Siegfried Hermans
IT SpecialistI’d never have had this kind of opportunity anywhere else.
After graduation, Siegfried got his first job in the insurance industry. Later, on a visit to a UNIVEG company, he was struck by the fast pace of doing business there. “What a huge contrast with the more bureaucratic insurance world. As I was on the lookout for a new challenge, I sent off my CV and cover letter, unsolicited. I got hired shortly after and started off in an administrative role at Legumex. I switched to IT later. Anyway, UNIVEG didn’t have an IT department at the time.”
Siegfried regularly came up with ways to improve efficiency through IT solutions. Over time, he was given greater responsibility in that area. He set up a physical network and rolled out a new application for all of UNIVEG’s Belgian subsidiaries. “As a result, we were able to centralise and standardise our e-mail traffic.” Sometime later, he got a colleague to join him in his endeavours, and together they formed the beginnings of the group’s formal IT department.
“In the meantime, our department has grown from two to more than twenty employees. We’ve certainly got our hands full, between optimising processes and supporting our business, in Belgium and further afield. In addition, we’re always ready to help out and develop specific IT solutions when needed. I’ve picked up most of my knowledge on the job. No worries, as you’re given plenty of room to learn and grow. I’d never have had this kind of opportunity anywhere else. UNIVEG encourages you to take initiative, and it’s easy to do so given the flat hierarchy and flexible organisational structure. And then there’s the speedy decision-making and fast pace of doing business.”