Bloom: Nelleke Doyen
Next-level drive and dive' is typical for project manager Nelleke Doyen. Her talent to 'get the spirit on' in projects is what she brings to her work in a combination of passion for innovative technology, AI and people. Read her story ... 👇🏻
The die-hard triathlon fanatic ( 🏊♀️ +🚴♀️+ 🏃♀️) extends her goal and plan hunger into her leisure activities and vice-versa. The athlete's high translates into the project management high, especially if technology can help people.
From marketing to project management in tech
Nelleke started at an ERP software company where she worked as a marketer, later as a product marketer and then project manager. She helped find an answer to how technology could help customers in their daily business management. Seven years later it was time for something new. 'After seven years I ended up at TPO Agency and we clicked immediately. I wanted to specialise in project management and I was given all the opportunities and possibilities to do so. We work a lot with cool high-tech companies within the Raccoons cluster (to which TPO Agency also belongs), such as Brainjar for AI projects, Edgise for space, ...I'm here now for 8 months and I feel completely at home!
It is more from marketing that you joined TPO, not necessarily because tech attracted you?
I've always been interested in what technologies are out there and how they can help people. Often that's big business, but for me it's about the people. In addition, I have always been curious about how things work in tech. I find the combination of project management, people and communication super fascinating!
The fusion of project management, people and communication is what I find so fascinating!
Is that something that also translates into the rest of your life?
The project management? Absolutely! I set goals and work towards them. That's just part of me. I like to make plans, strive for a certain goal and then achieve it. That is also why I started doing marathons and triathlons (*). It is always a challenge, just like with project management. You know roughly where you need to go, you make a plan and you try to get there without too much damage (laughs).
I like to make plans, work towards a certain goal and then achieve it.
In your company you do project management with specialisation in AI solutions?
From TPO we often work together with Brainjar for AI projects. There are now also three space projects where a whole world of possibilities opens up around AI. I never thought I would be working with solutions for space, especially as a non-technical person! Every day is a bit of a voyage of discovery.'
A day in your job is mainly spent talking to people and organising team meetings?
'That is true. I must say that I am rather oldschool. Before Corona, I used to go around chatting to everyone (laughs), but now it's all about scheduling as many calls as possible, preparing reports and making sure everything stays on track. '
Triathlon and knowledge sharing
You mentioned earlier that you are heavily involved in triathlon outside of work, what role does that play in your life?
It's played a fairly big role since I started doing it about three years ago. Meanwhile, I train six to seven days a week; it is the ideal change from a desk job. I can put all my extra energy in it. It began very simple; one day, I just signed up and went - I can recommend it to everyone, by the way. And I have already won my first medal, totally unexpectedly! That was a fantastic feeling!
So basically, in only 3 years time, without really having a history in sports, you've already made it to a podium? A natural talent?
'(laughs) Sometimes I don't believe it myself! But I had always been naturally in good shape, and could always run 10 km without any problems, and then you want to go further. Every time I thought: "Couldn't I do more? And then the marathon succeeded, then a quarter triathlon, a half triathlon and I don't know where it will end!'
Maybe you will become the next Iron lady?
'That would be great! That's another goal to draw up a plan for!'
Looking back on your career, what were your greatest successes and challenges?
When a project goes live that is fantastic of course, but the greatest success for me is that I can show the people I work with that you can approach projects in different ways. Especially demonstrating that project management can help them with that. I often notice that people are not always familiar with the structural approach of projects. As a result, people often jump in very enthusiastically but do not achieve the desired result. Teaching people more about project management and how to deal with it is a real victory for me.
Teaching people more about project management and how to deal with it is really a victory for me'.
Are there major challenges involved?
'There certainly are. You are always with very different stakeholders and that requires a very different approach. The big challenge is who you get to see and what they expect from you exactly. I now have a project at the FPS Justice and the way of working there is very different from an AI-project with Brainjar or a space project. Technical people also require a specific approach. The trick is to find the right motivation in everyone to get things done and meet deadlines, and that makes it exciting.'
The trick is to find the right motivation in everyone to get things done and meet deadlines. That's what makes it exciting.
What is your secret recipe for this? A combination of your intuition and also your expertise, because you are also a scrum master, among other things?
Indeed, Agile Scrum is what usually works best for me. In government work we use the more classic waterfall method, but it is different for every project. Sometimes I have to make a lot of call in a row with all very different people, which really requires a high degree of flexibility. From one minute to the next, you may have to go from very formal and serious to informal. By planning fixed days for each project, I try to avoid that as much as possible. After all, I'm only human and can't always switch. Today is normally 'space-day', Monday is again FPS Justice-day, this way I work optimally!
Project management and the future
When you look to the future, what are the ambitions and dreams you want to realise?
Definitely the Iron Lady (**)! In terms of sport, I would like to compete in many more competitions, also abroad. I would really like to end up on a podium again! Professionally, I want to make project management feasible and manageable for everyone. I feel there is a definite need for this.
'I want to help rejuvenate the image of the project manager'.
That ties in nicely with your drive to share knowledge?
Absolutely! It surprises me that not more younger people are interested in project management. It is often associated with the typical image of an older man. I want to help rejuvenate the image of the project manager.
If you made that association, what convinced you to take up project management?
I always took the organisational and motivational role naturally. I felt that it was just my thing, regardless of that image that was out there. Just like in triathlon, my initial reaction to something that piques my interest is to just jump in and see, and then make a plan step by step. My experience is that women are generally very good at letting their intuition play a role in starting good conversations. That is just key in the business.
Role model in out-of-the-box thinking
Are there people who have inspired you and whom you would like to meet?
That may be a classic, but Steve Jobs is such a person. I find people who dare to think completely out-of-the-box particularly interesting. David Lynch is another one, a role model in out-of-the-box thinking. His approach and his way of directing appeals to me completely. In the sports world, the story of Bashir Abdithe marathon runner from Ghent is also super fascinating! How he rolled into it and what he has already achieved. I think that sport and work life can run parallel. Especially the next-level drive they have in common. What motivates them to reach the next level and how they go about it, are questions that trigger me the most.
Want to follow this amazing 🏊♀️ +🚴♀️+ 🏃♀️lady? Connect with her in Linkedin!
(*) Nelleke Doyen finished sixth in the F30!
(**) Iron Lady: swim 3.8 kilometres, cycle 180 kilometres and finally run 42,195 metres.
