How did you come to work at ATCI?
I studied Veterinary Medicine in Utrecht and was interested in farm animals. I worked in England and have been a vet at different practices. In the end I developed a special interest for poultry. Chickens are very interesting animals, especially if you thrive on research and digging deep to the core of problems, like me. Next to teaching in my speciality at ATCI, we have our own veterinarian practice, where I examine and help all kinds of pets. I divide my days between my work at Aeres and at our veterinarian practice.

What makes your work special?
It is special to be able to share your knowledge and have such a big influence on the work and lives of other people. And of course, a big part of my work is meeting other cultures and find ways to overcome our differences and work together to make it possible for them to gain knowledge about their field of work. A part I really like about this, is that I get the chance to travel a lot. When I first went to Africa and Asia at a former job, I was immediately taken by the culture, nature and people of the many different countries. And every country has his own character, which makes every journey special. Although we are mostly working when we travel to these countries, it is always a good experience.

How did you come to work at ATCI?
It may not seem like the most logical career path, but I started my career as an English teacher. I then worked at Aeres MBO in the management team, in which I was responsible for internationalization. And then I rolled into ATCI. I often call myself a ‘jack-of-all-trades’, which means ‘someone who does a little of everything’. But the official title is account manager, someone who contacts potential partners and is busy with networking.

I also do some training, so I spend time among our students too. Of course, I have had some extra training in poultry farming, so I have more knowledge about what we teach here. But I still think people are more interesting than chickens. People make a better conversation partner. 

What makes your work special?
It is a very varied job, no day is the same. One day I am talking to a company that wants us to provide a training, and another moment I am teaching students from all over the world. And I also get the chance to travel regularly, up to four or five times a year. My favourite country is Indonesia, but I mostly like exploring new countries every time. Meeting people with different backgrounds and seeing what the world has to offer, that is wonderful. 

How did you come to work at ATCI?
In 2001 I started working at PTC, the predecessor of ATCI. I worked there for five years and then me and a colleague decided to start our own business. This was great, until covid started and there was not enough work. Luckily,  ATCI offered me a position in the International Office, which is work I enjoy a lot. 

What makes your work special?
I think our work is very special, because we as ATCI really have impact on people in other countries. They get more knowledge here, and take that back to their home country, where they distribute what they have learned. My role in this is to support them from the moment of their application to when they go back to their home. I receive the applications and judge if they fit the course for which they wish to apply. I help them with arranging their journey and answer all the questions they might have about their travels, permits, procedures, and so on. There is always enough administrative work and I meet a lot of different people, so it never gets boring. 

How did you come to work at ATCI?
I have always had an interest in everything technical, from old inventions such as traditional windmills to modern machines. So to study electrical engineering just made sense to me. And the interest in animal feed too, because when I was growing up, opposite our house there was an animal feed factory. In the weekend I worked there during my youth, so it is something I have been around for a long time. In my work at ATCI both are very valuable. With my electrical engineering background I have knowledge about the technics behind the machines and can solve problems without having to ring for an electrician. And I have a great interest in animal feed, which originates from my youth and where I grew up.

What makes your work special?
In contrast to my colleagues I am less involved with teaching the international students. I do teach some classes at ATCI, but I also spend a lot of my time teaching other people, from young students at our own school tot students at Wageningen University, to experienced professionals in the industry. In addition, I make regular visits to factories, to keep up with developments and be up to date with what is important to know in the field of feed milling. So it is a very varied job with a lot of different people I teach. That makes it very interesting.

How did you come to work at ATCI?
During my study I was taught about all kinds of farm animals but mostly about cows. That was interesting, but I wanted to know more about pigs and poultry. Especially chickens seemed to me like fascinating animals. So that is why I decided to specialise on poultry halfway into my study. I worked at an animal feed distributor for a while and had other jobs as a consultant and teacher. In 2011 I came to work at PTC+ and have been with Aeres since then. I work part-time at Aeres because I am also still a teacher at Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences.

What makes your work special?
The best part about my work and ATCI in general is that we try to bring different people and cultures together in a world that has a lot of challenges. Think about the climate, differences in cultures, different ideas about farming for example. You try to get to the best solution together. It involves a lot of listening and placing yourself in someone else’s shoes and try to think from their perspective: their culture, climate and position. You should not judge them or belittle them, you work together and learn from each other. I think that is very special. 

How did you come to work at ATCI?
When I finished my study Tropical Agriculture I refused to go into the military and instead got to work as a sort of teaching assistant. I immediately liked working at a school and teaching and was very internationally oriented, so when I got the chance to do this at Aeres, that just made sense. And I have been here ever since. 

What makes your work special?
For me, it is the combination of teaching and meeting people you normally would not meet. We are very internationally oriented, which makes everything so interesting. Not only the people who come here to follow the courses, but I also get the change to travel. This is something I have loved since when I was a student and I spent a year in Nepal, one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been to. I also lived in Colombia with my family for three years, my youngest daughter was born there, so that makes it very special too. And even though we mostly work when we are travelling, we get the chance to see the most beautiful countries and there is so much for me to photograph, which is a great passion of mine.

How did you come to work at ATCI?
I was trained as a specialist in pig farming and animal feed. I, like a couple of my colleagues, also worked at PTC+ before as a trainer in pig husbandry and animal feed. I also worked at companies that specialised in animal feed as a technical sales manager among other things. When Aeres was looking for someone with experience to join their international training centre, it seemed like a natural step. I always loved teaching, giving advice and explain how things work. So that is how I came to re-join Aeres in 2017.

What makes your work special?
I have always loved to dig deep, to find out how things work and search for the best solutions or ways to handle things. In my job I get to do that, and also share my knowledge with people who can really use it back home. Besides being a trainer, I have a lot of contact with the industry. 

How did you come to work at ATCI?
I first worked at the ‘regular’ department of Aeres, where I taught Dutch students about pig farming in the Netherlands. During that time, now and then we also had visitors from for example Korea. That is how I kind of rolled into the more international part of Aeres. And as time went by, I also gained more knowledge in the field of poultry and animal feed. Now I also teach in for example administrational skills and developing business plans in courses for poultry farmers. 

What makes your work special?
You can really make a difference in someone’s life and community. I think it is very valuable when you talk to former students or visit their farms in their home country after they have returned, and they tell you how they used their training and how they were able to develop themselves, the business and the community further. You really have an impact on their lives and development. 

How did you come to work at ATCI?
I first studied animal husbandry in Delft, which I liked but I wanted to learn more about doing research and digging deeper. So that is why I went to study Animal Sciences in Wageningen, from which I graduated with a specialisation in feed efficiency for layers. After that, I worked for a couple of years as a researcher at a hatchery and as a product manager at an animal feed company. But I realised I wanted to teach, so I got my second-degree teachers qualification. After working at the MBO at Aeres, I started working at ATCI. Now I teach international students about poultry, feed and insects as a possible protein source. 

What makes your work special?
The international part is something that really interested me. And also teaching adults, which makes your job completely different from teaching MBO student. It is a very hands-on and practical way of teaching, which I enjoy very much. And I also develop new course material, for example on the field of insects for feed. Insects are a very interesting alternative for regular protein sources. It can help towards a more sustainable future, a theme that is very important nowadays. And we can have a part in that.