Mark van Straten

Lead Engineer

'Engineering is all about making connections.’

Turning your passion into your profession

I joined NN in 2020 as Lead Developer. For me, tech is not primarily about the software, but about bringing people together. Sharing knowledge means making a connection. I can honestly say that, as an Engineer, making a connection really makes the difference. I seek out the users, try and understand the problems they’re facing, bring all the pieces of the complex puzzle together and, together with my team, develop software that matters to them.

My drive is a good match for NN’s ambition to become a knowledge-driven and tech-driven business. My team is responsible for the corporate client portal. In this scrum team, I mentor several colleagues, direct the technical vision and assist in the development of new functionality where possible. It’s important to keep energy and passion for the work to keep up with everything.

Taking a product to the next level

Before starting at NN, I worked for a project office for a long time, where the focus was on product development. Once we had finished a project, it was taken out of our hands forever. It was like giving up a child. I found that a shame. What I really enjoy is the maturation process. What problems arise? How do we solve them? How do we take our product to the next level? Without that kind of follow-up, the work felt a little empty.

At NN, we work on updating existing products, which throws up many challenges. The dynamics really appeal to me. I work a lot with others across teams, for example on the roll-out of eHerkenning – a digital identification system for businesses - as a log-in system. The knowledge I gain then flows back to my team.

Beekeeping keeps me sharp

I was attracted to this role at NN because of the variety of collaborations, the opportunity to promote a vision and the focus on personal development. NN offers you a lot of support to take on extracurricular activities alongside your job. As they see the added value in a good work/life balance. So, I went in search of an activity that also required drive, passion and connection.

I was always fascinated by questions like ‘How do you look after bees? And how do they make honey?’ So, I decided to become a beekeeper alongside my job. Now, I’ve got three hives and I can honestly say that beekeeping has become a passion of mine. I love doing this alongside my office work and being outside in the fresh air. It keeps me sharp.

Read the manual beehive

When I approach one of my beehives, I do what I was taught on my beekeeping course. But the situation is always different than I expect. That makes sense. No matter how well you’ve studied your beekeeping manual, bees simply have their own, dynamic lives. And so, I have to adjust my plans and be open to new knowledge and insights.

It’s no different in the office. There, too, I have a plan, but the execution is often different than how I had envisaged it. However well you master your subject, when it comes down to it, it’s about the practical application. You have to be flexible enough to flow with the unexpected. But how do you know whether your strategy has worked? Ultimately, you can see it in your results - whether that’s in the honey or at work.

Learn from each other

At NN, you’re not pigeonholed. And there’s no ready-made development plan. Development and responsibility are balanced here: I feel the responsibility and the freedom to set my own path. If you want to register for a conference or take part in a course, it’s all open for discussion. My colleagues are just as passionate as I am. Everybody wants to excel and NN makes that possible. NN calls itself a ‘Supporter of Change’, and that fits nicely with its promise: You matter. And that’s no empty promise. Whatever role you play, you matter. What’s important to you is important to NN. So, as you change and develop, NN is there for you.

It means that there’s also scope for technically capable people here who enjoy the challenge of sharing their knowledge in a complex and dynamic organisation. People who don’t have a silo mentality, but who think in the interests of the company as a whole. It’s only then that you can learn from each other and grow.