Q&A: 7 questions for our new Head of Marketing

After obtaining a Bachelors’ Degree in Marketing, our new colleague Jolan De Cock earned his first stripes as marketer in the healthcare industry. From now on, he will be taking Factry’s marketing efforts at heart. Why did he decide to join our growing team? And what does he hope to achieve here? Read the Q&A with our new Head of Marketing. “I believe that as a marketing professional, you should be able to work in any industry.”

What came to your mind when you read the vacancy?

“Before joining Factry, I have worked as a Marketing Coordinator for a consultancy firm in the healthcare sector. When noticing Factry’s job offer on LinkedIn, it was clear to me that it operates in a completely different world than I was accustomed to – which I found quite interesting. Digging a bit deeper, I found out that there are a lot of digital efforts going on, which left a good impression on me. It was obvious that marketing is not taken lightly.”

What were you mainly looking for in a new job?

“I was looking for a challenge in which I can take responsibility, in a place where new ideas can be developed quickly. A job that allows me to steer and manage strategic campaigns but also keeps me in touch with the creative aspect of marketing: from videography to copywriting or visual campaigns. I really wanted to experience the full spectrum of modern marketing activities in a challenging environment where I can continue to develop myself.”

What drew you over the line to go for Factry?

“I like the challenge of converting the expertise that is in a company to more brand awareness, credibility, and finally increased sales. And even early on in the conversation, I experienced the company’s open culture, in which initiative and carrying responsibility is highly valued. Therefore I feel very motivated and committed to help the company grow, and even turn it into an exemplary brand for other tech businesses with the ambition of scaling up.”

How did the switch go to a tech-oriented world?

“I believe that as a marketing professional, you should be able to work in any industry or niche. That you must be able to tell a company’s story without being a hard-boiled subject matter expert. That is also why I think it’s important that any employee tries to add value to the company’s marketing efforts. In this way, a culture emerges in which new ideas are not only launched from within the marketing department, but also from the bottom up.”

How did your first day on the job look like?

“My first day at Factry was a sort of baptism by fire, but nonetheless a great and interesting experience. After only spending half a day at the office, I already joined our Business Development Director to the TechEx IoT summit in Amsterdam, to make new contacts with potential clients and to get to know the industry a bit better. Well, I couldn’t think of a better crash course to find out what Factry, its software and its clients are all about.”

What do you hope to accomplish here?

“After a run-in period, a big part of the challenge will be to streamline our marketing efforts, further aligning strategy, campaigns and content creation, and to create a more structured workflow. By doing so, I hope to raise the effectiveness of our current and future efforts. I look forward to playing a connecting role in joining all the dots, and enabling our marketing team to keep growing, both on a strategic and a creative level.”

What are you up to when you’re not working?

“I love recording and editing videos. So I’ve spent weeks of my life watching all kinds of tutorials on YouTube. Besides that, sports activities take quite a big chunk out of my spare time. In fact, I spend about 3 to 4 days practising and playing rugby. That also includes some jogging and powerlifting to stay in shape – and some occasional injuries. So when I arrive at the office with a broken nose one day, you know I didn’t get into a fight.”