In a world of continual flux, Dagmar Koekkoek, backbone of Prologis Property Management, remains calm. She says it’s a question of setting priorities, listening and looking carefully by asking “How are things organized? What deals are taking place? What’s happening where?”
Koekkoek has always been inquisitive, even with her previous employer, Hearst Magazines at Koningsplein in Amsterdam, which publishes the business magazine Quote, among others, and where she worked for almost 12 years as office manager of the executive secretary’s office. One of her concerns was property renovation, although it was not one of her core tasks. This interest turned out to be the missing link for a recruiter to engage her at Prologis in 2014.
Flexibility at 100 Kilometers an Hour
Koekkoek is now an essential part of her team, a close, enthusiastic group in a dynamic world. She says, “Here, things can suddenly shift 180 degrees, which demands flexibility and energy—as well as being able to charge through the day at 100 kilometers an hour.”
Dream Job
When she tells outsiders about her work, Koekkoek usually begins by talking about e-commerce: “Those packages you order online often come from one of the distribution centers we manage at Prologis Property Management. So I often add proudly that Prologis is a listed multinational and the largest of its kind in the world. We manage warehouses belonging to the largest companies.”
Koekkoek says she has a dream job: “I’m part of a great team, a well-oiled machine that specializes in giving peace of mind. The secret, I think, lies in the different backgrounds of my colleagues. Each one of us contributes something. Well scouted, I think—a football team never becomes champion with 11 midfielders.”
This sport metaphor is no coincidence. Koekkoek is a serious football fan and keeps up with the game every week. She likes to draw parallels to her favorite team sport: “If we regard the Prologis people signing contracts as our strikers, then property management really is the midfield. But on our shop floor, too, the defense can’t do much without the attack and vice versa.”