6. What have you taken from both the Canadian and Dutch cultures? From Canada: my approach to sales, readiness to take risks and a recognisable accent. From The Netherlands: a friendly way of doing business. And open-mindedness. 7. Would you ever go back to Canada? At the moment I continue to travel back and forth between The Netherlands and Canada. I love the peace and space there and have a second house in Montreal. In The Netherlands life is increasingly busier and more pressured. Half an hour of driving here is more tiring than four hours of driving in Canada. Nevertheless, The Netherlands is a fi ne country in which to live and work and is well-situated for business travel in Europe. 8. What are the secrets of your success? Persevere and focus 100% on what you do. Work hard to build positive relationships with colleagues, customers and suppliers. And always deliver just a little more than you promised. 9. What is your favourite fruit, and why? Apples, which are the only fruit I eat. 10. What is your favourite Dutch product and/or place? My favourite place is Limburg: it has more space, a Canadian-type landscape and is easy-going. And, although it’s not really a product, I’ll mention it anyway: the many restaurants with a wide range of good food from all parts of the world! TIPS from Geoff 1. Learn the language immediately but maintain some of your accent, it has a certain charm 2. Pay attention to the rules 3. Make sure you have good people around you 4 Always keep a close eye on your fi nancial aff airs
20 Online Touch Home