Jimmy de Jong
CLSA | Pega Developer at BPM Company
Jimmy: “I grew up in small villages near Eindhoven and spent my entire childhood in Brabant. I attended secondary school in Eersel, after which I went on to study in Tilburg. At Tilburg University, I completed a bachelor’s degree in Economics & Information Technology, a program at the intersection of business and IT, combining both technical and economic subjects. I then pursued a master’s degree in Information Management, which aligned well with my bachelor’s and had a stronger focus on IT.”
Low code
“After completing my studies, I was approached by a recruiter from Everest, now known as Blueriq. Their story about low code immediately appealed to me. I wasn’t particularly skilled in programming, but I found the idea of being able to build applications very interesting. The low-code platform gave me that opportunity without requiring extensive technical skills. I joined the consulting branch there and worked with great pleasure for five years.”
“Thanks to my knowledge of Blueriq, I was then given a unique opportunity: a stint in South Africa. There, they were using Backbase, a platform for digital transformation in banking, but under the hood it was powered by Blueriq. No one in South Africa had experience with that BPM platform, so it was a great opportunity for me. I lived in Johannesburg for a year and a half, in a complex in the business district. In mid-2020, when COVID also took hold in Africa and South Africa went into lockdown, I returned to the Netherlands.”
Pega
“Back in the Netherlands, I wanted to explore a different platform. Blueriq was too limited internationally, and I was looking for a platform with a larger global footprint and budget for further development. I was already familiar with Pega and was approached by a former colleague from BPM Company. He mentioned that BPM Company was a strong company with a solid reputation. It indeed seemed like a great place to start building my career around Pega, especially because of the many experienced consultants working there.
My conversation with the recruiter was interesting, and the second interview with Eelco (Vissinga, CEO) also really appealed to me. I got the impression of an informal organization; not too large, with limited hierarchy or layers. That impression proved accurate in practice: it’s easy to approach directors like Jan Willem (van Asperen) or Eelco directly. In addition, there are dedicated field managers who focus on your personal development.”
Las Vegas
“There is plenty of room to grow and develop at BPM Company. We have great clients and often work in teams with other BPM colleagues. There is a wealth of experience within the organization, and colleagues are always willing to help; especially in the beginning, that’s incredibly valuable. The fact that many colleagues are Dutch-speaking is also a big plus.
The atmosphere at work is informal and a real highlight was being able to attend PegaWorld in Las Vegas. The annual ski trips and summer barbecues are also always a lot of fun. They’re great opportunities to connect with colleagues in a different setting and have more in-depth conversations. There’s a lot of interaction: we don’t just work together, we genuinely enjoy spending time together.”
Outside of work
“I’ve been living in Leidsche Rijn for over five years now. In my free time, I play a lot of tennis, something I’ve been doing since I was seven. I used to be quite competitive, and while I still really enjoy it, I’m a bit less intense about it than I was in my younger years. At the weekends, I’m often out and about with my girlfriend, visiting a city or going for walks in the Veluwe.”
