It would be such a shame not to use your talent for something you enjoy and that has meaning for you.
I started my career in the banking sector, working on improvements to IT systems for two different banks. After that, I felt I wanted to change sectors. Energy and mobility were already sectors of interest and offered me more inspiring challenges.
I had the opportunity to join an engineering company, specialised in developing electronic equipment, in particular for nuclear power plants. My first interactions with ENGIE started in this sector through Tractebel, the engineering office and my client, responsible for the project I was in charge of, and Electrabel (Doel3-4) the final buyer.
Then, I moved to Thailand to live and do something entirely different: scuba diving. However, after just a few months, the coronavirus struck the world and I had to revise my plans. That’s when I came back to Belgium and joined the digital team at Laborelec, a bit over a year ago.
I work primarily on the EMS (Energy Management System) programme, which is now steered by R&I. We are a team of about fifty people dedicated to this programme with tremendous ambitions, combining the skills of a wide range of profiles such as mathematicians, IT engineers, electromechanical engineers, IT architects, analysts and developers. The diversity of the profiles needed is a good reflection of the complexity of the systems being developed, but also of IT in general, in particular its different layers and technologies.
My responsibilities lie more in managing and analysing digital requests and in leading IT projects. It is essential that we understand the customer’s needs, whether they be internal (the GBUs) or external to the Group, support them in defining their needs and meet their expectations as best we can.
For the past year, I have been working a lot on developing Energy Management Systems for hydrogen production plants. These are truly innovative plants, the sector itself still existing only on a very limited scale. Yet the ambitions today are to develop projects of several hundred megawatts, which raises many technical challenges, particularly in IT. It’s very exciting to serve the cause of innovation and the future!
I also really enjoy working with engineers, whose scientific rigour appeals to me enormously! It’s very rewarding to work with impassioned experts who take the time to pass on their expertise and passion.
Yes, absolutely! I am a dive master, the first professional level in diving. I have done a lot of travelling around the world, and have been able to dive just about everywhere: in Mexico, Colombia, Thailand, the Mediterranean. What I like most about diving is coming in direct contact with this ecosystem of underwater life, a whole new world. I recommend everyone to try this experience at least once in their lives!
I also do a lot of other sports (cycling, crossfit, HIIT, climbing). In particular, I participated with colleagues in the Tractebel Challenge - and we even won! These athletic activities within ENGIE are a source of added motivation to me.
Any company that does not invest in research and/or innovation today is doomed. Technologies are evolving so quickly today, especially in IT, that solutions become obsolete in just a few months.
I think the Group could speed up its investments even more, especially in IT, which is a critical pillar to the business! Today, we need to know the how our physical assets are doing (wind, batteries, etc.), to manage their maintenance, and to optimise and automate the systems: it’s essential! We need to progress on this front, and not fall behind our competitors who, in many cases, are putting their money where their mouth is.
The period we are now going through today presents many challenges: soaring energy prices, renewable energies, batteries, tax incentives that encourage electric mobility, prosumers, robotics, changing network conditions, etc. All these new technical challenges are going to remain with us into the future. ENGIE must remain at the fore of technology and continue to invest in its talents. And there are lots of them at R&I!
I hope I’ll still have this desire to learn and develop my skills. I feel like the day you stop wanting to learn, you might actually not want to live any more.
The one that comes to mind is creativity. Without creativity, you can’t do anything. Effort and investment then support the initiatives that spring from creativity.
Yes, it’s a quote from Albert Einstein who said “To keep your balance, you need to keep moving”.
It probably has something to do with my own pathway. I changed jobs 5 times in 5 years, but I really believe that when you’re bored, you have to be able to move on, to change. You have to be passionate about what you do and feel motivated every day. If you find that’s not the case, don’t waste your time and your life on something you’re not passionate about. It would be such a shame not to use your talent for something you enjoy and that has meaning for you.
