BackCREATING A WINNING ORGANISATION
Jacob Bjerre, Senior Vice President Tobacco Strategic Procurement, is dedicated to creating a winning organisation with a passionate team through efficient business dealings.
Bjerre began his extensive career in tobacco as a leaf buyer in 1977 in Aarhus, Denmark. Having been raised on a farm in the western part of Denmark, he became fascinated with how crops grow and where they originate, and felt destined to end up in the tobacco industry.
“When I accidentally noticed a job ad in the newspaper looking for an international tobacco purchaser, I would never have guessed that this would be the only job I ever applied for.”
Since then, his professional life has been all about tobacco, always with quality in mind and a passion for a good deal. In 1985, he moved to Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s previous headquarter location in Søborg, Denmark and built a deep and passionate insight into all facets of the tobacco business when he assumed the role of Leaf Buyer of Raw Tobacco for Smoking Tobacco and Cigarettes. A new challenge emerged in 1999 when he became the Leaf Manager at House of Prince’s new cigarette factory in Jawornik, near Krakow, Poland, before returning to Denmark in 2002 as Head of the Leaf Department in House of Prince.
Ahead of accepting his latest role, Jacob was appointed Director of Scandinavian Tobacco Group Assens in 2008.
“I have been with the company for 40 years, which means that I have been able to develop my career and competences in the various roles I’ve held. Two days are never the same when you are working with tobacco. The kick I get from making a good deal, which keeps our customers happy and benefits the company, is what has kept me going all these years.”
When he was promoted to Senior Vice President Tobacco Strategic Procurement in 2016, Jacob had the opportunity to leverage his experiences over four decades into his new management role and align practices towards a common denominator of what is best for the Group.
“We need to win – it’s as simple as that. And we need to act as ‘One STG’. We have all the competences to become a global leader, but without the right people and great cooperation, we are not going to win. I believe in managing with trust, freedom with responsibility and motivation, and it’s important that we are proud of our achievements and celebrate when we achieve our goals.”
Learn more about our business here: https://www.st-group.com/en/our-company/our-business
