François Reincke

My scientific interests

“After completing my PhD in Utrecht, I moved to Germany to pursue a postdoctoral position at the Max Planck Institute. This is an independent, privately funded research institute dedicated entirely to fundamental scientific research. It was an incredibly interesting and enriching period. You work alongside people from all over the world who are at the very top of their respective fields. At the same time, I found myself asking an important question: do I want to spend my entire career in academia? Postdoctoral positions are, by nature, temporary, and I was looking for more stability in my life. During that same period, I also noticed that nanotechnology, my area of research, was beginning to lose some of its momentum. All of this ultimately led me to make a career transition.”

 

From science to ICT

“Through this path, I joined Fortis Verzekeringen Nederland, now known as ASR. It was there that I was first introduced to the world of IT. My initial responsibility involved creating document templates. Within two years, I had progressed within the organization to the role of senior user. A position that bridged the gap between a business analyst and a technical architect. During that time, I realized that I preferred working closer to the ‘front end’ of systems.

This led me to transition to the Cordys team, a department focused on Business Process Modeling. The team worked with the Cordys platform, which was developed in the Netherlands. Within this system, we modeled various business processes: who is responsible for each step, which path a process should follow, and what reports need to be generated. In this role, I designed and built business processes and advised on improvements, both from a technical and functional perspective. Many of the concepts and challenges I encountered back then are ones I still come across today in my role as a Pega Senior System Architect.”

 

Mijn introductie met BPM Company

“By that time, Fortis Verzekeringen Nederland had reverted to its original name: a.s.r. (now stylized with periods), and I had built up six years of experience with Cordys. I felt it was time for a new challenge. Through a colleague, I heard about a small company called BPM Company. I applied and was hired as a Pega consultant. At the time, I never imagined I would enjoy working there so much that I would go on to celebrate my 10-year anniversary with the company.

BPM Company grew rapidly. The atmosphere was exactly what you would expect from a startup: you know everyone by name, and if something comes up, there is always someone willing to help. At the same time, as a consultant, many situations are new and require you to figure things out independently. This pushes you to quickly become self-reliant and take initiative. Looking back, BPM Company took quite a risk in hiring me, and I am grateful for the trust they placed in me.”

 

My diversity in projects

“As a Pega consultant, I have worked with a wide range of organizations. The differences in ways of working and company cultures have been highly stimulating for me. At ING, I worked within a bank with many years of experience in process-driven operations. I was then placed at the Dutch Health and Youth Care Inspectorate, a semi-government organization where agile ways of working were still relatively new. After that, I joined De Mandemakers Groep, where I found myself in a completely different environment, highly pragmatic and direct, with a strong focus on action over discussion. Finally, I worked at MKB Brandstof, a small company with big ambitions.”

 

“The most enjoyable projects?”

“These are the projects where you can truly contribute ideas and actively shape the outcome. In my experience, successful projects (those that deliver business value and are completed on time and within budget) are always the ones where the team functions well. In such teams, every member is open to change and works toward a shared goal. This creates an intense and focused working environment that leads to the best results. Communication and a shared vision are crucial in this process. The technology itself, which is often the main focus in IT, is in my view of secondary importance.”

 

The culture of BPM Company

“BPM Company is no longer a small organization. What makes BPM Company special to me is that management consciously continues to focus on the elements that made the company successful. Eelco, our CEO, puts significant effort into preserving the culture that developed when the company was still small. The structure remains open, communication lines are short, and the atmosphere is collegial. This is not easy when an organization grows rapidly, but in my experience, it is still being managed very well.

As an employee, you are truly heard here. Initiative is valued, and you are given the space to take ownership. Moreover, the scope of work has broadened. We no longer need only developers, but also testers, analysts, and project managers. What remains at the core, however, is our shared passion for business process management.”

 

Outside of work

“In my free time, I enjoy traveling. I recently spent three months traveling around the world, visiting countries such as Egypt, Indonesia, India, and South Africa. Bali, in particular, captured my heart. The warmth and openness of the people there are truly remarkable. A journey like that provides an incredible amount of energy and inspiration.”