Sjoerd van Veenendaal

“For me, DAF is a combination of different disciplines that together create an amazing product.’’

Sjoerd van Veenendaal, began his adventure in Brabant for his studies. Nowadays, he cannot imagine leaving and works as a Commodity Manager for Capital Investments at DAF, where he is responsible for the commercial aspects of capital investments in the factories of Westerlo and Eindhoven.

The first encounter with DAF
His first introduction to DAF took place during his studies at Tilburg University, where he was a board member of the student organization AIESEC, responsible for external relations. This meant he was in contact with various companies, including DAF. He still remembers the invitation to visit DAF. Although trucks weren't his interest at that time, he was incredibly impressed by the production process. After his board year, he had the opportunity to work at DAF alongside his studies. This offered him a unique chance to further develop his knowledge and skills while pursuing his Master’s in Finance at Tilburg University.

Career at DAF
After obtaining his Master's degree, he start working at DAF. He felt completely at home at DAF, and the opportunities presented made him excited to stay. He started as a Junior Commodity Manager. For him, DAF felt like a combination of different disciplines working together to make an amazing product. Each department has its own tasks, but everyone collaborates to make it a success. What truly makes DAF special is the atmosphere: despite its size, it feels like working in a small company where everyone knows each other and is always willing to go the extra mile. In the following period, he took on more responsibilities, and his range of tasks grew larger and more complex. However, after a few years, he got a new challenge and made the transition to purchasing non-production goods. In this role, he became responsible for capital investments within the factories in Westerlo and Eindhoven. This included commercial agreements for both small projects, such as purchasing new equipment, and large automation projects and factory setups. Additionally, he managed the packaging and rolling stock portfolio, that is, everything that moves and rolls within and around the factories.

Pride
One of the most rewarding projects he has been able to realize is the project concerning the reuse of soot filters. Together with other departments, he investigated whether these filters could be reused. This resulted not only in cost savings but also in a more sustainable approach. In addition to his pride in the projects he has realized, he has also become a proud father. At DAF, there is flexibility to balance work and private life. This flexibility makes life much easier!