Alumna Christina van Spaendonck became CEO of VANLIER in 2023 at the age of 26. It was not her intention to take the helm of the 200-year-old premium shoe company, but now that she is in post she enjoys finding solutions to business challenges others were unable to solve. At the same time, she acknowledges that she is still learning. In her view, denying this would rob her of a chance to grow even further.
Christina has always been intrigued by numbers. ‘I chose to study econometrics because I figured it was a combination of mathematical puzzling and insights into the way the world is structured with a special focus on companies. I chose Erasmus School of Economics because its international approach appealed to me, as did the multinational character of the city.’
Surrounded by math wizards
‘At first, I had to get used to the fact that there were so many people who were also good at math. It was very motivating to be among such a talented group, but I really had to up my game. The bachelor programme was a bit more theoretical than I had expected, which I did not always enjoy at the time. However, it provided me with a very solid base and gave me an analytical mindset to approach numbers in a structured way. This made the rest of the study easier. In hindsight, I must say that the study is very well designed, but you do not realise this when you are in the middle of it.
I really appreciated the active approach toward first-year students. The responsibility for doing the work lay with us of course, but there were regular sessions in small groups with teaching assistants. In addition, there was a mentorship programme that offered support during the first year of living on your own. It also helped me to understand that everyone was in the same boat; we were all used to being ‘the one who is good at math’ and now facing daunting assignments in a class with very able peers. Soon our cohort started to bond and we became a group that supported each other and worked together very well.’
Extracurricular activities
In her second year, Christina joined Erasmus Social Network, which organises activities for students from all faculties. She also became a student ambassador. ‘It was a conscious decision to focus on my studies during the first year. However, econometrics is a field in which soft skills receive less attention, so I was keen to learn to present and explain the educational programme to others. I also worked for a financial start-up called Aulin. My job was to help write programmes to extract news about particular companies from the media. This was a great way of gaining experience in applying the knowledge I acquired in my study.
I had applied to participate in the exchange programme to go to Japan or Singapore. At the time, I did not realise that your grade point average is very important for the selection process, so I lost out to stiff competition despite the fact that my grades were pretty good. Instead, I went on a trip to Japan with FAECTOR, the econometric study association. It involved a two-month internship in the Netherlands to raise money for the journey. Together with other students, I built a model for T-Mobile and it was great to see that it was able to add value in decision-making on pricing and promotions. During my master’s studies, I became a teaching assistant for the master study Data Science & Business Analytics, which was for students without previous econometric experience. It helped me to gain an even deeper understanding of modelling.’
Changing plans
Christina combined writing her thesis with an internship at Philips for four days a week. However, the pandemic put a stop to that and she had to change her plans. ‘After graduation, I could not work for Philips in Japan as I had planned because foreigners were no longer receiving visas. It looked like I was going to be freewheeling for a while, but I thought it would be good fun to spend some time at my father’s company VANLIER. Necessity is the mother of invention, so the fact that all shops had been closed because of COVID actually helped to give a push to increase our online presence and introduce data analysis.’
An unintentional way of becoming CEO
The previous CEO recognised Christina’s ability for analytical thinking and taking people along in the new approach. It had convinced him that it would be a good idea if she were to succeed him a year later when he planned to retire. She thought about it for three days and decided to embrace the chance to learn more about business.
‘To build an econometric model, you have to go back to the basics and look at all variables and the effects of various actions. This has given me the ability to understand complex issues and understand the implications of all options. In my experience, the role of CEO is mainly solving problems that have been escalated because others in the company were unable to come to a solution. That is right up my street since I enjoy puzzles. My affinity with numbers also means that I feel comfortable with financial statements and other business data.’
'The fact that I have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in econometrics helps me to get in on the conversations’
The role of data at VANLIER
VANLIER is a well-known provider of men’s shoes with a proud history dating back to 1815. However, when Christina arrived, she found that this venerable age also showed in things such as ICT, the sales organisation, and the web shop. ‘Everything was based on the notion that the brand is the supplier of the wholesale channel, which sells to retailers in the high street. Twice a year a new collection would arrive so it could be presented to the wholesalers and after that, the commercial team would go into quiet mode for five months. In the new approach, you have to supply customers every day and you are much closer to the end-user.
Data for the sake of data is not interesting. The transition I started, focused on deploying the information we obtained online to service the customer optimally. For this, you need to make sure you have enough stock based on the know-how derived from the behaviour of web visitors. This approach helped us to make an informed selection for the next collection of shoes. It also had a positive impact on logistics. On top of that, our data-driven approach makes us significantly more sustainable. Our waste has fallen to about 5%, meaning we sell about 95% of our stock, while most competitors are left with 30% waste.
The change is going slower than I would have liked. As a student, I was used to acting swiftly based on analysis of the data. I have learned that in a company it is important to take everybody along. That means implementation of new plans requires time. In our case, we also have to take into account our 200-year legacy. Today’s steps must guarantee that we will still be there 200 years from now.’
Being CEO in your twenties
Christina is conscious of the fact that she is still learning and does not know everything. ‘Nobody can expect me to. I definitely have the ambition to acquire all that knowledge and I enjoy gaining new insights in conversations with my colleagues. What I do know is where I can add value now and where this will be the case at a later stage.
The role of CEO is so broad that I can choose my own approach. I lead in choosing the direction we take. What is really important to me is to show respect toward other professionals who have knowledge that I do not possess yet, but I also expect them to respect me for what I bring to the organisation.’
Networking
Although it is changing rapidly in many sectors, networking in retail still means encountering mostly grey-haired men. ‘The fact that I have a bachelor’s and master’s degree in econometrics helps me to get in on the conversations. It prevents people from brushing me aside as dumb or too young. Those conversations may not be as deep as they would have with others who have been working in this sector for decades, but there will be an exchange of analyses and ideas. Sometimes, I can make these old hands look from a different perspective. For example, looking at customers’ expectations and the retail experience. These things are not reflected in numbers and therefore often overlooked. I also try to get to know more women in business for example through the Erasmus Trust Fund. This is an initiative here at the university, which connects and supports entrepreneurial women.
Shares in VANLIER
VANLIER was recently listed on nx’change. ‘My father is now 63 and wanted to make the company more accessible. Therefore, he has made available part of his shares and put the money back into a share premium account on our balance sheet. I agree that the listing is a good way to make loyal customers literally feel more invested in VANLIER. There are various perks, depending on how many shares people own, which has proven to be very popular. We do not need the money right now, but it is good to know we have the financial room to execute our growth plans when the time comes.’
The future
‘I have to say that so far it looks like my study has prepared me very well for this role because of the analytical approach I have been taught. There is still a lot I would like to do at VANLIER, and I also intend to continue learning as much as possible. I can see myself going back to programming and number crunching at some point, still solving puzzles but in a different way.’
About van Lier
In 1815 Govert van Lier started manufacturing shoes in Loon op Zand. Christina’s father, Geert Van Spaendonck, bought the company in 1991 from the Van Lier brothers. The company is best known for its premium brown leather men’s shoes, but nowadays about 40% of revenues come from sneakers. Production of the latter takes place in Portugal, while the leather shoes are made in India since they need many manual operations that require skills that are no longer available in Portugal.
- More information
This item is part of Backbone Magazine 2024. The magazine can be found in E-building or Theil-building for free. Additionally, a digital copy is available here. Backbone is the corporate magazine of Erasmus School of Economics. Since 2014, it is published once a year. The magazine highlights successful and interesting alumni, covers the latest economic trends and research, and reports on news, events, student and alumni accomplishments.
