23 May 2024
In the heart of the 'Key Technologies' department at AAE, you'll find Marieke. For seven years, she has been contributing to the innovations and successes of AAE. Her journey began in the metalworking department, but her drive led her to the world of welding. This story is about Marieke's experiences at AAE, where teamwork and a passion for technology come together.
Marieke has been working at AAE within the 'Key Technologies' department for seven years, spending the first five years in the metalworking department. About two and a half years ago, she decided to switch to welding. “In metalworking, I eventually started to lose the challenge and got the opportunity to do something different. That became welding. I felt very comfortable at Key Technologies, so I seized this opportunity with conviction. It's been two and a half years now, and I still really enjoy it,” Marieke says.
Technical aptitude
Marieke has had a passion for technology since childhood, but she chose to go to a 'girls' school' with her friends instead of going to technical secondary education. In hindsight, she would have enjoyed technical secondary education, but at the time it seemed like the logical choice. Marieke believes that some people just have a technical aptitude. “I'm someone who has a knack for technology,” she says. “As a child, I loved going to motorcross with my friends and then helping to tinker there. What I enjoy most is the process from an idea to an actual tangible product. Which is absolutely the case with welding. We receive a drawing, individual parts, and start building. Eventually, it becomes a product that is correct, neatly finished, and ready for use. Seeing the final result really makes me proud.”
Teamwork: working together and having fun together
Marieke enjoys her work, not just because of the welding, but also because of the fun with her colleagues. She shares her experiences with enthusiasm: “We are a good team, all with the same vision. We work hard and we all want to do well, but we also make time for fun. We are always here for each other if someone needs help. This makes our collaboration very pleasant. During our team outings, we have the most fun together. We regularly eat together. Everyone tries to be there because we all think it's important. These outings strengthen the team spirit on the work floor.”
The appreciation that Marieke and her teammates feel is valuable. “From all over AAE, we feel the appreciation of other colleagues. After all, we all have a role to play that is important for AAE. That makes it beautiful to contribute to the success of AAE,” Marieke adds. She concludes: “Of course, sometimes things don’t go well. We are all human. But then we solve it together. It always works out!"
Team spirit and traditions, that’s why Marieke comes to AAE every day
“I look forward to going to work every day, thanks to my great colleagues and the work,” Marieke says. “If I have to name a highlight, it was undoubtedly the Dragon Boat Race two years ago. It is an event in Helmond, where companies compete against each other in dragon boats on the canal, vying for first place. I was the first woman to participate in the men's boat. A boat full of AAE’ers and winning first place, that moment was very cool! Thanks to our shared fanaticism, we had a lot of fun together. We were really one team, with the same energy and mindset. Very cool to experience and share with each other,” she says with a broad smile.
Marieke concludes: “I have one more fun tradition to share. When someone in our department has a birthday, we always decorate their workspace with little flags. Then we hang up fun photos everywhere and all of AAE knows that someone in our department has a birthday again. Those are the little things that make me look forward to coming to AAE every day with great pleasure!”
Want to know more about working at AAE? Read the blogs of the colleagues of Marieke here.
