In conversation with Caro van Dijk,
Director Global Expansion at First Impression
Customers expect the same brand experience, quality and speed everywhere. Regardless of country, channel or location type. At the same time, every market operates differently. Regulations, logistics, retail culture and operational processes vary from country to country and region to region.
At First Impression, Caro van Dijk operates right at that intersection every day. As Director Global Expansion, she focuses on global rollouts, local partner ecosystems and safeguarding consistent quality across markets.
We spoke with her about global scalability, brand consistency and why successful expansion starts with strong local collaboration.
“Scalability starts locally”
What mistakes do you often see companies make when scaling globally?
“Many concepts are developed centrally and then rolled out across different markets, while local teams often have deep knowledge of regulations, retail culture and operational processes within their region. Companies that approach global expansion purely as a standardized rollout eventually run into local limitations.
Successful global scalability therefore requires balance. On one side, standardization in processes, workflows and quality standards. On the other, enough flexibility to adapt to local differences in regulations, logistics and execution. That combination ultimately determines how predictable and scalable a rollout becomes. Only then can you guarantee a brand experience that feels consistent across every market.”
Cross-border expansion requires predictability
What happens when local realities are considered too late in the process?
“That’s when projects become less predictable. And predictability is exactly what matters in worldwide rollouts. The larger the footprint becomes, the more important it is to gain early insight into local dependencies such as regulations, logistics, partner capacity and operational feasibility within a market.
That’s why we invest heavily in local validation and preparation. A partner in Italy assessing a location together with the customer, or a partner in the US helping think through logistical flows: that kind of early involvement prevents surprises later in the process. It makes projects more manageable, more predictable and ultimately more efficient.”
“Local partners are an extension of the organization”
What role do local installation partners play within global projects?
“They’re indispensable, and we truly see them as an extension of our organization. Local partners understand how processes function within their market. But their role goes far beyond execution alone.
They understand our way of working, our quality standards and what customers expect. At the same time, they bring local knowledge, language and relationships to the table.
Ultimately, the strength of our partner network directly determines how scalable your organization truly becomes. That’s why we invest in long-term partnerships rather than short-term collaborations. A strong network is not built in a few months. It grows through working together, sharing knowledge and developing together over time.”
What makes an installation partner the right fit for First Impression’s network?
“Local presence is the foundation. Beyond that, we look for partners who genuinely want to be part of our ecosystem. Collaboration, quality assurance and knowledge sharing all play a major role in that.
We invest heavily in onboarding, standardized processes and long-term relationships, enabling partners around the world to work according to the same standards.”
Global growth requires structure
Global projects are growing rapidly. What does that require from the organization?
“Primarily structure, centralized quality assurance and strong alignment. We operate in more and more countries, with increasing numbers of stakeholders, languages and technical requirements. That makes central coordination increasingly important to keep projects running smoothly and ensure knowledge remains properly embedded.
Global scalability is ultimately an organizational challenge as well. How do you structure processes, partner networks and quality control in a way that allows controlled growth without losing grip on quality or brand experience?
Our smart deployment methodology plays an important role in that. By centrally structuring processes, documentation, quality controls and communication, teams and partners around the world can work according to the same standards, while still maintaining enough flexibility to adapt locally.”
From local network to global ecosystem
How do you see the partner network evolving further?
“We’re seeing more and more specialization emerge across different markets. Some partners have deep expertise in specific technologies, retail environments or location types. As a result, strong connections between partners themselves and with First Impression become increasingly important.
That’s why we continue investing heavily in knowledge sharing. Think partner days, online sessions and collaborative training programs focused on technology, standards and certifications. Global collaboration requires continuous learning and development.”
What partners say about the collaboration
What feedback do you receive from partners?
“That it truly feels like a partnership. Partners appreciate the preparation and our guidance, the quality of our documentation and the professionalism of our teams. Tools such as our smart deployment app support the day-to-day collaboration with partners, while innovations like our Network Operations Center reinforce the professional and innovative way First Impression operates worldwide.”
Discover how First Impression combines global scalability with local intelligence. Explore our approach.