Angela Noordam | turning a commitment to excellence into opportunities
At advanced mechatronics, our success is driven by employees that aren’t afraid to take chances and do what it takes to deliver excellence. One colleague who embodies this commitment is Angela Noordam, Data Analyst at Pneutec.
Angela moved to the Netherlands from the US, along with her Dutch husband who she’d met when he was an exchange student at her high school in Michigan. Though she wanted to work here, she struggled to find a job matching her background in business law. She ended up taking a job delivering the mail, and after about a year she found a job working in production at Pneutec.
knack for technical work
In the clean room at Pneutec, Angela discovered that she had a knack for technical work. She mastered all the typical tasks, and from there started working with engineering on more complex projects. During this time she learned about 5S and Lean and became extremely enthusiastic about technique, production, and processes – what she calls the theme of her career in the Netherlands. Though she loved and excelled at her job, the company went through a tough period and she was laid off.
Angela went on to work in technical roles at various other companies. She achieved her goal of becoming a production manager, but found that the social aspects of production management were exhausting to her. Rather than burn out, she decided to find a job she simply liked to do. Pneutec had remained her favorite employer, so when a friend working there encouraged her to come back, she jumped at the opportunity. Letting go of what she thought was her dream ended up being a great decision.
return to Pneutec
Her return to Pneutec was a rocky one, as she suffered from two tennis elbows which forced her to work on a series of projects outside the cleanroom. On one such project she worked with the supply chain department, and she hit it off with the team immediately. Eventually the project came to an end, but Angela was not yet able to return to the cleanroom. “I went around asking if anyone needed help, but it wasn’t clear where I could go next,” she says. Fortunately, the supply chain team with whom she’d gotten along so well wanted to give her a chance. With support of HR, they successfully made the fit of Angela’s abilities and talents, matching the need of Pneutec for a data analyst, supporting Pneutec’s supply chain and procurement departments.
Angela started this new role in January, and it looks to be an excellent fit. “I’m never bored and I’m always busy,” she says with a laugh. “I also have a great manager. Stephan is full of energy and ideas. He’s also willing to invest time in me and help me develop myself. That’s exactly the kind of manager everyone needs – someone who sees your potential and is willing to fight to keep you.”
going the extra mile
All the twists and turns in Angela’s career have given her clarity on the path forward. “I’ve learned that what I like about production is managing processes and making things more efficient,” she says. “Our customers have high standards. We need to understand what operational excellence is and be willing to go the extra mile in order to achieve it. I’m eager to play a more hands-on role in improving processes so that we can work more efficiently and deliver the quality our customers demand from us.”
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