B4Plastics Team, New
The Colleague Chronicles
July 18, 2024
Unveiling the hidden Quirks of Leen Thys
Welcome, dear readers, to an exclusive interview with the “Decoder of B4Plastics”; Leen Thys! Today, we’re on a mission to unravel the mysteries, the quirks, and the exceptional talents of our beloved colleague.
Background of Leen
Leen works as the Marketing and Communication Specialist of B4Plastics
Q. So, Leen, What initially drew you to a career in communications?
I have always loved communicating, attending network events, connecting people with common interests, and embracing hospitality in its broadest sense. I find inspiration in hearing about others’ successes, however while I consider myself a people-person, as I get older, I notice that I also appreciate the peace and quiet more and more.
Q. Can you describe a particularly successful campaign you led in the past?
When the new Barbie movie came out and the phrase “life in plastic, it’s fantastic” was all around, I immediately wanted to counter this marketing stunt with our own B4Plastics campaign, focusing on new biomaterials and bioplastics. Our message gained quite a bit of attention in the media and online.
It is a new economy that we are working on, so every action or idea towards this goals is satisfying and rewarding when reaching a broad audience.
Q. What has been your most significant learning experience in your role so far?
My learning experience at B4P has been more of a rollercoaster than a curve. Coming into the biochemical world with zero experience meant diving into a sea of (for me) difficult terminologies. But, having worked in other industries and needing to communicate with our online and offline B4P audience, I now see it as a great advantage. I can translate our jargon into “normal” words, making me the official B4P decoder!
Q. Do you have any creative outlets outside of work, such as writing, art, or music?
Does playing the church organ when I was 14 count?
People often think that I’m creative, but I always have to clarify that I’m actually not creative but communicative(!), which is a completely different thing. My creative outlets are linked towards my self-expression through clothing, makeup, hairstyle and keeping up with the latest trends in those areas or at least trying to keep up.
I am a bit jealous of people who have a good singing voice, who like to read hours in a row and of drummers in bands too. I should have chosen to play the drums instead of the church organ. 🤔
Q. Are you involved in any community or volunteer activities?
I am mainly involved in my two sons’ activities, which revolve around football. I occasionally help the club, Torpedo Hasselt > free advertisement here 😉 with canteen shifts or organizing smaller events. To ensure I don’t lose my me-time, I try not to fill my schedule with too many obligatory side activities besides my work at B4Plastics.
Q. And to conclude, what does your me-time include then?
My me-time always used to involve family and friends, which isn’t really me-time!
Now, I find much pleasure in dining in a fine restaurant, relaxing in the weekends, watching Netflix series or just spending too much time preparing myself in the bathroom to….see my friends again.
Therefore my conclusion is that too much time alone isn’t quite my idea of fun… yet!
