Jasper Wagemakers

Jasper Wagemakers | Trader

What intrigued him during the seminar? ‘On the one hand, you’re figuring out where the market is going,’ Jasper says. ‘On the other hand, you’re busy building strong relationships. The combination of the analytical and the social appealed to me. A friend of a friend told me about Cefetra. I participated in a Trainee Trade Day and was offered a job.’ 

Jasper joined Cefetra B.V. in 2020. ‘I am still relatively new, because many of my colleagues have been working here for much longer. I consider that remarkable now that it’s normal to change jobs after a few years. People are loyal to the company.’ 

‘In the beginning, I got extensive training on contracts and logistics,’ Jasper says. ‘Then I spent a year learning about different products: where to buy them, where to sell them, what pricing is interesting? After that, you start focusing on your own products – your own ‘shop’. For me, because of the large volumes, it is one product: barley. I am the point of contact for all matters relating to barley on both the buy- and sell-side.’ 

‘I may have my own store, but fortunately I also have colleagues with loads of experience. I often discuss what to do with my manager Frank or my colleagues Jaap and Onno. That way you avoid getting stuck in your own thinking.’ 

‘There is so much to learn. It’s an incredibly dynamic profession. There are always news reports that influence what you do and how you should respond. My goal is simply to deliver a strong performance every year. There will always be setbacks during the year, but what matters in the end is getting out on top and doing that consistently, that determines whether you will make it as a trader.’ 

Speaking of news reports, what about sustainability? ‘We source the barley for our customers from within Europe, so the footprint to bring the goods from A to B is already relatively small in relation to other agricultural commodities’. But also here, we communicate with our suppliers, logistical partners, and customers to identify more sustainable ways to organize the supply chain’.  

‘Political decisions on sustainability affect our work too. Plans to reduce livestock, for example. We must respond to that as traders, to help the compound feed companies we serve.’ 

‘At Cefetra, you are presented with many opportunities. You also have the space to create your own. There is nobody dictating how I should run my shop. We are all taking responsibility ourselves.’ 

‘Our commercial director also spends part of his time trading. He sits across from me, joins the same meetings, and appreciates others’ ideas. This goes to show that we work in a flat organization,’ Jasper concludes. ‘If you are dedicated and you enjoy what you do, you can achieve great success here.’