It’s more than a year since Samsara opened its office in Amsterdam to serve our customers in the Benelux region. During that time we’ve gone the extra mile —  or should that be kilometre — to help the organisations that power the physical world embrace digital transformation. 

Having an office in Amsterdam means we can be close to our customers and meet them on their own turf regardless of where they are in Belgium, the Netherlands, or Luxembourg.  So, what’s it like to work for Samsara in Benelux? And what’s life really like working for a company that is changing the way the world operates? 

We sat down with three people from our Amsterdam office—Toine Flipse, Mid-Market Account Executive; Ratna Pattiasina, Senior Executive Assistant; and Sjoerd van der Vis, Inside Sales Engineer—to find out.

What’s the best thing about working at Samsara?

Toine: The people I work with at Samsara! They make this a fun place to work. We have a proven product. And the impact we can bring to customers—from small to very large companies—means I’m excited to work at Samsara. 

Ratna: The diversity of people is amazing. There are so many different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences that are accessible to everyone. At the same time, our products make a positive impact on the world. That makes me proud. 

Sjoerd: Next to the perfect compensation that Samsara offers, the variety of work is amazing. One day I’m working on reports about carbon emissions for vehicles and equipment, the next day I’m focused on increasing road safety for a potential customer.  

What’s important about what we do here and our technology?

Toine: Our technology allows our customers to focus on their core business and make data-driven decisions. It makes the world a safer and more sustainable environment.

Ratna: That's simple. We make a difference in the world by increasing the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the operations that power the global economy.

Sjoerd: For me, the three pillars that Samsara focuses on—safety, efficiency and sustainability—are the most important. Our safety solution makes operations safer and roads safer. Our efficiency solutions give us a great competitive advantage since customers don’t have to use multiple systems anymore. 

And with regards to sustainability, Samsara provides important insights that help reduce fuel consumption and help firms transition to electric vehicles.

How have you been able to grow personally and professionally at Samsara?

Toine: Samsara has allowed me to grow as an expert in the world of physical operations —  to grow as a leader by providing me with opportunities to develop my career.   

Ratna: Coming from a corporate environment and working for a relatively new business post IPO made me very humble. Going through this experience allows me to bring others on the journey. I love being in a position where I can help build the company by helping others. That makes me happy. 

Sjoerd: My background is in software development. I’ve only been a sales engineer for two years. Even though I’m relatively new to Samsara, my sales skills are developing rapidly. I put this down to Samsara’s extensive onboarding and training sessions.  

What do you find exciting/interesting about your role?

Toine: Working at Samsara means I never have a dull day. I get to speak to new and diverse people and companies — and that’s exciting. Learning about their daily challenges helps give me drive and focus. And I'm constantly looking for ways to deliver the best outcome for our customers as they look to modernise their operations.  

Ratna: In my role, I partner with senior executives and the local leadership team. I help accelerate their vision, develop strategy, bring purpose, build culture and help them to achieve their goals and success. It’s a very diverse and broad role. And I have the opportunity to partner with various teams on different levels as we work to build the company. 

Sjoerd: The most wonderful thing about being a sales engineer is the diversity of work. Helping our customers get the best out of Samsara’s Connected Operation Cloud is really rewarding. One day I may use my software development skills to create internal tooling for account executives, the next I may leverage our APIs to create deeper custom reports for our clients. 

How would you describe the Samsara culture? 

Toine: Samsara has a strong community within EMEA where everybody is very supportive and cross-functional. We work hard and celebrate all wins—big and small. The team is young and passionate.

Ratna: Samsara is a family! We are inclusive. When someone needs help or guidance, we take the time to help them. We are not in it for ourselves. We are in it to make the world a safer and better place. And this is reflected in our business—but also our charitable work and our "giving back to the community" initiatives. 

Sjoerd: Our five core values are felt throughout our working day. Focusing on customer success goes hand-in-hand with winning as a team. By combining talent from all different angles, we try to solve customer problems. Combined with adopting a growth mindset—and building for the long term—this results in sustainable solutions for our customers. 

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned about the physical operations world since you joined?

Toine: For me, it’s the number of problems our customers face on a daily basis. Helping to solve these real-world problems requires a lot of focus and creativity.

Ratna: We can make a positive impact. Yes, there is still lots to do. But there is always room to do more. And we need talent to help accelerate the vision of Samsara! 

Sjoerd: A ton! I learned how tachographs work and what their rules are. I've learned that not all vehicles are the same and that use cases differ per customer. Everywhere you look, there are challenges in physical operations. I love to solve them!

Inspired? Then why not find out how to join Samsara.

If Toine, Ratna, and Sjoerd have inspired you to find out more, then please take a look at our open roles or reach out to our recruiting team on LinkedIn.

Our success is down to the people who work with us, our product innovation, and the culture we have created. That’s what makes us special. That’s what sets us apart from other organisations.