With roots in Twente, Elze’s search for a new challenge soon led her to Demcon. A vacancy at Demcon multiphysics caught her eye. While it didn’t perfectly align with her academic background in physics and lab work, it sparked her interest. Curious and open to new possibilities, she decided to take a chance and apply.
During the interviews, Elze was asked the classic question: Where do you see yourself in a few years?
Her answer was clear: she wanted to grow, take on new challenges, and eventually step into a leadership role.
To her surprise, Demcon didn’t wait a few years.
Instead, they called her back with a surprising offer: to skip the engineering role and start directly as a group leader. “I hesitated at first,” Elze admits. “I had no business experience, and only some leadership exposure during my PhD. But then she thought, “If this is where I want to be in a few years, why not start now?”
She accepted the offer and jumped straight into leadership.
Of course, she wasn’t left to figure it all out alone. “I received a lot of support,” Elze says. “From another group leader in Eindhoven who had taken a similar path, and from my colleagues in Enschede. Demcon was growing quickly, and I wasn’t the only one stepping into a new role. That made it possible to learn and grow together.”
Now, three years into her role, Elze looks back on this step with confidence: “I have no regrets. I’m happy in my current position and grateful that Demcon trusted me to take this step. What motivates me most is creating a good working environment for my team, making sure everyone feels good and can do their job well.”
Her role also gives her room to explore. She occasionally contributes to marketing activities and steps in for project management during holidays. “It’s helped me discover what I’m good at and what I enjoy” she says. “That’s what I was looking for, and I found it.”
Curious about the projects Elze and her team are working on? Discover more at Demcon multiphysics: https://multiphysics.demcon.com/.
