She is one of those people who smells books, simply to take in the scent of old paper.
“I have a soft spot for paper,” Elisabeth Joos admits. Printing is in her blood, and now she is on her way to becoming CEO of a family business with 120 employees at a remarkably young age. She grew up with the ins and outs of Group Joos and knows very well what she is getting into.
She always knew she wanted to join the family business, but first decided to gain experience elsewhere.
“I wanted to be able to make mistakes somewhere else,” she says with a smile — a paper lover with a digital mindset.
During the COVID period, she temporarily moved back in with her parents. At that time, she was working elsewhere as a financial consultant, but gradually became more involved in Group Joos.
“At some point my parents said: ‘Either you step into the business and fully commit, or you stop.’ That’s when I decided it was time to join.”
The profession was not new to her, nor the company. As a student, she already worked there during holidays, and she grew up surrounded by countless family discussions about the business. But now things are different. She entered a succession trajectory with her father, where she was supposed to move through different roles.
“We quickly stopped that, because I increasingly started focusing on strategy.”
Today — just past the age of thirty — she is responsible for operations, sales and purchasing.
“Next year, we’ll take another step forward,” says the ambitious entrepreneur.
She explains that her great-grandfather Jos had thirteen children.
“He was looking for a way to support his family. At that time, the graphic industry in Turnhout was growing, so he decided to seize that opportunity. In 1935, he placed a printing press in his garage — and one thing led to another.”
As often happens, her grandfather took over the business, followed by her father. Elisabeth’s mother is also active in the internationally operating printing company, which specializes in high-volume, high-quality production.
She did not simply step into her current role without preparation.
“You are responsible for a large number of people, so before I started, I completed an assessment.”
She also holds an Executive MBA. Despite this, she struggled for some time with impostor syndrome.
“I constantly wondered whether I was truly suited for such a responsibility. Being related to the owner is obviously not enough reason to take over a company.”
Many employees at Group Joos have been working there for decades. For them, it is quite special that a young — and familiar — woman is on her way to becoming CEO.
“The graphic sector is facing an aging workforce and is also very male-dominated.”
But that does not bother Elisabeth.
“I learn a great deal from experienced employees who have been in the field much longer than I have.”
On the work floor, Elisabeth is sometimes affectionately called “aunt Jeanne” because she constantly comes up with new ideas and dares to ask ‘naïve’ questions.
“Every time I return from a business congress or event, I’m full of ideas. I’ve learned that I need to implement them step by step — you can’t change everything at once.”
She learned that, among other things, from her father.
“His down-to-earth attitude and years of experience, combined with my youthful enthusiasm, make a perfect match.”
Source: Zakenvrouw.club
