Carlo Kiewiet
With a passion for maritime, automation, and electrical engineering, Carlo Kiewiet has found his perfect fit at Marpower for the past four years. As a Sales Engineer, he experiences projects from the initial request to delivery, which means no two days are the same. He explains what makes working at Marpower unique and why he isn’t planning to leave anytime soon.
Before Carlo started at Marpower full-time, he was as an intern in the software department of Marpower Automation Systems, where he was involved in the execution of Marpower projects. In 2020, when a sales engineer position opened up, he made the transition. In this role, he takes on new assignments, he explains. “When a client makes a request, I create the technical solution, calculation, and offer.” The in-depth knowledge he gained during his internship comes in handy: “I am often closely involved in the engineering part, partly because I enjoy it but also because it’s good to know what you’re selling.”
There are plenty of opportunities to grow, both within one's own field and into other positions.
A passion for maritime
Carlo has always been interested in maritime, he says. When he was looking for an internship in this industry, his teacher recommended Marpower. Besides his passion for maritime, he was also drawn to the combination of automation and electrical engineering.
What Carlo enjoys about his job is experiencing projects from A to Z. “Something you first received years ago and created a plan for, you can see and deliver three years later. You can follow that whole process.” He appreciates the involvement and variety throughout the entire project, where tasks and roles are not strictly separated. “You are not put in a box, such as a Sales Engineer. Recently, we had to do a small mechanical job on board for a project we delivered last year. I took that on myself.”
Balancing wishes and possibilities
Finding a balance between the client’s needs and possibilities is sometimes a complex task, Carlo explains. Sometimes standard solutions are sufficient, but other times a project requires a more complex, custom-made system. These challenges energize Carlo. “Especially those projects that fall a bit outside the lines, where you really have to come up with a creative solution.”
Sometimes the client has a technically or commercially difficult question. “Then you have to carefully consider how to respond. I enjoy thinking about what’s best for the client, how to tackle these kinds of questions, and how to substantiate our answer.”
A down-to-earth atmosphere and in-depth knowledge
Carlo appreciates the informal, approachable atmosphere at Marpower. “Colleagues easily drop by each other for a chat. Management also considers the employees”, he says. When Carlo recently moved from Emmen to the west, he was able to continue his work at the location in Zaandam. “Fortunately, they were very flexible with that.”
Besides the down-to-earth atmosphere, it’s the unique industry that makes working at Marpower so special, Carlo believes. He sees that many people who enter the maritime industry stay. This also applies within Marpower: “You don’t see anyone who has held exactly the same position for 40 years.” There are plenty of opportunities for advancement, both within your field and to other roles. Carlo also has ambitions to grow further within the company.
These opportunities for development and specialization mean that Marpower has a wealth of knowledge,which according to Carlo, means there is much to learn. “We can deliver a wide range of products. We don’t just do standard projects but also work for more complex ships that require specialists. We have a very broad knowledge base, which sets us apart from other companies in this industry.”
Keep asking and keep growing
With all this knowledge in-house, Marpower is the perfect place for Carlo to further develop in the industry that interests him so much. He advises new employees to be very curious: “Don’t be afraid to speak up, don’t be shy. Ask questions and be critical, only then will you find out why something is done a certain way. That keeps your company sharp, and it also makes you think about your organization and systems.”
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