Mark Senten
The new business unit manager for KH Engineering Belgium:
Ambitions for new sectors and regions
Mark Senten is the new business unit manager for KH Engineering in Belgium. He succeeds Dirk Vervaeck, who retired on March 12. Mark explains what his vision and ambitions are for the Belgian branch of KH Engineering.
On March 9, Mark started at KH Engineering in Antwerp. After a short transfer by Dirk, Mark set up his new office in good spirits, but less than a week later he had to leave. ‘Due to the lockdown , we have to work from home in Belgium. Without good reason we are not allowed to leave,’ he explains. ‘So everyone has been working from home since Thursday 19 March. That's a pity for me as a newcomer because I don't know people well yet. But besides that, working from home is fine and I think we will do that a lot more after the crisis.’
Geographical distribution
In Belgium, KH Engineering is mainly active in the port of Antwerp. Mark wants to increase the geographical spread of KH Engineering and to enter new markets. A daring ambition. ‘I think we should be able to work well with pharmaceutical companies. As in the ( petro ) chemical industry, where KH Engineering amply proven itself, the base of the pharmaceutical industry is a chemical process. We already have a large part of the know-how with regard to engineering these processes, we will still have to acquire another part. And it still requires some commercial effort to profile ourselves in this market . Geographical distribution will then follow, because the pharmaceutical industry is located further away in Flanders and Wallonia.’
Energy balance
Mark sees other opportunities in the energy transition. ‘That's a buzz word , of course ,’ he says . ‘The point is that energy is now much more often generated locally - for example by private individuals. hat requires a different electricity network architecture. KH Engineering is perfectly capable of managing that change. It is important to have the right energy balance, and that is what we have been managing for years in petrochemicals.'
oiled processes
All these growth plans also mean that KH Engineering will have to continue to be involved in “the war on talent”. ‘That's right,’ says Mark. ‘Good engineers are scarce. That means first and foremost that you have to be an attractive employer. In addition to a salary in line with the market, of course, you will have to offer a number of attractive secondary conditions. I am thinking, for example, of a company bicycle or an OV card and the options for flexible working.’ Mark also notes that prices are falling and margins are shrinking. ‘That means efficient collaboration between our offices is crucial and we must strive for well-oiled internal processes.’
resilience
In the short time he's been working at KH Engineering, what has Mark noticed the most? ‘The resilience. I know that some of our engineers work for a very critical customer. They have to make every effort to technically understand the complicated issues. There is always a new challenge around the corner. And yet I see that the employees - seemingly imperturbable - keep switching quickly and come up with solutions. I find their resilience commendable.’ Mark indicates that he already suspected this during the selection procedure. ‘During those initial conversations, I was almost blown off my socks by the decisive approach, the targeted questions and the statement that there is always a solution for everything. Look, those are things that I love.‘
Would you like to meet or drink a digital cup of coffee with Mark Senten to exchange ideas? Please contact Mark.