Work, Study, and Young IFFI: Noa likes to challenge herself

Noa Anneveldt prefers working in a production environment. “Communication is usually direct—people don’t sugarcoat things.” She really enjoys that in her role as a team leader at Euroma. In addition to her job, she’s pursuing a part-time master’s degree in Management and as if that weren’t enough, she is also actively involved in Young IFFI. Recently, the first Young IFFI event of the year took place at Euroma, which meant a lot of extra work for Noa—but she did it gladly. “I wish every young professional the kind of opportunities we get here at Euroma.”

Four years ago, while still studying for her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, she started working at Euroma, initially as a part-time job. “My assignment was to create work instructions.” At the age of 20, she was offered a position as project lead. “That felt very special. I didn’t have much experience yet, but still I was given a major opportunity.” She then continued as a trainee, working in various departments to get to know the company better. As she was nearing the end of her studies, she wanted to gain more experience through a leadership position. And what better place to start than in production? “I took some time to think before I said yes, especially considering my age. I would also be leading people who were older than me and had been with the company much longer. But in all these years, I’ve never experienced anything unpleasant related to my age or gender. It probably helped that I was already working at Euroma, and people felt that I genuinely wanted to help move the company forward.”

Stable foundation
Part of that involves listening to the employees and making them feel that their ideas are heard. “When I had just started as team leader, I asked someone the simple question: how are you? He immediately started talking about the machine he was responsible for—that’s what he was used to. But what I really wanted to know was how he was doing.”
As a team leader, she has spent the past few years working on creating a stable foundation in the department—something she’s proud of. “ Big changes are coming to the department. That’s why it’s so valuable to now have a strong team in place, with the right people in the right positions. Recently, I’ve been figuring out where each person fits best. To streamline the process even further, we reviewed the department’s organizational framework and implemented changes.”
For projects like this, she regularly consults other young professionals at Euroma.

Strength
She’s always looking for a challenge, and she finds that in combining different things—her role, her studies, and her work with Young IFFI. “At Euroma, I don’t just want to contribute to helping the people grow, but also to helping the company grow. That’s where my strength lies.”

Young IFFI Event
She’s had a few busy months recently due to preparations for the Young IFFI event, which was hosted at Euroma. Participants gained insight into Euroma through various presentations and a guided tour. There was also a focus on personal development. “I look back on the event with satisfaction. I received a lot of support from Euroma, which was really encouraging. Around 30 young professionals attended, which was just the right number. Their feedback on the day was very positive. According to the responses, different parts of the program stood out as highlights for different people. So there wasn’t one single standout part—people were satisfied across the board.”

Opportunities
Noa is happy with the opportunities that she and other young professionals receive at Euroma. “I hope I can contribute to helping other young professionals get these same chances.”
Last year, she attended the Young IFFI Event in September with colleagues. There, she saw that not every young professional receives the same opportunities. Around three years ago, Euroma made a slight shift in strategy and began focusing more on attracting young professionals. “I started around the same time as a few interns, and they’re all still working here. They’ve been given opportunities and have grown into roles with a lot of responsibility. I’ve experienced that myself too. You’re given the chance to try things out. If it doesn’t go well, you take a step back for a while and get support, until you’re ready to take on more responsibility again.”

Network
She wants to continue her involvement with Young IFFI. “I enjoy getting to know other young professionals, as well as the companies they work for. People in sales and product development see each other more often—for example, at trade shows or networking events. That’s less common in operations, as the focus tends to be more internal. Young IFFI is a valuable addition for me, and a great opportunity to expand my network.”

Noa Anneveldt
Teamlead at Koninklijke Euroma