About Brainport.

Bustling all around Bechtle direct Netherlands (NL) is Brainport, the country’s leading technology region. A joint project of public bodies, education providers and businesses located in Eindhoven, it empowers collaboration on future-oriented solutions. As the shirt sponsor of 24-time Dutch football champion PSV Eindhoven, Brainport has gained growing international prominence and is considered one of the smartest places in the world.

brainporteindhoven.com

More than 100 companies have joined the Brainport community—and counting. Bechtle is excited to be a part of it, and to contribute our tech expertise and help enhance the region’s appeal to stakeholders everywhere.

Our goal is to contribute to our customers’ success through sustainable innovation and at the same time position ourselves as an attractive employer for promising talent.


Gijs van der Putten, Manager Partnerships & Communities, Bechtle direct Netherlands

       Gijs van der Putten

Gijs van der Putten is Manager Partnerships & Communities at Bechtle direct Netherlands. IT pro by training and a tech advocate by passion, Gijs is in charge of co-operations between Bechtle direct NL and other Bechtle Group subsidiaries and service partners. He also manages Bechtle’s participation in various communities, including partnerships with schools, trade organisations and charities. His favourite quote: “Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch!”

Bechtle’s very first Brainport initiative is a cooperation with schools in the community, which are tackling IT and technology in a very future-oriented way. Gijs explains: “At Bechtle, we often experience first-hand that school-leavers have little insight into how IT projects evolve in a corporate context and that’s something we want to change.”

Real-life insights for Brainport students.

The first project is currently being realised together with Jan van Brabant College in Helmond. The school was on the lookout for a practical learning experience to enhance its tech and design class for 15-year-olds. Hans Vasse, who teaches technology and coordinates internationalisation, and Ihsane Beijd, a teacher of French and IT wanted to introduce their students to some real-life IT projects to enrich their education.

Together with Bechtle, the school has developed an engaging curriculum and exciting experience that encourages students to look up from their books and get hands-on—the Bechtle IT Sales Challenge.

Bechtle IT Sales Challenge.

The IT Sales Challenge gives young people 10 weeks to prepare and eventually deliver a professional IT sales pitch at Bechtle NL’s head office in Eindhoven. The programme is part of the school’s regular curriculum and the pitch counts towards the students’ final grade. And because IT sales is a highly competitive game, the team that delivers the best pitch wins a prize.

The curriculum includes a number of interactive guest lectures that see Gijs van der Putten discuss sales, pre-sales and marketing with the students, who will work in small breakout teams to develop a simulated IT project. Halfway into the programme, experienced sales and marketing specialists conduct dedicated workshops on their respective areas.

The grand finale of the programme is the graded sales pitch, which is delivered by the students in Bechtle’s brand-new high-tech auditorium and judged by a panel of experts. At the celebrations to wrap it all up, the winning team is awarded a prize—but of course no-one leaves empty-handed.

I am very happy about our great partnership with Brainport, and I have no doubt that it’s making a real difference. And I’m also very proud of Bechtle for making the time and sharing the resources to live up to our corporate social responsibility.


Gijs van der Putten

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