I started at NN as a freelancer and later continued as a software engineer in the pensions domain. In that role, I built systems and worked with different teams.
Soon, I noticed something: teams often worked on similar solutions without knowing about each other. This meant that work was done twice and chances to learn from each other were missed.
When my role started to change and I became more involved in content-related decisions, I saw this pattern even more clearly. There were many good ideas, but not enough connection between teams.

“I saw something that could be better and decided to change it myself.”
For me, this felt like something I had to act on. I created a proposal for a role that keeps overview, connects teams, and supports knowledge sharing, but also gives direction to how we develop software and work together across teams and departments.
This role did not exist yet. Still, I was given the trust to shape it myself. That’s how I grew from software engineer to Staff Engineer—a role between technology, teams, and decision-making.
I now spend less time coding and more time creating impact across teams. I see my work as leadership without formal authority: I connect engineers, architecture, management, and the business. I help guide technical decisions and support progress when things get stuck. Colleagues don’t involve me to take over, but to move forward. By asking the right questions and connecting ideas, space opens again.

“You are given the space here to turn initiative into impact.”
I also actively work on knowledge sharing within NN. I organize sessions, connect communities, and start initiatives that help teams learn from each other and grow.
At the same time, I keep developing myself. I work with what I call ‘main quests’ and ‘side quests’. My main quest is improving collaboration between teams and helping engineers and teams grow in how they work and make decisions. Besides that, I take on side quests, like knowledge sharing, coaching, and new topics such as AI. These help me grow as a leader and create impact in different ways at NN.
Looking back, my development did not start from an existing role, but from something I saw and wanted to improve.

At NN, you really get the space for that. It is a big organization with structure, but if you take initiative and support your ideas well, you can create change. For me, it feels like entrepreneurship within a corporate. That is what gives me energy, not only the technology, but especially the moment when teams collaborate and feel proud of what they build together.

“It’s about building something together that you truly stand behind.”