Working at Modality
Meet Aad
Co-founder and programmer from the very start; meet Aad
This month, we put the spotlight on one of our seasoned veterans. This co-founder of Modality and programmer from the very start doesn’t require an introduction. Our Aad has been a Modality colleague for 27 years already.
Hobby that got out of hand
Most people know who Aad is. An established member of our support team for many years, he regularly assists customers in resolving complicated and less complicated issues. Even after all these years, Aad still derives a great degree of satisfaction from his job. As an IT support specialist, he closely collaborates with his immediate colleagues to optimally answer customer questions and resolve issues as quickly as possible. In his capacity as a programmer, Aad tackles complex issues and also readies systems for installation. For many customers, Aad has become the go-to source for all IT-related matters. If something doesn’t work correctly, Aad will analyse the issue to determine whether the root of the problem lies within the system or outside of it. In case of the latter, he will gladly advise the customer on which parties they can best contact. The combination of programming (being able to create) and the dynamic industry in which Modality operates means that Aad still enjoys his job every day. And that's a good thing. In the evenings and weekends, Aad also tirelessly continues programming new developments. ‘By day, he is an ordinary programmer, but in the evening....... also 😅’. When working at home, he is surrounded by his wife and children though, so he rarely experiences this as a burden.
Aad:
"If your support department is subpar, this will negatively impact the rest of the organisation. Our support department plays a crucial role, you want people there who know the processes and products of our customers. The personal relationships we have built up with customers and the direct lines of communication mean that you receive due appreciation when you successfully resolve an issue. On the other hand, you also have to directly deal with dissatisfied customers if you ‘mess up’. The market demands that we quickly develop products. Consequently, we don’t spend years developing a product before it is released; a customer is already using something on Wednesday that we built on Monday. The fact that I can see how a customer uses our software and the added value this brings is extremely satisfying."
Sports fanatic & family man
Fortunately, this workaholic has other interests besides programming. For example, Aad is a passionate runner who has already completed one full and numerous half marathons. His most memorable experience in this respect was his participation in the Roparun, a non-stop relay run from Rotterdam to Paris for charity. Overcoming substantial challenges together, both physically and mentally, brings with it a unique sense of togetherness that Aad loves. Besides running, Aad greatly enjoys winter sports; every year, he heads to the slopes of Austria with his family. And until recently, they would always spend the summers on a Spanish or Greek island. Last year, instead of basking, baking and sweating at the edge of a swimming pool, the family decided to explore Sweden during a road trip though. Aad has passed on his nerd genes to the next generation. He proudly talks about his 17-year-old son and 20-year-old daughter, who is going to study chemistry and regularly asks Aad questions that he is no longer able to answer; chemistry is another passion of Aad. He would very much like to hit the textbooks again should he ever decide to turn down programming a notch. Simply to (even further) expand his horizon.
