Paul Lageweg, 33, is the recently appointed president of Kimberly-Clark, Philippines and Vietnam. He heads the local branch with over 800 employees. Fortune Magazine rates Kimberly-Clark International as the 141st largest company in the world with a revenue of $14,524.4 million .
In his university days, Paul started RP Mystery Shopping that has since been bought out by his staff, renamed and now listed on the London Stock Exchange. He signed up with Unilever as a consultant in Holland in 1996; two years later, he joined the group and by a strategic alliance between Unilever and Kimberly-Clark, Paul agreed to be transferred to Vietnam where he stayed for four years.
Paul loves Latin dancing which he learned during his days in Mexico; he speaks Vietnamese, English, Spanish, German, French, Dutch and some Tagalog. He took his MBA at Insead in Fontainebleau. He pauses here to muse on his dancing clad in a diaper, Brad Pitt and Ho Chi Minh.
What is the first thing you look at when you see a woman?
The nice thing would be to look at her face but I look at her body.
What is your passion?
To love.
Which living person do you admire most?
My mother, Ada because of her compassion for people. She loves traveling and was over here for Christmas. We meet up in other places for weekends.
What is your most fervent wish?
To live forever without knowing that I would live forever so I can still live for today.
How do you resolve your conflicts?
I avoid people I don’t like. I can talk with those that I have a good relationship with.
How do you start your day?
Wake up at 8:15 and always feel to see if someone is beside me. If I’m lucky, there is.
What sports do you like most?
Field hockey. I have been to the Olympics to watch it. Scuba diving, squash, skiing and recently, I went snowboarding in Colorado.
What film influenced your life?
When I was 21, I was crazy about The Doors and watched it four times. If I were gay, I would have loved Jim Morrison.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Am always looking for new things. I get bored easily. I envy people who can go fishing and be quiet within themselves. I’m restless.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Dishonesty. There are a lot of differences in people. In the Netherlands, they express what they feel. Filipinos want harmony. Maybe they think I am blunt and arrogant.
What do you dislike most about your appearance?
I spend a little time in the gym but not enough to develop muscles. I’d like to have a body builder’s physique.
What do you most value in your friends?
I like to be around people who are extravagant. They are more interesting.
If you had the chance to change something in your life, what would that be?
The unexpected death of my father, Cornelius, when I was 12. He was 50 when he had a heart attack.
What is your greatest extravagance?
I like to indulge myself. I enjoy five-star tropical resorts in remote islands that are really well laid out.
What words or phrases do you overuse?
"Troi Oi," a Vietnamese word which means , "oh, wow."
If you could date any celebrity in the world, who would that be?
Brad Pitt. He looks like he would have a fun night.
If you could be any historical character, who would you like to be?
A non-violent freedom fighter like Nelson Mandela or Ho Chih Minh. They are natural leaders who represent the desire of a group of people.
Name a moment that brings back happy memories.
Sailing with six friends in the Caribbean for two months in 1994. We had guitars, plenty of food, booze and all the time in the world.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Having a happy life with a lot of variety.
What qualities do you like in a woman?
Humor. If she is a girl friend, I like to feel at ease with her charm.
Who is the greatest love of your life?
That changes quite frequently. Kim Hong, my girlfriend, who is a model and lives in Vietnam.
What is your favorite journey?
Every July, my friends and I party for one weekend with techno house music in the annual Love Parade music festival in Berlin.
Name an embarrassing moment at work?
On my last birthday I had to dance in diapers on in the office.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
The ability to expose his inner self.