Working on airport systems around the world, how cool is that!

Frank is a Senior Electrical Project Engineer at Vanderlande, working on baggage handling systems at airports around the world. He coordinates complex design and renovation projects, mentors junior engineers, and regularly travels to destinations worldwide. Discover what drives him, how he stays challenged, and what makes working at airports so special to him.

Author

Frank Berkvens

Senior Electrical Project Engineer

How do you make an impact within and beyond Vanderlande?

As a Senior Electrical Project Engineer, I’m involved in our airport projects, coordinating and allocating tasks across my team. I’m involved from the design phase – the most challenging phase, because it can make or break the project. It’s incredibly complex, with so many different aspects to consider and everything needing to align. I also mentor juniors, and help them reach the next level. It’s incredibly rewarding to see them get enthusiastic and grow. Together, we can achieve even better results.

How does Vanderlande foster your personal growth?

With my previous employers, I followed training because I felt I had to. At Vanderlande, that’s not the case at all: I proactively sign up for trainings on my own initiative, as I know they will benefit me. That said, I strongly believe that you only truly learn a profession by gaining hands-on experience. And there are plenty of opportunities for that: within or beyond the department, in my current role or a different one. I started out with operational tasks in 2014, progressed to lead engineer in 2016, and have been a senior engineer and lead since 2019. I guide junior engineers to navigate their careers in the same way I have, and I’ve never felt held back. I’m happy with what I do, but once you’ve mastered something, it becomes routine and the challenge fades. That’s why I’m working with a career coach on a plan and I get to explore tasks that fit a project leader role. That way I can try it out without any commitment and see if it’s the right path for me. It’s great that Vanderlande supports and enables this!

How do you stay challenged in your current role?

By working on complex projects. Over the past few years, I’ve worked on renovation projects at operational airports, which requires extensive research: how is the current system set up and what needs to change? What facilities are available and how do we schedule the work? At larger airports, the complexity lies in the sheer scale of the project: how do you handle specific requirements, plan the volume of work, and apply new, innovative techniques? On top of that, I get to collaborate with international colleagues, which is a fun challenge in itself.

What makes you happy about working at Vanderlande?

An airport is a complex environment, because you’re dealing with all kinds of laws and regulations. It’s an art to come up with designs and strategies that meet every requirement. I have to dive deep into the details, but that’s exactly what I find interesting. I also really enjoy working at the airport: I get to see places a regular passenger never would. I see it as a privilege to get to see different parts of the world. I regularly travel to the United Kingdom, but I also visit remarkable destinations worldwide. Working in another part of the world is often intense but also very special, which is exactly why it gives me so much energy. It’s wonderful to visit places you wouldn’t normally travel to on holiday and to experience the differences across the world up close.

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