“NOW I KNOW HOW TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN IT AND BUSINESS”
TIAS EXPERIENCE
“I understand the field much better. That means I can analyze what is needed to address certain issues and truly achieve those goals.” The speaker is Veronie Boonk, Digital Transformation Manager at PWN. She recently completed the TIAS Executive Master of Information Management and Digital Transformations. “I know what’s needed to create a connection between IT and business now, because I’ve learned a deeper perspective.” I am much better at classifying and weighing factors in order to set out a course of action to, for example, achieve a business/IT alignment or define an appropriate architecture for PWN.”
Veronie’s decision to do the Master of Information Management and Digital Transformations was inspired by her personal drive to keep improving in her work each day. However, it was a colleague asking, ‘What do you want to do when you grow up?’ that triggered Veronie to consciously reflect on her own ambitions. The search that followed eventually led her to IT Management. “I am both a manager and an IT person. I really love this combination, where you’re mainly operating in that transitional area between business and IT.”
“What appeals to me is the fact that you can put everything you learn to use immediately in your own day-to-day practice.”
CURIOUS ABOUT NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN INFORMATION PROVISION
“Way back when, I studied Computer Science, so it wasn’t a complete unknown. I said to myself, what would make me a good IT manager? Well, I understand the management part, I’ve been doing that for years. It’s my profession. But I’d really like to learn more about developments in information provision, what the newest technologies are and exactly how to implement them in your own daily work in practice.”
WHY TIAS?
Once she’d clarified her ambitions, the next step in Veronie’s search led to TIAS. At an event about data organized by the business school, she ended up talking to the program’s Academic Director. “He advised me to look into whether this could be the right program for me. I’d completed the TIAS IT Auditing program twenty years earlier, so I knew it was a reputable organization.”
Balance between theory and practice
“When I was researching programs, what appealed to me most about the Master of Information Management and Digital Transformations was the combination of theory and practice. In that sense, the program was an unexpectedly positive experience. Veronie is clear on the fact that the knowledge imparted during the program’s various modules was immediately applicable to her own work. “That applied to all of it,” she emphasizes. “I’d message my team during class about what I’d just learned. I’d go, ‘Guys, could you look into this thing,’ or ‘Hey, I’ve just had a great idea,’ or whatever. If it seemed relevant, I’d pass it on immediately. Laughing: “I got a reputation at PWN as the most enthusiastic student ever.”
Name Veronie Boonk
Position Digital Transformation Manager at PWN, a water utility and nature management company in North Holland. It is Veronie’s job to lead PWN’s CIO office and its team of strategists, architects, advisers, business owners and business analysts. Together, they set out and implement their company’s digitization plans for the coming years. Right now, Veronie is responsible for replacing PWN’s business application landscape. They are also experimenting with new IT technologies to be implemented in 2024.
Study program Executive Master of Information Management and Digital Transformations “The program’s most important benefit to me is all the new knowledge I’ve acquired about information management in its broadest sense. That is very clear. It also gave me confidence and peace of mind to know I’ve found my place as a Digital Transformation Manager.”
STRATEGIC INFORMATION PROVISION NEEDS
What the program also taught Veronie is to approach things from a different perspective, a skill she uses daily. “My approach to strategic information provision needs, for example. Before the program, I tended to use a one-size-fits-all approach. I thought all companies should be innovative, practice good security, etc. I am now more likely to look at what kind of company we are, consider how this affects information provision and make decisions on that basis.”
Balancing security and innovation at PWN
Veronie: “For a company like PWN, information security is vital. You cannot allow anything to disrupt the supply of drinking water, or you end up endangering one of the basic necessities of life for the majority of people in North Holland. That means your information security must be in excellent shape. We dedicate a lot of time, money and effort to that goal.”
Predicting water quality and quantity
“However, we also need to innovate to be able to deal with certain challenges associated with the provision of drinking water. Drinking water’s quality and quantity have come under pressure. This means we want to have the capability to make very accurate predictions regarding future water availability. That can require the application of highly innovative concepts. So, it’s important for us to balance our need for strong information security against the need for innovation.”
APPROACHING PROBLEMS DIFFERENTLY
In addition, Veronie, in her own words, “learned to approach situations from a different perspective. Before, I’d go, ‘Okay, we’ve got this problem, and this is how that’s solved.’ Now, I say, ‘No, here is another possible solution.’ Or: ‘Is this actually the source of our problem?’ You learn to take a more abstract approach to problems, to structure your thought processes, look up information about less familiar subjects and master that material very quickly.”
“Thanks to your improved understanding of the terminology and context, you also become better at assessing new future technologies.”
INSIGHT INTO NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Thanks to Veronie’s updated knowledge of new IT technologies such as the Internet of Things, blockchain, cloud and quantum computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning, it is easier for her to determine which technologies fit which situations and contexts. “While I haven’t suddenly become an expert, it has made me an excellent sparring partner for the people involved in innovation at our company.
Scaling up and speeding up
“I also have a better grasp of what will eventually be needed to scale up those innovative concepts and implement them in my department. I take a good look at what will make for the best solution and if it can help us speed up. The world around us is changing so fast, IT issues also present themselves in increasingly rapid succession. That’s why. In another five years, there could be very different IT technologies available compared to what we know now. This is why the program also covers how to familiarize yourself with new technological developments and add new knowledge. Thanks to your improved understanding of the terminology and context, you also become better at assessing new future technologies.
“I can see myself doing this at other companies now. Before, that was less the case.”
PERSONAL LEADERSHIP
Thanks to the combination of a different approach to strategic IT issues and the attention to personal leadership, Veronie, who was already an experienced manager before she began this master, has also changed how she deals with colleagues’ ideas and criticism and her own view of herself as an IT manager.
“Before, I could be very forceful in my opinions. I still am to some extent, but it was very much a case of ‘my way or the highway.’ 'Now, I’m better at distancing myself from a specific problem. ‘In which context should this be placed?’ ‘How could we deal with that?’ It’s helped me relax during meetings. I can ask more reasoned questions and am slower to feel attacked. I also have a more functional outlook and am more confident.
Feeling confident “Before I began the program, I thought, ‘Well, I’m a Digital Transformation Manager, but not really, not yet.’ Now I simply am one. Period. It’s my profession. That’s not so much about whether or not this is true in fact, it’s more about my own feelings, about gaining that certainty. My actual work improved my confidence too, you do learn a lot on the job after all, but the program definitely made a big difference. I can see myself doing this at other companies now. Before, that was less the case.”
Male-dominated world “Ultimately, I attended this program to deepen my understanding of IT management. Who knows, I may want to become a director somewhere at some point.” Laughing: “I think I’d fit in very well between all those CIOs, the majority of whom are still men. If your goal is to stand out, to hold on to your current job and improve your future job security, doing a program is a great idea.”
From technical to functional “For many people, their perspective regarding information management is still mainly technical,” Veronie addresses the lack of women CIOs. “It also happens that three quarters of my fellow students were men. That technical perspective did make an appearance during the program, when we talked about new IT technology, security or architecture, but every technical aspect can be seen to have a functional side as well. I enjoy that take on things myself. This difference in perspective was also reflected in the diversity between students. While some were technically oriented, others had more of a management or administrative background, or worked in consultancy. So attending this program gained me a great network.”
“I felt that the personal supervision at TIAS was excellent.”
DIVERSE TEAM OF LECTURERS
Veronie saw a similar diversity in the team of lecturers. “Each and every lecturer was a professional. They were fantastic at either the practical elements, the theoretical side or a combination of both. That was extremely instructive. I also felt that the guest lectures were very valuable. These speakers were mainly company CIOs, and their talks gave me some useful ideas on ways to put certain knowledge into practice. They also confirmed that we are on the right track at PWN. Such lectures can provide answers to questions you won’t find anywhere else.
Safe learning environment
“Furthermore, I’d like to add that I thought the personal supervision at TIAS was excellent. The Academic Director Erik Beulen is easily accessible and he always makes time to answer your questions. His open mind also makes him a fantastic sparring partner. There’s no such thing as a wrong opinion. He would say, ‘You’re taking this approach here, but have you also considered this other option?’ He knows how to create a safe learning environment.”
FAST ROI FOR THE ORGANIZATION
Ultimately, TIAS programs are intended to benefit the students, but also to allow the organizations employing them to reap the rewards. According to Veronie, this is achieved very quickly, even during the program, as students conclude each module by writing a paper. “What I appreciated about that was the fact that you got to pick your own topic. If it concerned architecture, for example, you could choose to chart your company’s AS‑IS architecture, research a possible future architecture, measure your current architecture’s maturity, etc. That freedom was very valuable. It is what enabled the immediate, practical application of what you’d just learned to your own organization.”
VERONIE’S ADVICE
Veronie’s advice to others considering this program
“Don’t hesitate too much, just go for it. If you are still uncertain, sit in on a lecture some time to see what you think. That is always possible. I heartily recommend that everyone complete a program at some point in their career. It’ll make you better at your job and it’s good for your personal development, regardless of your specific field.”
Bridging the gap between business and it
These are turbulent times for businesses, government agencies and non-profits. Businesses require appropriate technological solutions to fit dynamically changing needs. They are also heavily affected by compliance, data security and the platform economy, which impact both their technology and their organization. How do you successfully implement new technologies? What will your business model look like?
The Executive Master of Information Management and Digital Transformations (MIMDT) gives you practical, immediately applicable skills and knowledge you can use to bridge the gap between business and IT. Download the brochure to discover if this is the program for you.
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THE NEXT STEP
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