She is 26 years old, works 40 hours per week as an operations manager for Van Dijk heating, studies Industrial Engineering and Management part-time and loves growing her own vegetables. Nieka van der Zeeuw has been working as operations manager for a few months now, having previously been employed as systems administrator and logistics employee.
Despite her young age, Nieka has extensive experience inside and outside the company, in many supporting roles and teams of varying shapes and sizes. Not surprising when you’ve started out as a little girl doing odd jobs in the company where father Joek is co-owner. These jobs gradually increased until the employment contract was formalized in 2019.
“After high school I attended Hotel Management College, where I also spent a year working as a teacher,” explains the entrepreneurial all-rounder. “Following surgery on my jaw which sidelined me for a while, I decided to do something different. Teaching’s really nice, but I was wanting an interesting job in business more, and preferably something technical. So, that’s where I am now. I’m doing this in combination with a course in Industrial Engineering and Management, since it will allow me to explore other options later on.”
As operations manager, Van der Zeeuw is closely involved in the planning, coordination and administration of service & maintenance work, ensuring that staff and departments at the office in Bunnik have everything they need. On balance, a substantial full-time job, which along with her degree course takes up around 65 hours of her time each week. “It’s challenging at times, but as long as you don’t get distracted it’s an enjoyable combination,” says Nieka with a level head. “Beside my work and education I like spending time with my friends. There’s not much time left for going out or for weekends away with friends, but I’ve learned to make time for it. Life is too short not to have fun.
Asked whether it’s never annoying working in such close quarters with your father, she says: “Not at all, it’s not as though we see each other on a daily basis and in my work I don’t deal directly with him. But even then it wouldn’t really bother me because we get on well. If that wasn’t the case, I genuinely wouldn’t have stayed here. Most importantly however is that my work is fun and varied, that I have great colleagues and that there are still enough challenges to gain new knowledge and experience. Naturally, my parttime course also contributes to this.”