Excellent engineering: no challenge is too great

Robert Bok (66) is on the eve of retirement, but he is far from ready to stop working. His career was always full of challenge, from complex organizations to developing new techniques. That drives and characterizes him, and in this he has always made conscious choices.

“After my service, when I was 21, I started at Hoogovens in IJmuiden. There I did mechanical maintenance at the Blast Furnaces Technical Department (HTD). In the evenings I studied at the Blast Furnace business school, where I obtained all the necessary diplomas in four years. After a few years, I moved on and did assembly work for a while at various smaller companies. Eventually I got into environmental engineering and industry.

Born leader
I am someone who enjoys helping people, learning new things and being curious. And I’m a leader by nature, that was noticed pretty early in my career. Thus, I have held various project , business development and general management roles. I worked a lot with all kinds of specialists and gained broad technical knowledge. That made me very good at interacting with all kinds of technicians as a project manager. At the beginning of a project, I often have an idea whether something later in the process may start to pose a problem. On an organizational level, I also learned how to deal with different stakeholders.

Entrepreneurship with proprietary technology
In 1992 I took the plunge and started my own company, EPMS B.V. I was engaged in petrochemical sludge treatment, oil separation and recovery using my self-developed SuperSep technology. I specialized in wastewater and sludge treatment in Europe with all the major oil and chemical companies as clients. In addition, I was a specialist in integral maintenance service concepts. In 2002, I transferred my business to a large partner to grow larger. Within the organization, I went to work as a consultant on projects at home and abroad. That’s how I first started leading shutdown projects. Unfortunately, the partnership turned out differently than expected and I continued as a management b.v.

Opportunities through BuildingCareers
Years later, I was on a very challenging job in the Botlek where I had created a scope for an abandonment project. This case involved a company that had been located there for 63 years and was leaving. The project was nearing completion when I saw an ad pass by Building Careers in 2021 seeking construction managers for the Blast Furnace 6 renovation project. I responded to the vacancy and after a detailed conversation with Robrecht Bakker of BuildingCareers, he indicated that there was another possibility. I was able to join Tata Steel’s internal engineering firm Projects & Technical Consultancy (PTC) as a project manager. No sooner said than done. The hiring process and contact with BuildingCareers went very smoothly. I became responsible for leading CAPEX projects that were part of the Roadmap Plus program. This program is aimed at improving the environment and making Tata Steel more sustainable.

Test Plant HIsarna
Soon I learned that the pilot plant for the HIsarna process would be restarted. In this process, iron is made directly from the raw materials coal and ore, without having to first make kooks, sinter or pellets from them. The experiences and results provided by the test plant serve as a basis for new choices in the future to make green steel. I had already read about that and found it very interesting, a new production process AND new technology. I started the conversation with PTC management and the manager of HIsarna. Successful! I had the green light to lead the project for a year.

Additional challenge
Such a test plant with new techniques is an extra challenge, because you have to invent all sorts of things. Plants must be built that have not been built before, parts made that do not yet exist. My job was to make sure the idea was well developed and actually feasible. Because I come from engineering, I am very good at sparring with engineers at the very beginning. I have my own input, often see if something will work or not, and at the same time I keep an eye on the process, schedule and budget. The biggest technical challenge was the burner technology, but we figured that out. In the end, we gained a lot of experience and gathered important data from the test plant.

Tips for young professionals
I would advise young people to keep building yourself. When you do that, it also works its way into your work. And make sure you figuratively (and in engineering also literally 😉 ) have your toolbox in order. If you only have a gold screwdriver, very good, but if you also have a wrench 10, even better. Try to specialize as broadly as possible. Make sure you know something about ICT, controls, foundations et cetera. If you are in a project, this way you can still help your colleagues. Success is achieved together.

Future plans
Retirement? I am 66 and will continue to work as long as I am asked and I feel like it. I will soon start at Facta as a business development consultant for one year. However, I will be working somewhat fewer hours and more flexibly. This will give me more time for my grandchildren, two girls aged nine and six. I am an enterprising grandfather, we often go out together and do all sorts of fun and adventurous things. Furthermore, I occasionally cut down a tree, literally. This has been a hobby of mine for several years and started when I wanted to have a wood stove built in my previous house. I bought a saw and an axe and decided to cut the wood myself. To do this, I did take training from the fire department first so that I could do it safely. I now live in a house without a wood stove, so I only cut down a tree for others now. And I enjoy being on a road bike, preferring to ride as long, straight and hard as possible. Trips averaging 100 km, not per hour, I just don’t make that 😉 . So this guy is having fun. And I’m always open to a new challenge, so who knows what I’ll do next.”