Jeroen Peters has been Chairman of Watercoolers Europe since 2010.  During the past two years Europe and European markets have seen many changes. Today, having only recently concluded his term as WE Chairman, Peters shares with us among other his view on these changes and how they have impacted the watercooler industry, contributing with his valuable knowledge and insight.

• WE

  You noted a year ago that you see a bright future for the industry and that there are opportunities to address and help resolving multiple social issues. What kind of progress has been made over the past year on this?

• Jeroen Peters

  Our members are increasingly and actively involved for example in reducing their emission and in different social responsibility programs and projects. And we still have more opportunities ahead of us. Obesity is a growing problem across the world and water is a key solution in responding to this challenge. We participate for example in programs to promote the consumption of drinking water, and will continue to do so.

• WE

  Moving forward, what are the main vehicles to success in the European water cooler industry? HOD, POU, bottled water…?

• Jeroen Peters

  In the last two years Watercoolers Europe has embraced POU as one of the possible solutions for consuming clean drinking water. During the WE Fair and Conference in Istabul we welcomed our newest member, Waterlogic, biggest POU supplier in Europe. While POU is growing, we however also see simultaneous growth in bottled water consumption.

  I see an opportunity for both solutions in a developing marketplace. In Eastern and Central Europe POU grows even if slowly, and we experience growth in bottled water as well. To me this demonstrates that we should focus our communication on the unique benefits of our product and on competing with the alternatives that form a less healthy hydration solution.

  HOD will be Nestlé Waters Direct's route to success in the countries where we are present. I strongly believe that customers perceive and welcome the added value with this solution. The origin and taste of the water ensure a drinking experience that consumers appreciate and prefer.

• WE

  You have stated that WE will support new National Associations with the start-up procedures and processes and, where need be, will provide advice on how to implement industry standards. What has WE done on this front?

• Jeroen Peters

  While there are still many opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe to support the start of National Associations, all in all I see WE having fulfilled this support function well. By joining WE these associations benefit from our work regarding regulations and standards. WE also joins forces with other industries regarding issues of mutual interest. A good example is BPA. We monitor and inform our members on topical developments and of different views and opinions of interest and support national associations with their related strategies.

• WE

  Which region or market do you see as emerging next?

• Jeroen Peters

  Nestle Waters Direct is currently present in 6 countries and focuses on the opportunities emerging in these markets. I also believe all countries have opportunities for growth since the importance of clean water is growing. While we follow closely also any opportunities arising outside the scope of our current geographic coverage, we have not identified any particular country as “emerging”.

• WE

  With regard to the environment and related issues, what would you consider to be WE's main achievement during your Chairmanship?

• Jeroen Peters

  I consider increasing awareness of environmental issues and different solutions to be an important first step and through all the news and related articles we have published on our website over the past 12 months, I believe awareness has increased significantly. Companies increasingly start to measure their environmental impact and to focus on improvements. I am very pleased to see this increasing awareness turning into action.

• WE

  Could you tell us which company’s environmentally-friendly action caught your attention this year?

• Jeroen Peters

  As chairman of WE I have been pleased to learn of and to witness numerous initiatives by our members with a focus on improving their environmental performance. Many of these have also been communicated and shared with members and the external world through the WE website. I however hesitate to single out one particular initiative ahead of all the others as they are all important and contribute to the overall goal of reducing the industry's environmental footprint.

• WE

  Are there any projects that you wanted to see through but that are still outstanding or unfinished?

• Jeroen Peters

  Unfortunately, the “Water University” project that I consider a very interesting concept is still a work in progress. In the last year we chose to put our focus on developments around BPA and on integrating POU into our association. I sincerely hope that our next chairman will find the time needed to move this project forward.

• WE

  In which ways has WE changed or developed over the past two years?

• Jeroen Peters

  When I started my chairmanship, WE launched our vision for the next several years. The Association wanted to expand its presence and also to cover the whole industry by embracing POU. Although there is always room for improvement, I am pleased with the related progress made and the results achieved over the past couple of years.

  WE has effectuated its communiction to members and other stake holders by launching a new website and a newsletter with relevant information and news about our industry. The number of website visitors still continues to increase month by month. I believe there was a demand for more extensive and better industry communication and that we did a pretty good job in responding to this demand.

  WE has now integrated POU and is setting standards for this part of the industry. The Association recently welcomed the biggest POU supplier in Europe as a new member. I am convinced that by joining forces WE will see both solutions develop and prosper.

  However, with much of Europe suffering from the economic crisis we still need to ensure that WE raises enough funds to keep delivering added value to our members and to secure continued progress and the Association's active future.

• WE

  Has the number of members increased since WE changed its communication strategy? In what ways has this change impacted the Association and its work?

• Jeroen Peters

  WE has welcomed 2 new national associations and has had new suppliers joining us. With Waterlogic joining the Association, the number of Pan European members grew as well. Meanwhile we have lost some suppliers that preferred to focus on other parts of the world.

  By increasing the number of members, WE has strengthened its position as a credible partner and source of industry information in Brussels. WE closely follows regulatory developments and protects its members interest in Europe. Among other, WE ensures objective measurements and answers industry related inquiries that governments may have. It is regularly consulted and asked to provide industry input and insight with regards to regulatory initiatives and proposals.

  In general I believe our relevance has grown and that WE can further make progress in solidifying its leading position in Europe.

• WE

  Which WE achievement during your tenure makes you most proud? Correspondingly, what would you go back to and change, if you could?

• Jeroen Peters

  I take most pride in our new website, a key tool in our new communications strategy. The number of visitors still increases and to me this means that WE has important news to share and is considered a relevant source of information, both within the industry and by other stake holders. Together with my team we have over the past year worked hard also on the quality of the new website content. I believe that if you compare the content to our previous website, you will notice the difference.

  When starting as Chairman I said I would focus on adding value to membership and promised to enhance an open dialogue with members, listening to their input and needs. The POU integration is another outcome of this commitment that I feel good about.

  When it comes to doing something differently, today I would probably tell myself to be more patient. I say this as decision making often took more time than I expected, or wanted. I would strive to keep all Execo members better informed also of the daily management related challenges, to facilitate and speed up related decision making.

• WE

  Thank you for your time! Is there anything important we forgot to ask, or that you would like to add?

• Jeroen Peters

  I would very much like to take this opportunity to thank Vice Chairman Alain Adler and Treasurer Michael Barnett for their active input and invaluable support over the past 24 months. I am convinced that Alain as our new Chairman will do a great job in further executing our vision and in advancing our members' interests and I wish him all the best with taking on the related challenges.

  I also want to underline the importance of further strengthening WE's position and relevance in Central and Eastern Europe, not least as this part of the world often faces different types of challenges than Western Europe. By embracing and responding to the needs of the different marketplaces in all of Europe, we can best ensure our continued value and relevance to the industry.

  Last but not least, I would like to thank all the members of Watercoolers Europe for their support and trust over the past years. It was an honor and pleasure to work with you as WE Chairman.

Past interviews

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  Beata Mąkólska

  General Manager, Idea & Marketing

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  Jordi Morera

  General Manager and Owner, Canaletas

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  Alain Adler

  Chairman of the Belgian Watercooler Association

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  Shirley Cohen

  VP Operations Eden Springs