Like father, like daughter: John and Shana Verbraeken both like a challenge

John Verbraeken (60) started his career at Damen Naval in October 2001. Before then, he was working at the Municipality of Tholen but “was looking for more of a challenge” he says. This was soon after the Schelde had been acquired by Damen and John joined the company as a Systems Manager, working mainly with the management and later phasing out of the UNIX computer systems. “Back then, the company’s IT work was contracted out to an external company called EDS but it was decided to bring it back under our own control again; this is what I was part of.” This newly created IT department consisted of just 15 people, who not only handled the IT systems for Damen Naval. “We also did the IT-related work for all the Damen companies in Vlissingen including Amels, ExoTech, DSMS, Scheldepoort and Schelde Gears.”

After moving up to the position of Team Lead Networks and Systems in 2008, John took the job of IT Change Manager in 2012. This is the job that he still does today and it turns out the his job title is aptly named: John has (over)seen a considerable amount of change in the previous twelve years, including the phasing out of Exotech from the Damen network, the renovation of the head office and the upgrade of the central telephone system. He also took on the additional position as Change Manager for Damen Global, dividing his working week between Vlissingen and Gorinchem. “I did that until November 2021 – that was when the work here at Damen Naval started growing tremendously so I was asked to come back to work 100 per cent for Damen Naval.” In addition to this role, John has also been a team leader for Company Emergency Response since 2003.

While Damen Naval’s growth is, of course, linked to the expansion of the IT department, John is keen to add that it is also closely connected to the increased level of expertise within the company. “This is due to the fact that all the procedures and processes need to be further optimized and professionalised. This is a continuous process: the bigger you get as a company, the more attention you have to pay to the processes. This ensures that the company actually operates much better. This is a very nice challenge.”

John’s daughter Shana (24) is also in her current job because of the desire to push herself further. “I started working in the Time Administration office in March 2023, but when I saw the vacancy for the secretary of the RD&I department, I decided to apply as it was closer to my educational background. I have been in this new position since March this year and it has definitely been a nice challenge.”

The RD&I department consists of 16 people, all supported by Shana. “I do have a lot of support from the other secretaries, but in principle, the RD&I scope is all in my hands,” she smiles. “It was a completely new department so everything had to be started up and sorted out. I like that this department is constantly trying new things; they are very much ahead in terms of developments and ideas. It’s a very interesting department to be in.”

Similar to her father, Shana is also looking forward to the personal development available from working at Damen. “As soon as my core work is running smoothly, I am definitely going to see if I can continue my training. For example, there’s a basic engineering training that I would like to follow; this will help me better understand the engineers in our department because sometimes our meetings can get quite complicated,” she notes. Also linked to the subject of personal growth is Young Damen, the networking organisation for Damen employees under the age of 35. “All the Damen companies are involved with Young Damen and I am on the board of the Vlissingen branch – involving Damen Yachting, Shiprepair, Oost and Naval – organising outsourcing, events, exchanges, and social events.”

While Shana and John’s respective jobs mean that they do not interact with each other at work, they do still occasionally find time to connect during the working day. “We sometimes take a walk together at lunchtime, to talk about how things are going,” says Shana. John adds: “I am very proud of her to see her achieve so much, very proud of her progress.”

With less than ten years until his retirement, John is not expecting the changes that he has experienced at Damen Naval to stop at one point. “This is exactly why I am here. On the first of October, I have been working exactly 23 years for Damen Naval.t has been – and still is – a very nice journey because of all the changes that the company is making.” With a few more years to work than her father, Shana is clear about her career ambitions. “I have a good employer and nice colleagues in an interesting company,” she says. “And I really feel at home here so it is my intention to stay working here as long as I stay challenged. But I don’t think there’ll be a problem with that!”