An interview with Kimberley Houwaart WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT PLANTS? “Nothing in particular, really. I could never keep them alive. But my house has become a lot greener since I joined Royal Lemkes. This wonderful family business gives me the confidence to grow and space for personal development.” WHAT MAKES YOUR WORK ENJOYABLE? “When I tell people at birthday parties that I work as a business intelligence consultant, I get a lot of strange looks. I studied psychology and like statistics a lot. At Royal Lemkes, I get to combine my love for people and my passion for data. I try to change the general misapprehension around ‘scary data’ into ‘wow, this really works!’ I enjoy my work a little too much and sometimes end up working too long or waking up at night with a good idea.” WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? “We are completely rebuilding Diver, the system we use to analyse data, from the ground up. We have changed the look and feel and it is today more user-friendly. Colleagues can now compile their own reports and click through to the most detailed level. Getting the system delivered and live was hard work, but I’m so happy with the result!” HOW DO YOU GROW ‘TOGETHER’? “Some colleagues have been doing their work the same way for many years. It’s not my job to say: you have to do your work differently. But you can make better decisions with the right data. So, I give my fellow workers all the relevant information and then let them make better choices themselves. When I build something new, I always involve the colleagues for whom I’m building it. By genuinely working together, I’m more aware of their needs and wishes.” 27
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