Esther Witteveen on jumping into the deep end
Esther Witteveen had only just started working at IBM in 2018. The first 8 months were particularly hectic for her, with many changes. But all that hecticness hardly made her nervous. Rather, the opposite seems to be true: Esther is actually energized by new challenges.
Don’t let doubt and change anxiety guide you!
“I joined IBM in December 2018, as a Data Platforms Project Manager on the Cognitive Business Decision SupportBenelux team. We devise innovative solutions for our customers so they can get more value from their data. We bring data together and make it more accessible. This may seem simple, but in practice it is enormously complicated. Fortunately, it also delivers a lot to our clients. Our clients are mainly large multinationals. At the moment I’m at Heineken, in the heart of Amsterdam. We are working there with a fantastic team on great data solutions.’
I always had side jobs in my youth
‘I grew up in Grou, a beautiful Frisian village. A real water sports village too. I wasn’t into water sports myself, I was mainly working. Besides school I always had part-time jobs in the hospitality industry. “Don’t bullshit, but clean up! After high school I went to study business administration at the University of Groningen. Since then I also lived in the center of Groningen. Until I started working at IBM.
I now work for customers; at Aegon I was the customer’ ‘Before that I worked for 3.5 years at Aegon, also as an IT project manager. Yet my work at IBM is very different. The main difference is that I now work for customers; at Aegon I was the customer. That experience ‘on the other side’ is very useful. I have a good sense of what a customer expects from IBM when he works with us. And I know what questions customers have. I can capitalize on that, which enables us to be successful more quickly.
IBM has a woman as CEO. I find that enormously inspiring
‘I enjoy working at IBM enormously. You’re on top of new technological developments here. I also see that everyone gets the chance to grow. You also see a great diversity of employees at IBM. All countries, cultures and ages come together here; IBM is also doing very well in that respect. I am convinced that this diversity increases the quality of our work. Ginni Rometty leads IBM. A female CEO, in other words. That inspires me enormously.
Moving from Groningen to Haarlem was a big step
“So I had been living in Groningen since my studies. To make sure I would show up for work every day rested, I moved. That was my own choice. I sold my house in Groningen, and now live in Haarlem. Quite a drastic change, because I really felt at home in Groningen. Groningen is of course a vibrant student city, with lots of young people. Haarlem is a lot quieter at first glance, but I honestly have yet to really discover the city. In any case, I can get to Amsterdam quickly from Haarlem. Another advantage: Haarlem is close to the coast; I love going to the beach with my dog Bailey!’
I trust that my pension is well arranged at IBM
“During the application process, we also talked about pensions. My pension was well arranged at Aegon. Like at Aegon, I have a DC plan at IBM (see box). I know that I pay for my pension every month; I’ll get something in return later. I trust that everything is well arranged at SPIN as well.
In any case, my first impression of the pension fund is positive. What I saw on the website gives me a lot of confidence. I have a good feeling about SPIN, my pension is managed excellently in my opinion. Taking my Aegon pension with me to SPIN? I haven’t looked into that yet. But I will certainly find out soon whether value transfer makes sense for me.
Of course, it’s nice to be able to rely on your retirement. Still, it’s wise to see if there are other ways you can build up capital for later. For example, through real estate or other investments. I’m working on that as well. It’s always good – where possible – to take your own responsibility when it comes to your future.’
You can only develop yourself if you leave your comfort zone
“There is always tension between wanting something and doing something. My motto is: without challenge no victory. If someone asks you for something and it seems like fun, you should just do it. Don’t let your doubts and uncertainty guide you. New things are always exciting, for everyone. But you have to keep going out of your comfort zone to develop.
In my experience, you always learn and improve from that. For example, in February I was asked to serve on the board of the International Product Management Association. I had never been on a board before, and yet I said “yes” right away. I now get to new places and meet many new people. My network has grown tremendously. Just by jumping into the deep end!
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