My fondness for civil engineering started a long time ago; as a toddler in the back seat of our Nissan King Cab during our long car holidays across Europe. For me, there was nothing better than climbing and viewing ancient aqueducts along dusty roads in Italy, marvelling at the Sagrada Familia or traversing the Austrian mountains in endless, dark tunnels. So much beauty, so much ingenuity and, above all, so useful. Throughout high school, my affinity for science and engineering only continued to grow.

However, getting to know all these cultures and religions during our travels also sparked in me an eternal interest in people and society. Perhaps that is why civil engineering fascinates me so much. Civil engineering is functional ingenuity with the primary purpose of serving society, promoting safety and human welfare. It serves a kind of overarching basic human need; a need that exists irrespective of race, gender, creed or culture. Once it was time to choose a field of study, of course, the choice was quickly made. 

And there, at TU, late in my second year of study, I think it was the smell that initially seduced me. That smell of home under 'the smoke' of Rotterdam, welcoming you after long car holidays. That unmistakable smell of oil refining and all its delicious-smelling by-products, including bitumen. I never got rid of this (old) infatuation. This is where I discovered my fascination for materials and their behaviour and my love for road construction.

After completing my master's degree, I consciously chose not to pursue a PhD, at least not at university. I preferred to go into practice and learn the tricks of the trade; in other words, to do a PhD in practice. For the past 10 years, I have worked in the contracting industry with great pleasure and dedication. It was a wonderful time; I was confirmed in my choice for road building/infrastructure and I gained a wealth of experience. 

Because of the diversity of work, from complex scientific research to project consulting, I have developed a unique set of skills and an alternative view of the industry. Besides the depth I have managed to achieve within my own specialism, materials and research, I have also made a significant contribution to the integration of fundamental and empirical knowledge, science and craft at industry level. I can now proudly state that I have consolidated my place within the national and international road construction community and there is no sector I would rather work in.

In those 10 years, I have naturally also been confronted with the bottlenecks within our sector and gained various insights from the market for possible solution directions and improvements. After inner reflection, I came to the conclusion that I would very much like to focus on the more abstract issues, the common themes, contribute to making a positive difference at sector level by working on conclusive strategies. 

Especially now, in these times of great transition and change, I believe that with my background and experience, I can add value to successfully navigate the transitions ahead of us. To do that well, I too must continue to develop and challenge myself and steer myself in the best possible way to keep excelling professionally. After all, that is one of the conditions for my happiness.