Sandy on Talent · 2026-04-16 · 50 min
In part one of this two-part episode of Sandy on Talent, Sandy sits down with Jan Zijderveld, a rare breed of truly global executive who built an extraordinary career spanning eight countries across three continents. From brand manager in New Zealand to President of Unilever Europe - a $14 billion business across 34 countries - Jan shares the leadership lessons, hard-won instincts, and pattern recognition that only come from decades of doing difficult things in unfamiliar places. Jan opens up about his high-stakes turnaround of Avon Products, why the CEO success rate hovers around 27%, and how the right "click" between talent, work, and role is the real driver of extraordinary outcomes. His advice is simple but profound: start with the end in mind, take risks, get your flying hours, and surround yourself with people who inspire you.
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040: Betting on People: How Guy Schory Built a Career at the Intersection of Technology and Purpose
039: Talent, Value, and the Click: Shefali Salwan on Building a Career That Means Something
038: The Project Economy: Why Projects Are the Future, Not Just the Present with Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez
037: The Art of the Turnaround: How Jan Zijderveld Transformed Unilever Europe and Saved Avon Products - Part 2