Manager Sustainable Value Chain at the Umicore group
What was your position at VITO and what is your current job?
I have worked at VITO from 1998 to 2000 as project leader Environmental Technology. There were three main activities on which I focused: research projects, consultancy for the industry and also consultancy for the government. In 2000 however, I realised I needed more focus to maximise my performances and I decided to start working in a solely industrial context. Hence my decision to do R&D at Umicore. I did this for 4 years, before I rolled into business for a decade. Today I am responsible Manager Sustainable Value Chain at the Umicore group and I have set out the guidelines for the worldwide Umicore group. I definitely found the focus I was looking for in an industrial context.
How has your function at VITO influenced your further career?
At VITO, I got a lot of insights in different areas. Considering my large interests, I could fully indulge my passion at VITO. It was a fantastic job in terms of content. But I did not merely wanted to work ‘for’ the industry, but also ‘in’ the industry itself. I wanted to be part of the transformation that was taking place, rather than just providing expert advice. That is something I started realising during my time at VITO thanks to the contacts I had with the industry and the projects I worked on.
What are your best memories of VITO?
The first thing that comes to mind is carpooling to Mol. I have some great memories about that and I even made a couple of friends. But I especially think about the particular freedom I had at VITO, the chances to experiment in an intellectual challenging environment and the collaboration with very inspiring colleagues.
