Meet Jens Gilis, Core's new productmanager
We are sure many of you already know Jens. He has regularly contributed to our events and is an important point of contact for several Core customers. But did you also know that Jens made the step from DTP'er to product manager of Core on October 1st?
Jens, how long have you been working at Crius Group?
I have been working at Crius Group since 2018, so 7 years.
Did you work in the publishing industry before?
No, I previously worked as a graphic designer at a design agency, where I became Art Director over time.
Meanwhile, you made the switch from desktop publisher to product manager of Core. What has changed for you?
When I started at Crius Group, I still had to learn everything about the book business.
I received internal training focused on academic and scientific publications and there the training was focused on Core.
So I spent 4 years fully dedicated to getting the hang of all the rules and then thinking about how Core works as a product. By making the switch to product manager, the latter has now become more my focus.
As a result, I went from a more executive role to a more directing role. In other words, I am less concerned with producing books, but more with thinking about the technology behind it.
In addition, I also conduct research into what is happening in the market and how Crius Group can respond to this with Core. I also visit customers to find out what their challenges are or what we can add to the services we offer them.
How do you like this transition?
Very good, I am a social person, so I like being more in touch with customers. I notice that in this position I have an impact on how we are perceived as a company and I like that. In addition, the company gives me the space and freedom to develop a vision for Core and the book industry as a whole and we are all reaping the benefits of that.
What challenges have you already encountered?
The combination of production and product management is challenging. I have to schedule more precisely and sometimes it is difficult to combine the tight deadlines of Core with the various research projects that are running. Fortunately, I have a strong team next to me that ensures our customers do not notice anything.
What makes Core an interesting product for you to work with?
I have seen Core evolve from a tool to structure books to a real total solution to quickly and qualitatively create books. The market we are in is a traditional market and it is nice to come up with a different approach. This brings challenges and sometimes resistance, but it gives a great added value when customers see what a positive impact this different approach has.
An additional advantage is that we do all the developments on Core ourselves, which allows us to really make our own ideas a reality from concept to implementation.
Are there many challenging changes ahead for Core?
Certainly, Core is constantly developing! We are working on making the tool more user-friendly and we also want to make an impact on the other forms of “the book” in addition to print products. We have already come a long way with high-quality ePub3s that are accessible, but are also looking at audio books and want to provide high-quality translations.
All this, we would like to offer thtough our Core platform, so that will require a big adjustment to our interface. Quite a bit of work, as you can see.
'We already work with some fantastic parties on the Dutch market, but we can still take steps internationally. My wish for 2025 is to make a start on some foreign-language markets, which will be a boost for everyone in the Core story.'
Jens Gilis
Product manager Core
What does the project team look like?
Core sits at the intersection of many specializations and that is why it is important to combine expertise. Within the Core team, we work with IT experts, a network of top translators, ... and I could go on and on. As a product manager, I eagerly make use of all their knowledge and competences.
What does the future with Core hold for you?
The goal is to put Core, in its new version, on the Dutch-language market as "the" stable solution for the design of reading books. We already work with some fantastic parties on the Dutch market, but we can still make progress internationally. For 2025, my wish is to make a start on some foreign-language markets, which will be a boost for everyone in the Core story.