Nearly 3,200 people worldwide work for Big Dutchman. They are supported by the pig and poultry equipment supplier’s HR team. In addition to the 20 HR experts based at the headquarters in Vechta-Calveslage, another 25 HR colleagues work in the different regions. For the very first time, a global HR meeting now took place on the campus in Calveslage.
The working world of Big Dutchman
First global HR meeting in Vechta, Germany
“Of course we talk regularly and meet online every two weeks,” says Nina Orywal, Global Head of HR. “But we have never met in person at the same time.”
For the first international meeting, the HR directors from China, Malaysia, the US and Brazil travelled to Germany. “This is our first visit to Calveslage,” says Kimberly Miller, whose team of three is responsible for around 135 employees in Holland, Michigan.
Nina Orywal says: “Our challenges are obvious: we want to create and optimise structures and processes where necessary. At the same time, we want to give the employees maximum flexibility. On the one hand, we want to increase productivity and efficiency – and on the other hand ensure a humane transformation.”
To be more precise, this means that in the future, we will increasingly rely on AI tools in our work, for example. “These tools will make us even more flexible,” says Carolin Fuxen, HR Business Partner. “AI should not be a burden for our colleagues, but rather a relief.” This is just one topic that the HR team is currently addressing together with other departments.
Kimberly Miller: “It's good to see that we all share the same values and have the same issues. We have held valuable strategic discussions here in Calveslage. And one thing is for sure: we realised that we need to communicate more on a personal level.”
New to the team is Semiramis Miziara from Brazil. She joined Big Dutchman Latin America in June 2024, having previously worked for Mitsubishi Electric and Renault. This makes her an excellent example of how Big Dutchman as an employer can compete with much larger companies.
For Karen Wang from China, the trip was, in a way, like a visit to her second home. Karen went to university in Ilmenau, Thuringia, and then worked for VW in Wolfsburg. She is now back in her home country – and has found her place at Big Dutchman. “I was surprised at how impressive and modern the campus in Vechta is. I see it as our task to transfer the spirit that prevails here to the entire global organisation.” By the way, Karen is fluent in German. “Languages are easy for me,” she says. If only we could say the same about Mandarin...
Daniel Leong, HR Director from Kuala Lumpur, says: “I have been with Big Dutchman for ten years. This is my first time in Calveslage. And it makes me proud. It's great to be able to exchange ideas with my colleagues here.”
All participants agreed that the meeting was very valuable. “It’s always easier if you have met someone in person.”, says Nina Orywal. “And if you talk about things other than work from time to time. I was impressed by how similar our mindsets are in the entire global organisation, regarding who we want to be as Big Dutchman. And which path we want to take.”