{"referee_employer":{"name":"Nordstrand Fulfilment BV","address":"Weesperstraat 44, 1018 DN Amsterdam, Netherlands"},"referee":{"name":"Lars Nordstrand","role":"Chief Executive Officer","email":"lars@nordstrand-fulfilment.nl","phone":"+31 20 555 12 34"},"letter_date":"2026-05-02","employment":{"role":"Category Manager Benelux","start_date":"2021-01-15","end_date":"2026-03-31","summary_of_duties":"Claire owned the packaging-materials category for our Benelux operations (EUR 14M annual addressable spend across 42 suppliers). She managed end-to-end RFP cycles, negotiated multi-year framework agreements, led our CSRD supplier-data programme in 2024-2025, and coached a team of two junior buyers."},"relationship_summary":"Claire reported directly to me for the first 14 months of her tenure; from April 2022 onwards she reported into our Commercial Director. I remained her skip-level and worked with her directly on our three largest framework renewals (packaging substrates, corrugated and tertiary packaging).","strengths":[{"area":"Strategic negotiation","evidence":"Delivered 6.8% total-cost-of-ownership savings on the 2024 packaging-substrates framework renewal (EUR 3.2M annual spend) while improving delivery lead time from 28 to 17 days."},{"area":"Supplier-relationship management","evidence":"Built a structured QBR programme with our top-10 suppliers; in the 2025 supplier survey, our 'partnership quality' score rose from 6.2 to 8.1 out of 10 after two years."},{"area":"Cross-functional collaboration","evidence":"Worked hand-in-hand with Finance and Legal on contract templates, and with Sustainability on scope-3 emissions data for CSRD; consistently delivered on time and without escalation."},{"area":"Coaching and development","evidence":"Both direct reports were promoted during her tenure; one is now a Senior Buyer."}],"notable_achievements":["Led the 2024 packaging-substrates RFP, onboarding a new strategic supplier in Poland that cut our carbon intensity per kg of packaging by 23%.","Designed and operationalised our CSRD supplier-data collection template, now adopted across all our categories.","Represented Nordstrand on the Benelux Buyers' Association working group on INCOTERMS 2020 updates in 2023."],"endorsement":"I would hire Claire again without hesitation. She combines commercial sharpness with the patience required to build long-term supplier partnerships, and she brings a calm, structured style to difficult negotiations. Any organisation will benefit from her joining.","further_contact_offer":true}