If we see something that needs to be improved, we tackle it.

How did you end up in Information Security?

At first glance, what I’m doing today seems far removed from my studies in commercial engineering. I always thought I would be optimising processes in supply chains. But my first work experience as an IT consultant pushed me in a different direction. And yet there are similarities.

My current job is equally about improving processes. Not in logistics but in information security. To make it more customer-friendly, for example. To make it easier for users of systems to do everything correctly and safely.

What makes the job interesting to you?

The variation. Our team consists of eight experts and each has their own focus and speciality. But we constantly come into contact with each other's worlds. And if you bring the right people together, your job never gets boring.

You also have to be constantly alert and monitor the latest developments. Just think of the cyber threats during conflicts such as that between Russia and Ukraine. What do they mean for us? How should we protect ourselves from them?

Are there no global agreements?

Well, yes, there are. The global security team takes care of policy. So we are able to work very autonomously on it. If we see something that needs to be improved, we tackle it. We set the priorities. We take it on and make it happen.

We also work closely with teams from abroad. I know at least 80% of the people in information security. Since we’ve all been working more from home, that connection has even improved. The person on the other end of the phone is no longer just part of a team, they’re an individual.

Don't you miss the chats at the coffee machine?

It’s fine. If I want a coffee and a chat, I do that with my boyfriend at home. He’s in the same business. As a mother of three, I find hybrid work very appealing. The time I would otherwise spend commuting between Ghent and Brussels, I now spend with them. Or on myself.

There is so much that keeps me here. The changes, the latest trends that we follow closely, the opportunities for growth. And then all the different cultures, each with their own way of working. Because as a team and as an individual, you get a lot of freedom to do your job the way you want to.

Is there anything you would change?

Not really. Or, actually, yes. There should be more women in the team. We are certainly open to it but they don’t seem to have found us yet. For the record, our Global Chief Information Security Officer is a woman. Maybe that’s an extra incentive?