“My official job title is ‘Service Level Manager’. That means I mainly focus on managing contracts and suppliers as part of the Network team. I maintain a lot of contacts with suppliers, and I like to visit them in person, because I believe in close collaboration. I also serve as a privacy coordinator. Our colleagues can bring me their questions about privacy, and I try to find the right people to help answer their questions.” 

“SURF is a common theme throughout my working life. Starting in 2001, I came here almost weekly for system- and desktop admin work. Then I started working at Vancis, which was involved with the roll-out and management of the SURFnet 6 and 7 network. Today, we run SURFnet 8 for our infrastructure. I also worked for a while at Equinix, which was specialised in networks and data centres, and I had regular contact with SURF there too.” 

Switching from commercial

“I thought long and hard about my switch from the commercial world to a not-for-profit organisation like SURF.

After a career of more than 20 years in commercial services, I had to completely change my mindset. At my last two employers, I saw how almost everything was fed with Excel calculations, which were mainly in the interest of the shareholders. That didn’t fit well with the glowing promises sold by Sales and Marketing. To me, it seemed like the commercial interests outweighed providing good services to the customer. But aside from my new ‘ideals’, there were also simpler issues that played a role, like the potential salary, a company car and bonuses. Today, they don’t seem very valuable anymore. 

I briefly considered whether this choice wasn’t just a fling with my less materialistic side. But I’ve never regretted the choice for a second, and I never will. Ironically, in my first year SURF also started to focus more on getting a better grip on cash flows, usually in the form of Excel sheets. But in the end, I’m happy that the organisation looks at the financial consequences, as well as the research and innovation. That makes SURF a more professional organisation. 

In my day-to-day work, I’ve noticed that we’re truly more engaged with achieving our goals, without having to see some kind of commercial compensation in return, like a bonus, a big company car, or stock options. SURF makes the entire country richer in many aspects, but not financially. For me, that’s a personal choice that has provided me with a sense of calm and purpose in my career. It can feel great when a satisfied customer pays you a bonus that could almost buy a new car. But now I feel just as rewarded when the satisfied customer has thousands of students who can utilise our network services without any problems. Maybe that has something to do with being a drummer in a band; I know how to play an important role in the background. And I’m the one who keeps the audience dancing!

My last job was as a Service Delivery Manager at Microsoft, and I worked in a world that seemed to be guided by Excel sheets and the shareholders’ wishes. Microsoft does a lot of good things, of course, but in the end it all comes down to increasing the market share, and the biggest possible profit margins.” “To me, SURF was a logical choice. I knew the company well, and now I’m proud to contribute to ‘the best network builders in the Netherlands’. You want a glass fibre network? We at SURF know how to build it. We have a fantastic group of people who work on iconic, innovative projects. I’m proud that it’s my job to contribute to the development of education and research in the Netherlands.”

Irreplaceable force

“In my free time, I play drums in a band. It’s not the most prominent role, but if I’m not there, or if I miss a single beat, then you notice it immediately. That’s also what it’s like as a member of SURF’s Network team. We’re a silent, but irreplaceable force within the organisation. It’s a really fun and diverse team. We’re eager to help each other, and we have a lot of mutual respect. Our team leader also has a sense of the human side, which is something that was often lacking at other employers. He gives us a lot of space, but he’s always there to lend a hand when we need one. To find your footing within SURF, you need to be independent and entrepreneurial. You can take on a lot of new tasks if you have the room in your agenda. We definitely have that space and freedom here.”  

Open and transparent

“I think it’s important for SURF to act as a guardian of public values. Bits of Freedom does that for society, the Consumer Association does it for end users, and we do it for research and education. There are some very big players in the ICT world that want to determine our future. Ther’s nothing wrong with that, but we want it to happen in an open and transparent manner. And we want to guarantee users’ privacy. For example, SURF makes sure that the quality of digital learning materials isn’t determined by dollars and euros, and that the learning materials are always available to everyone.” 

Working at SURF