Episode 32 - with Jan Kees van der Wild
From Strong Source by Strong Source
April 16, 2026 · 1h 8m · Season 1 · Episode 32
About this episode
Jan Kees van der Wild shares his remarkable 42-year journey in global commodity trading, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and emotional intelligence in business.
In this episode of Strong Source, we're joined by Jan Kees van der Wild, board member at VA Inter Trading and former senior leader at ADM, Bunge, Volcafe and EDF Man, for one of the most remarkable career stories we've had on the show. Jan Kees takes us through 42 years in global commodity trading, from an unconventional start at 19 with no degree and no plan, to running operations across Europe, the US and Brazil. We explore how the right mentors can define a career, what it really takes to turn around a struggling business, and why he always hired on EQ over IQ.
People in this episode
Host: Strong Source
Guest: Jan Kees van der Wild
Topics covered
- global commodity trading
- career development
- mentorship
- business turnaround
- emotional intelligence
Keywords
- commodity trading
- mentorship
- business turnaround
- emotional intelligence
- career story
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: VA Inter Trading, ADM, Bunge, Volcafe, EDF Man
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