Q&A

Maarten – Lead Engineer

Maarten first got to know Saltwater as an intern and returned as a colleague after graduating. Since then, he has progressed to Lead Engineer. For our 20th anniversary, he reflects on that journey, the culture that appealed to him from the start, and what he believes Saltwater should preserve as the company continues to grow.

Q: How did you first get to know Saltwater, and what made you want to work here?

A: I started at Saltwater as an intern. After my internship, I completed my graduation project elsewhere, but afterward I returned to Saltwater as an employee.

During my studies, I realized I wanted to work at a company where it was easy to connect with colleagues at every level of the organization while still maintaining a professional environment. During my internship, I had experienced that this was exactly how things worked at Saltwater. So when I started looking for a job after graduating, I did not have to think twice before applying to Saltwater again.

Q: If you had to describe Saltwater as you know it today in just a few words, what would they be and why?

A: Open, flexible, and growing from within.

We still have a fairly flat organization, where colleagues connect easily on both a professional and personal level. That creates an open way of working together, both internally and with our clients.

I think that openness and flexibility provide a strong foundation for continued growth. What I like is that this growth comes from our own core values. We keep moving forward while trying to stay true to who we are.

Q: Which project, moment, or experience at Saltwater has stayed with you the most so far? And what made it special to you?

A: The NKT Isabella conversion project has stayed with me the most. It is one of the longest-running projects I have worked on, and I was involved as the project lead.

The project helped me grow into the position I hold today. Throughout that development, I have always felt that Saltwater trusted and supported me in taking new steps and assuming more responsibility.

Q: You joined a company that already had quite a history. What do you think we should make sure to preserve from those first twenty years?

A: Above all, I hope we can preserve the feeling of a flat organization where we enjoy working together, both professionally and personally.

As we continue to grow, that naturally becomes more challenging. That is exactly why I think it is important to keep paying conscious attention to it. In my new role, I hope I can contribute to that as well.

Q: When we celebrate our 25th anniversary five years from now, what development or milestone do you hope to have experienced together with Saltwater?

A: I hope we will have been able to continue the growth of recent years and actually achieve the goals we have set for the years ahead.

But in a way that still feels like Saltwater. If, five years from now, we can say that we have grown significantly while preserving our core values and the way we work together, that would be a great milestone for me.