Thomas Van Kouteren

How did you find your way to Umicore?

I have known Umicore since I was young: where I lived, you could see the two chimneys of the HBN plant in the distance. Since I was a child, I’d always wondered what they were for. In my final Master year at KUL university, my father asked me along on a guided tour at Umicore in Olen. That's where my interest really started to grow! After my engineering studies, I followed a postgraduate course in innovation management at the Leuven university. At some point, Karel Vinck, former CEO of Umicore, gave a guest lecture there. He was a huge inspiration with his stories about the construction of the HBN site and the challenge it represented. During that year, I also worked on a project on innovation management at Umicore, which was also super interesting and taught me a lot! And so I finally found out what it was they were doing in that factory I could see from my backyard! When I graduated, during the pandemic that was, I realized that I had no technical experience whatsoever after my academic studies. So I wanted to start among the machines to learn hands-on engineering. Just then I came across the vacancy of the Junior Engineering Program and two weeks later I signed my contract!

Can you describe your current position at Umicore?

My current position is very varied: primarily I am responsible for planning, preparing and carrying out maintenance tasks at one of the site's many production services, the Lead Refinery.

I am also technically responsible for the machinery of this department. My job is to ensure that all the installations at the Lead Refinery are operating optimally with minimal downtime, that enough spare parts are always in stock and that we can always guarantee robust and safe operations of the machinery.

I am also responsible for several plant improvements. Furthermore, I assist engineering colleagues for larger projects within the department. After all, Process Maintenance allows us to know the ins and outs of the machinery within our production department.

In addition, I also committed to supervising students within the site. This was a logical step, as I was already doing this outside work for KU Leuven. I recently started looking for challenging student projects at Umicore and then I got involved in developing the projects in order to attract young talents for the maintenance department. Obviously, a global player like Umicore is constantly looking for new insights and young talent with a refreshing view. By offering internships, the student and the company can learn from each other. As a company, we need to keep innovating, but to do so we need people with different insights and look at certain challenges from a different perspective.

What do you like about your job?

What I particularly like about my job is that it is very versatile. Especially compared to the jobs many of my former fellow students are doing now, where you only have 1 designated task. Here, on the other hand, you get a lot of room to take the initiative and to change things. You have the opportunity to learn a lot all the time: the Hoboken site has existed for over 135 years, which means it holds a huge amount of expertise. Everyone is open to innovation, for instance, if you come up with well-founded improvement proposals, you are heard and supported in achieving them. At the Process Maintenance department, you learn to look at the plant in a completely different way and, as a starting engineer, I think that is a huge added value for a first work experience.

Furthermore, there are many other opportunities within the company. As a starter, I was immediately given a lot of responsibility. In the evening, I go home feeling that I made a difference and I really like that.

In the maintenance department, I was instantly part of the team and I learned a great deal in a short period of time. I am very grateful to my colleagues for this, I just love going to work every day!

What do you like about working at Umicore?

The Hoboken site is a dynamic plant. There are always new projects, new challenges. It never stands still, every day there is something new to learn, our colleagues or we are always working on something new. I think that’s how it should be: we are a global player in our sector. I also completely agree with the sustainable narrative, the circular economy we stand for.

Umicore is just a cool company to work for! It is the place to be for all those who love electromechanics, practically every machine imaginable is there at the site. For an engineer, the factory is practically a playground brimming with technology.

There are also lots of opportunities for advancement: they will talk to you about your career and help you find a position that matches your talents and preferences.

What do you look forward to when you set off to work in the morning?

I love coming into contact with new things. I now mainly work for the LR department, but I also have regular contact with more than 10 other production departments: different plants with different processes and technologies each time. If you have a passion for technology, it's a great situation. I love looking at complex issues together with colleagues and coming up with solutions. And I don't go home happy until I have learned something that day!

What has been the highlight of your time at Umicore so far?

Absolutely the annual shutdowns of the Smelter and the LR!

During a complete shutdown, the department comes to a full halt so we can carry out major maintenance and all major projects at the same time. It’s a big challenge: you have to make different parties work together, in a safe way, according to the right timing. It is highly satisfying when I manage to solve the various problems that crop up at such times. In those moments, I truly come alive because I can think up creative solutions and keep several balls in the air at the same time. It gives me great satisfaction to see when everything is started up again, that all installations are working as they should.

The period in which I learned the most was when, at the start of the Junior Engineering Program, I was allowed to carry out maintenance together with technicians. By rolling up my sleeves, seeing installations up close and helping to carry out maintenance and repairs, I gained a lot of valuable knowledge from colleagues with a lot of experience. In my opinion, that is the best way to start at an industrial company like Umicore. As a recent graduate you don't really know anything - even though you might think you do. The program taught me to be humble and to build a network with colleagues who have different capabilities and skills. You can't succeed alone, you have to work together to achieve a bigger goal.

Any advice for newcomers?

I advise every newcomer to ask lots of questions, not to complain too much and, above all, to have a great time!