Maarten Veger
Pega Lead System Architect and SA Practice Lead at BPM Company
I grew up in the Arnhem area and attended Olympus College. After secondary school, I chose to study Business Information Technology (then called Business Informatics) at the University of Twente in Enschede. At the time, I was already heavily engaged with the internet. Exploring new tools, downloading and experimenting with software, and building dynamic websites, so the program felt like a perfect fit. I wanted to combine economics with computer science and technical skills.
Building websites
The program turned out to have a somewhat different focus than I had initially expected. It was strongly oriented toward architecture and enterprise applications, whereas I was personally far more interested in innovative software and technology: building websites in PHP and similar hands-on projects. That practical element was less prominent in the curriculum, but it nonetheless provided a solid foundation for the rest of my career.
During my graduation period, I moved to Utrecht. I conducted my thesis research at Capgemini, within the Financial Services practice. My research focused on how to advise clients on Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA): which was a major trend at the time. Today, we refer to it as microservices, but at its core, the concept remains largely the same. I explored not only the technical dimension, but also the organizational maturity and governance structures within different organizations. Interestingly enough, I still encounter many of the same challenges today.
Allround assignments
After graduating, I started working at Fortis Bank Nederland through Capgemini. It was my first secondment assignment. It was an engaging, all-round role with a variety of responsibilities: I was involved as a Business Analyst, developer, and Project Lead.
Shortly after, I was introduced to Pega for the first time. Nationale-Nederlanden was one of the first Dutch organizations to start working with Pega, consolidating the processes of three different brands into a single, more unified setup. For the RVS domain, I built a significant number of processes in Pega. The objective was to align processes more effectively, make them more uniform, and enable reuse across the organization. It was an incredibly valuable learning experience. Many of the best practices I still apply today were developed during that period.
Lead System Architect
Around 2013, I was introduced to BPM Company at a very early stage of the firm’s journey. I was employee number eight. I started with an assignment at Achmea and subsequently worked for Rabobank for three years. During that period, I obtained my Lead System Architect (LSA) certification. Things moved quickly at BPM Company: I was immediately given the opportunity to study and take the exams so I could step into the LSA role I was aiming for. At Rabobank, I developed online self-service processes such as additional mortgage repayments. After that, I moved to MKB Brandstof, where I led a major data migration from an existing billing system to Pega, followed by further development within Pega. In recent years, I have worked on a wide range of assignments for various clients, including DICTU, the Institute for Mining Damage Groningen, the Dutch Water Boards Bank (NWB Bank), and CIZ.
Focus on quality
BPM Company is a great company to work for: we move quickly and keep communication lines short. Over the past few years, we have grown significantly, yet the organization remains flat and flexible. Initiative is valued, and there is always room to propose improvements. Our focus is on quality. We strive to deliver solutions that are well-designed and effective, not simply to log hours. We think alongside our clients and provide honest, well-considered advice.
Outside of work
In my free time, I spend a lot of time with my kids. I also stay active through sports, tennis in particular. I used to play quite competitively when I was younger, and these days I participate in the winter league. In addition, I enjoy running. Last year, I completed a marathon in the Netherlands, and next year I have another one abroad on the agenda.
