Our new solution architect, Lodewijk Henneveld, had his heart initially set on becoming a surgeon. Medicine’s loss turned out to be IT’s gain. During his master’s in international management, his interest in Salesforce was piqued. The next thing he knew, he chose to start his career working as a Salesforce developer. Besides being passionate about finding the perfect solution for clients, he is an enthusiastic cook, avid traveler and a person of several interests. Let’s hear from him!
Hello Lodewijk. What’s your story?
Hi! I was born and raised in Haarlem, the Netherlands. I am currently 30 years old and I am already getting my first grey hair… haha! I live in Amsterdam now and might move to Haarlem or Utrecht, with my girlfriend Marleen, soon.
At some point in time, I wanted to get into medicine and become a surgeon. I did give it three attempts but didn’t win the lottery. Which is great because life had better plans for me! I studied economics and business. Then a master’s in international management, where I had my first interaction with the Salesforce platform. We used it for managing all sales, by the entire study association, which I was a member of. We had purchased it but it wasn’t really implemented. So another board member and I decided to do it ourselves. That was the most fun I had and I knew that I wanted to work in Salesforce.
What did you do, prior to this?
I am an IT guy who didn’t study computer science. So my first job was with Accenture, a large consultant. It was great for upskilling oneself by working hard and learning quickly. After a while though, the work plateaued and I found the challenge ebbing away. So, I got in touch with Damen Shipyards in Gorinchem, a huge shipbuilding company. I spent the last 1.5 years working there, first as a Salesforce developer and then as a solution architect. I was responsible for the entire Salesforce platform and implementations. We also did a Salesforce Service Cloud implementation. However, being a traditional company with resistance to change, it became a little limiting for me. That hunger for challenges is what brought me to Appsolutely.
What will you be doing at Appsolutely?
The idea is to be a very connective element. Between the build team, the more technical people and business. As a solution architect, we try to create an overview of how Salesforce is supposed to work. This includes interweaving of the features, deciding what is necessary, what and how much should be customized and what should be out of the box. Then I would also listen, spar and speak with the business and management team about it. Trying to find out what really needs to be done, and being able to translate that into IT, is the part I really enjoy. I love connecting with people. I love talking, explaining and taking them on a journey. I try to find out what’s in their head and then put it into perspective, to help them see what they need.
Why did you choose Appsolutely?
On my road up to Appsolutely, I discovered that not a lot of people who work with Salesforce know how to use it properly. Or they do not have the right amount of enthusiasm and knowledge. I was looking for a place that truly understands what Salesforce is about. There are companies that just want to implement and then there are those that want to unlock value. Salesforce is just a tool. It is only when you have a vision and passion for it, that you get value. I was also looking for a smaller company which was more human and agile. Appsolutely ticked all the boxes for me. After speaking with Floor, Jaap, Kjell and Carlo, I realized this was the place for me.
What challenges and goals do you see for yourself?
I think the foremost goal is to start and then flourish in your role. To help clients with their challenges and that can further help improve a lot of peoples’ lives. I truly believe making someone else’s job easier has an impact on their lives. So after landing in the role, the next challenge is to land at Appsolutely. It is quite a diverse company with different nationalities. I want to meet and connect with all the people. Especially in a smaller company where everyone is tight knit, you need to become a part of the team. And the third is my personal challenge - getting 20 Salesforce certificates. I am halfway there. I just need to get into my learning rhythm again.
How would you describe yourself?
I refer to myself as an omnivert. I really like people, but I also enjoy reading a book and recharging. I am geeky inside. I enjoy history a lot and almost anything to do with computers. There is also my extrovert side and I really love cooking and sharing a meal with friends or family, around a big table.
What are your interests, outside of work?
Because of all the cooking I like to do, I also need to work out a lot. I run marathons. I will be running one in October. Besides that, I have a motorbike, a cruiser, that I head out often on. Skiing is another activity I enjoy and I am looking forward to the annual ski trip with Appsolutely.
I am into history and that extends to travel as well. I love travelling with my girlfriend, to different cities and understanding the significance, symbolism and stories of the places that we visit. If there is any time left, I am also partial to strategy games as there is some creativity involved there.
What are your expectations from this job?
I had a lot of positive vibes. I am looking forward to a team with a lot of energy and will. I expect that we’ll be able to work together to make things happen. It will be a lot of fun to meet people, to see what they can do. They know a lot of things I don’t and there is a lot of learning to do. I look forward to a challenging job, where people enjoy the challenge and help each other out, to do cool stuff and do it right.
Are you curious to see if we have a perfect opportunity for you too? Check our careers page for open positions or let us know if we can help you find a perfect match.
