What is your job at GasTerra?
I’m a financial controller in the Finance Department. One of my tasks is to monitor the company budget. I check whether costs are in line with the budget, and if they aren’t, whether expectations need to be adjusted. I have monthly meetings to discuss these issues with the departmental managers. I also set up departmental risk analyses in which departments identify the risks inherent in their own processes and the measures that are currently being taken to manage them. These sessions are often enjoyable. Another of my responsibilities is to take a ‘second look’ at management documents. Essentially, this means that I read through management reports and offer a ‘second opinion’ on them.
How did you come to GasTerra?
I graduated in economics from Groningen, after which I spent some time travelling. When I returned home I applied to Gasunie for a job. I started out in the domestic gas sales department, dealing with retailers (in other words, companies like Essent and Nuon, which buy gas and sell it on to the consumer). After a while I transferred to the industrial sector. Following the demerger to create a separate transport (Gasunie) and trading company (Gasunie Trade & Supply), I told GasTerra I’d like to broaden my area of responsibilities and go back to concentrating more on the financial and economic aspects I’d qualified in during my studies. We agreed that I should become a financial controller in the Finance Department, which is a facilities department. This sideways move has given me a different perspective on the company, because you’ve switched from an external outlook (customers) to an internal outlook (departmental). It’s been an enjoyable and educational switch.
What do you enjoy most about working for GasTerra?
GasTerra has an impact on the Dutch economy; I like the fact that I’m involved with something ‘big’ where large amounts of capital are invested and there are lots of interests at stake. The working atmosphere here is also very positive and there are lots of activities where you can socialise with your colleagues.
