Krystell Statie currently works in Leiden as a Customer Success Manager at an e-commerce
company called ChannelEngine. Before accepting this role, she was a student at Webster
Leiden.
“My mom’s Dutch and my grandparents actually live in this part of the Netherlands,” she said. “So I was already familiar with Leiden. I participated in a program at Webster Leiden that let me experience what it was like to be an undergraduate student one summer when I was 16. I really enjoyed it and decided to make it my university.”
Krystell, who grew up in Curacao and later Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean, majored in International Business and Management. She also earned a certificate in Marketing. One of her favorite classes was International Marketing, which was taught by Professor Randy Bootland.
“For one class, we had to be really creative and make our own marketing jingles and presentations,” Krystell said. “I really liked it because we were doing the work, so to say, instead of just reading. In Professor Charlene Lambert’s International Business class, we got to go to the Chamber of Commerce. She’s very active, got us out into the field, and helped us speak with professionals.”
While at the university, Krystell also served as the President of the International Business Club and worked on projects and events to raise funds for Happy Child International, a charity based in Brazil that helps children in need. During her time as president, the club also collaborated on other projects with the Center for the Advancement of Women and Diversity in Business, which encourages the participation of women in professional fields including business and academia. She also participated in the Webster Leiden Soccer Club.
“I was the Team Captain of the women’s team,” she said. “We went to a competition in London and played against students at a university that has a partnership with Webster.”
Krystell graduated in 2014 and later moved to Argentina for an internship. She spent half a year there and greatly improved her Spanish skills before returning to the Netherlands for her first job in e-commerce at Groupon in Amsterdam. She began working at ChannelEngine here in Leiden in January of 2018.
“It’s a software service provider,” she said. “What we do is help web shops, brands, and distributors offer their products on websites like Amazon and Bol.com. We help automate the whole process and make it much easier for them. I do a lot of account management and help with sales, but my main task is to serve as an adviser to help these brands become more successful.”