I’M LUUK. I CHOOSE ESSENT.
“More than 5 years at Essent. They say time flies when you’re having fun. That’s also true in my case. And I have to say that it does help if you can grow within an organisation the way I have and get to experience multiple functions. You get to know the organisation better and you keep developing yourself, which makes it fun and varied, so you won't get bored easily."
STUFFY ENVIRONMENT EXPECTED
“To be honest, five years ago I had the idea that an energy company could be a stuffy environment, so I was particularly curious. I really didn't know what to expect, and the perception I had was one of ‘quite formal and official’. Nothing could be further from the truth! The size, complexity, culture and willingness to change mean that Essent and I are a good match. It's complex enough here to have to dive deep into something, but not so big and complex that you lose yourself completely.
And the combination of one of the best workplaces that you can imagine i.e. a cool, inviting office with a good restaurant, a lunch café and nice workstations and a challenging environment that is constantly in motion is something you really have to experience. Just like the delicious coffee from the bistro! Also important for a modern employer: the possibility to work from home. This has been the norm at Essent for a while and for me it ensures good variety and a better work-life balance!”
ACHIEVING IMPACT FOR THE CONSUMER
“I started in early 2015 as Process Lead Incasso, after which I was given the responsibility for a number of other processes aimed at general customer questions. Soon after, I had the opportunity as a Customer Journey Manager to improve the customer journey and to participate in redesigning the structure of our department. And I’ve recently acquired a new role. As an Execution Lead, I am responsible for achieving impact for our customers, employees and Essent by ensuring that customers can easily enjoy our services. We want to add value in the end-to-end process. For example, we recently made it possible for customers to adjust their payment date themselves and we’re also actively working to encourage people to communicate digitally. Almost all these initiatives can be applied to both Essent and energiedirect.nl, so we have a direct impact on all our consumers.”
GROWING AS A COMPANY AND AS A PERSON
“The energy market is not an easy one. Competition is fierce and everyone is trying to reinvent themselves, looking at the major challenges in the future. Essent shows that daily growth is important through, for example, the acquisition of Vandebron and the expansion of the network of service partners. And speaking for myself, I seek daily for ways to improve in the future. For myself, for my colleagues, but especially for our customers. And I enlist the help of my environment and those around me. There are always opportunities to grow, which has ensured that I have been able to develop into some nice functions in recent years.”
INVITED BY MINISTRIES
“When I started working at Essent, I had no experience in debt collection. I knew how to spell it and that’s where it ended. But with my background as a technical business administrator in operational management and process improvements, Essent saw enough potential in me. In a fairly short time, I have grown in this specific field to such an extent that I was recently invited, together with some colleagues, by several ministries to help think about new debt collection legislation in the Netherlands. A big compliment for Essent!”
LEARNING FROM MISTAKES
“I keep challenging myself to improve on yesterday. One time on content, another time on skills, the next time in yet a different area. And, fortunately, it doesn’t always work the first time. You have to dare to make mistakes and be able to learn from them. Mistakes do not prevent me from setting ambitious goals again for next time."
Luuk has been working at Essent since 2015 and has had various positions during that period. He lives with his wife and their two children (7 and 9 years old) in Engelen, near Den Bosch.