Dirk Pottilius graduated in 1987 with a degree in public relations in his pocket, there wasn’t much work. Via via via, he was able to get a job in Ziegler’s customs department. ” The then director said that I first had to learn the stile before I could move on to PR,” he explains. “I started in customs and 36 years later I am still not in the public relations department (laughs). That’s how I got into it.”
Pottilius worked in an office in Roeselare. When a nearby competitor went bankrupt, he took over all those clients. “Among them were big clappers. And that has continued to grow.”
Constantly learning
It is quite unique to work for the same employer for 36 years. However, Dirk Pottilius was ambitious throughout his career. “At Ziegler, I was constantly given opportunities, which I seized. The company gives you the freedom to undertake and that motivates the employees. I started as a customs ‘errand boy’, but I systematically learned. Ziegler gives you opportunities to grow and learn. That’s very high on their agenda. They are open to you and listen very carefully to what you want and where you want to go. I saw no reason to move to another company.”
What he finds most fascinating about Customs is dealing with people and learning about the products and countries. “You learn to be a diplomat between customs, carrier, buyer and seller,” Pottilius explains. “You have to combine all that. Customs representative is also a rewarding profession: you solve a problem for companies. You also build a bond of trust with people.”
Personal contact
Customs has changed a lot in these 36 years. Pottilius regrets that the personal contact with customs has disappeared. “We used to be able to knock on the door of the receiver, the boss of the local office, when we had a problem. The latter looked at the problem and then taught you what the solution was. That interaction was fun. You learned something from customs. Now that contact is completely diluted.”
As head of customs at Ziegler Belgium, Pottilius has a young team under him. He now takes on a more coaching role. “We send them on courses so they learn a lot. I find working with young people enriching. They look at certain issues with fresh eyes. This prevents us from getting stuck in a certain pattern because it has always worked that way.”
He also deals with the ‘heavy’ problems and optimising processes and the flow of goods. “I try to eliminate as much manual work as possible. At Ziegler, we have our own customs programme, where everyone is allowed to make suggestions to improve it.”
Reading
To relax, Dirk Pottilius regularly goes on city trips or cooks. “I am also an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction. I am a fan of three people: Napoleon, De Gaulle and Churchill. Any biographies or books about them I read. At weekends, I like to read good novels and exciting stories on my e-reader in the evening. That relaxes me and also teaches me to go to sleep without thinking about work. That’s my nightcap.”
