Find a work environment where you really feel at home

"In my work, I try to find good people with my team and get them in the right place. A good match means happy employees, satisfied clients and a financially healthy company." Speaking is Marianne Vermijs, divisional director of Water & Energy at engineering consultancy Sweco.

Vermijs has held the position for two and a half years. "I like working in mixed teams. However, getting female colleagues is a challenge. All the more reason to be an example for them and inspire them to come this way." As a spearhead, Vermijs mentions employee satisfaction: "People who work from the passion for their profession, are able to use their talent optimally, are appreciated for this and can contribute to beautiful projects create a positive spiral."

The right mindset will get you further

In the late 1980s, Vermijs graduated from TU Eindhoven as a structural engineer. "The combination of engineering and creativity has always been important to me, hence my choice of Architecture in Eindhoven. After my studies, I started working immediately and have always worked in technical environments. From the age of 30 in project execution combined with management positions. At 40, I made the conscious choice to develop further in management positions," Vermijs said. Asked about the difference between the late 1980s and the present when looking at women in technical positions, the answer is, "When I started in Eindhoven, there were 10 women, 3 of whom eventually made it to the finish line. Women in engineering were scarcer then than now, so you do see a positive development. But it can still be much better."

According to Vermijs, it's all about the right mindset. "In high school, I was the only girl with a full STEM package. For me, getting involved in engineering became so commonplace. My luck is that I almost always ended up in environments where people appreciated me for who I was and what I had to offer. I focus strongly on the path to results, with a positive outlook on the world and have never felt held back," Vermijs continued. "You have to find an environment where you feel at home. That's the choice you have. If an environment doesn't feel welcoming, then you shouldn't get into it, or have the ability to change something about that environment."

Having ambitions means daring to make choices

"It is often the case that women abandon the career path the moment they start a family. The traditional roles then come into play. Still, you can enjoy having a family, being a mother, being someone's wife and meanwhile working on a serious career. To do so, you do have to make "hard" choices and be willing to work harder. A piece of home back-up is also indispensable. Is that easy? No, certainly not. Is it possible? Absolutely!" Vermijs outlines what her home situation looks like: "A family with 2 children and a husband with his own career who is always supportive. Important in this are my friends who are in similar situations, you are each other's sounding board, source of questions and broad shoulder. As a woman you are in the peak of your life in the years between 30 and 40. It is almost a top-class sport to combine business and private life. How do you overcome this? Very important is that your work gives you energy, rather than costs you. If you get it wrong, you get an energy drain."

That said, things have come full circle and it is immediately clear what motivates Vermijs to get the right people in the right places in her work. "Think of it as a coaching role I have. Once one is in the right place, I let the employee 'go'. Then he or she can fill the position themselves, within the framework of the organization, of course. Of course I am there for them if they need me. Allowing someone to grow from a substantive position into a management position means learning to let go. That is only possible in a good working environment where there is trust and mutual respect."