INTERVIEW Changing to work towards change

‘I was looking for a company that would invest heavily in assets relating to the energy transition,’ Paul continues. ‘But I was also attracted by the feel of Gasunie, a company that cares about its people and about its role in society. That appealed to me, as a professional and as a person.’ Arjan: ‘Expanding always gives you energy. It is also a big compliment for Gasunie that we have managed to gain this new role in the energy transition. That was certainly not a given, and I feel appreciated as an employee and as a company that we are being allowed to handle this.’

Paul immediately picks up on this. ‘I find it interesting how you phrase that, Arjan. I take a different view: Gasunie is naturally the best party to take on this role, the most logical party. We don’t have to feel like we have to wait for a nod of approval. No, we just have to get on with it. I think that is really changing in the corporate culture.’ ‘Gasunie was indeed very modest for a long time,’ Arjan adds. ‘We didn’t consider it anything special that thanks to us the natural gas continued to flow.’

Arjan: ‘Another thing I see changing are the internal processes. In my new job I also have the inevitable paperwork. I don’t always see the added value in that. That needs to change. I will be taking up the discussion to bring about change in certain matters. Paul: ‘We come from a time when it made sense to be a company with a civil service approach. The work processes have been fine-tuned over the years. Over the past year I have seen that we are becoming more relaxed and pragmatic where possible, something that we of course also have to watch out for. Our work is vital and must be done safely. So, it’s only logical that we have a certain level of bureaucracy. The trick for us is to do those new things while still holding on to the value of how things were done in the past.’

Paul: ‘The degree of self-management is very high at Gasunie anyway, especially when you consider what a big company it is. Everyone is allowed to and dares to make their own decisions. I really like that, and it really suits me. I have highly skilled people around me; they really don’t need me to make all kinds of decisions for them.’ Arjan nods in agreement.

Is the courage to change perhaps more part of Gasunie’s DNA than it sometimes seems? Arjan: ‘If you really want something, a lot is possible in this company,’ says Arjan. ‘Actually, that has always been the case. When I applied more than 30 years ago, the person interviewing me told me about all the different positions he had held. That was the push I needed to go with Gasunie at the time. You can head in many directions here.’ Paul: ‘I met an awful lot of people in my first year. Everyone is aware that we need to change; I haven’t encountered anyone stuck in the past. For me it’s been a pleasant surprise that everyone is so ready to change.’