My work
I’m Folkert de Wind, Business Development Manager at Vanas Engineering. I win logistics projects and develop tools for sales and engineering. My background is in graphic design, intralogistics and field sales. I want to move towards work that uses customer knowledge, data and design to make better decisions and build the tools to support them.
I want to move beyond direct sales towards intelligence-driven work: using customer knowledge and data to inform commercial decisions, and developing the tools to do so. I already do this alongside project sales at Vanas. My graphic design background shapes the appearance and usability of what I build.
Project sales, sales enablement and software of my own.
Commercial career
Vanas Engineering
Business Development Manager
I lead warehouse automation sales projects from the site visit and concept through to the proposal and signed order. I work with engineering to assess system choices and feasibility. Roughly half my work is sales enablement. I automated proposals using product selections and content blocks; the layout became the basis for a wider rollout of document templates. I am developing an analysis algorithm I wrote in 2024 into a data studio for engineering, alongside a slotting engine. Those tools are still in development.
Heffiq
Account manager Northern Netherlands
I returned to Heffiq as account manager for Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. I visited customers and discussed material handling, leasing and the day-to-day use of their equipment.
Dexion
Regional sales and marketing
At Dexion, I sold warehouse storage solutions, including pallet racking, drive-in racking and mobile storage systems. I developed concepts, coordinated with engineering and suppliers, and led the sales process. For a very-narrow-aisle project, I initiated the collaboration with the truck supplier and coordinated the warehouse layout. I also worked on marketing and online visibility.
Heffiq
New Business Account Manager
My first field sales role in logistics. I found new customers and discussed material handling, cleaning equipment and warehouse storage. I learnt the technical products on the job; the selection process had already included cold calling alongside the field sales manager.
Education & training
Hanzehogeschool
Physical Activity and Lifestyle — Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Graduated in 2016. Within Sport, Health and Management, I chose the English-taught European bachelor programme, which included a required semester in Rio Maior, Portugal. I also took the Sustainable Business Operations minor because I wanted to look beyond working as a personal trainer.
Alfa College
Multimedia design — MBO 4
Graduated with a specialisation in graphic design. The programme also introduced me to HTML, CSS and PHP.
Challenger Sales masterclass
Masterclass at AV.
Develop your sales skills
Training through Studytube.
Fundamentals of digital marketing
Google certification in digital marketing.
What I work with
My own assessment on a scale of 0 to 100. My projects and career show how I use these skills.
Commercial
- Intralogistics sales92
92 - Business development90
90 - Sales enablement86
86
Development & AI
- PHP72
72 - HTML/CSS/JavaScript78
78 - AI workflows82
82
Design
- Graphic design82
82 - UX thinking78
78
Cases from practice
Storage and packing in one concept
Challenge
A warehouse needed a new logistics concept for storage and packing.
Approach
I made the concept drawing, selected the systems and led the sales process. I worked with the engineers to assess the details and feasibility.
Outcome
The order has been received. The plan combines vertical storage lifts, a packing line and a mezzanine floor.
From a proposal to company-wide document templates
Challenge
The proposal layout lagged behind Vanas’s rebranding and involved assembling information manually.
Approach
I redesigned the layout and automated the insertion of content blocks based on product selection. Product information and salesperson details are included in the proposal this way.
Outcome
The approach became the basis for letterheads and other documents used across all departments. I saw fewer mistakes when assembling proposals after automating the process.
Warehouse storage for an expansion
Challenge
An existing customer was expanding and needed additional warehouse storage.
Approach
In my role at Dexion, I worked on a storage solution using warehouse racking, including drive-in racking.
Outcome
My work on the expansion involved physical warehouse racking: a different type of project from the automated systems I would work on later.
Two vertical storage lifts
Challenge
Storage needed to take up less space.
Approach
I handled the site visit, costing, proposal and closing. I led the commercial process from beginning to end.
Outcome
The two lifts were handed over. What stood out to me was how much space the new storage arrangement freed up.
Approximately €1.2 million in signed project orders
Challenge
A warehouse project required coordination between the racking layout and very-narrow-aisle trucks.
Approach
I won the project, led the sales process and initiated the collaboration with the truck supplier. I coordinated the layout with engineering and the supplier.
Outcome
The signed orders for two subprojects had a combined value of approximately €1.2 million: a rounded project order value, not annual recurring revenue.
Design and development work
Windkracht 9 ↗
An earlier logo of my own: my surname, a W and a 9 in one mark.
Proposal design for Vanas ↗
Product selection and automatic content blocks as the basis for proposals and the wider document identity.
Conturo ↗
My logo concept for an online design contest.
Pink Bird ↗
The logo I used for ObservedMedia during my studies.
Moonshot ↗
A logo and business card for a former sales manager’s consultancy.
Myrhem ↗
Website, booking platform and editing tools for a guest house in Värmland.
Ritme ↗
My own typing trainer, built around what I missed when we wanted to test our typing speed.
AdStrategic ↗
A website and custom CMS to help a young photographer and videomaker get started.
Tijdsleutel ↗
My everyday Mac app for verification codes, with menu bar search, backups of my own and a Codex connection.
My own articles
My Second Brain ↗
Tijdsleutel: my TOTP authenticator for Mac ↗
References
I had the privilege of working with Folkert for two years at Vanas Engineering, where he joined my sales team in the Northern Netherlands. Initially, he focused on selling storage solutions (logistics), but thanks to his fast growth curve he soon guided larger sales trajectories across a wider region.
Working with Folkert was particularly valuable. He works decisively and in a constructively critical way, which helps him safeguard the progress of his projects. What stood out to me most was his ability to develop a strategic vision in areas outside his direct responsibility, such as account management, marketing strategies, go-to-market strategies and data analysis. With this broad perspective, he actively contributed to the growth and improvement of several departments within the organization.
Folkert is a valued colleague who builds trust, inspires colleagues and works in a structured and analytical way. These qualities make him an exceptionally valuable colleague in any team.
I have seen him grow into a professional with enormous growth potential, ready to take on major responsibilities within any organization. That is why I wholeheartedly recommend him for ambitious and strategic roles.
I had the pleasure of working with Folkert at GMH in 2021. We worked closely together on many local marketing projects supporting our presence in The Netherlands. Straight from the beginning, Folkert came across as a person with a very analytical mind, that analyses in detail every situation and takes action to optimise the end results. In time, I learned that he didn’t only have great sales skills, but also good marketing and digital marketing knowledge, programming, design, branding and so on. All these proved to be beneficial to our collaboration, helping deliver larger projects much quicker than planned. Folkert is a very reliable person and I would recommend him and his skills to anyone interested in a valuable human asset as part of their sales/marketing team.
Get in touch
Have a question about my experience? You can email me directly or save my contact card.
folkert@dewind.me+31620635520Winsum, GroningenLinkedIn ↗