Meet our Colleagues
Meet Jim – Sustainability Engineer
As the first graduate intern, Jim kick-started his journey in 2019 at Anthony Veder with his internship. After his graduation, he started working as a Future Navigator in our Future Navigator Program.
Now, Jim is working as a sustainability engineer. As a sustainability engineer, he works on three things: Creating an overview of the environmental impact of Anthony Veder, reducing the environmental impact of the fleet, and preparing Anthony Veder to be compliant with future environmental regulations. We caught up with Jim to share his experiences at Anthony Veder.
What do you like most about your current role?
I’m involved in sustainability; that’s the best thing about my job. It is important to me that in my work I contribute to a sustainable world; this is a driving force.
I think shipping is an exciting industry; I like the fact that we sail with physical products and that you can go on board and have a good view. I further like the diversity of people. Being open to new ideas and not being stuck in a bureaucratic environment also appeals to me within my work.
How did you experience the Future Navigator Program?
First I did research work and then I started doing business projects. The nice thing about that is that the things you do directly impact operations. In a research project, you’re looking into the future and now you’re looking at operations at that moment. You get more involved. You get to see more of the company. You work in different departments and within different projects related to the day-to-day operation. That’s fun what effect certain changes have on work. So first I worked in the digital department and then in the technical department and in the commercial department.
I liked the first project I did, PriMa. In digital and tech I worked on this project in two periods. I went on to run a Pilot and it was successful. Now I started again and the PriMa project is still successful across the fleet where the measured vibration measurements work. Something I put time and effort into is that it has a positive contribution to ship maintenance.
What did you learn from Anthony Veder professionally and personally?
I learned a lot. Professionally, I learned to ask for more time from people because, at the end of the day, you are doing something that should improve the company. So you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for things when you need them. It’s okay for me to ask for time from people because I need them.
On a personal level, I am patient myself, and in my work, I have to adapt to this. In the professional field, more impatience is expected and I have to be clear while personally I am not in such a hurry. I have to be clear when what is expected.
Professionally, I may be quite persuasive and clear about certain research or projects that I have figured out. I should not create doubt, if I have done well.
What insights/recommendations would you like to share with upcoming Future Navigators?
I would recommend the Future Navigator Program to graduates because you get a lot of exposure to a shipping company in this case. You get to know all the customers and departments in a short period of time. Anthony Veder is an orderly company because you know three departments. You understand how the work is put together; therefore, you can easily make links between different tasks and departments.
Ultimately, you have certain knowledge that other people don’t have because they don’t work in so many departments. That’s a big advantage and you can use that to your advantage. It’s not obvious that other people don’t have that knowledge.
