Jeroen Scholten started his career at Avanade almost 17 years ago. After working at the IT department of a local hospital he met up with a former colleague who introduced him to Avanade. Since then, he has grown together with the company.

In ‘Homecoming’ we tell the stories of Avanade ‘boomerangs’: employees who left the company for other opportunities before returning. Careers are long and winding, and personal and professional aspirations vary from person to person. It’s natural for people to want to branch out, but wherever you go and whatever you do, there is always a home for you at Avanade.

Career turning point

In his first year and a half at Avanade, Jeroen was an Infrastructure Consultant focusing on email migration projects: “When I joined the company there were around 65 employees. It was nothing like the company Avanade is today - with over 450 employees. I didn't have many career opportunities at the time, and I decided to work elsewhere.

At Brocade I landed an EMEA position as a Principal Consultant. A role for which I boarded a plane almost every week to meet customers. The traveling really worked for me, but the meetings were all similar and I missed the project work.” Within less than a year Jeroen seized the new opportunity offered to him by Avanade: “This time around there was an interesting IT project in Kuwait where I could immediately make the difference for the company in terms of visibility. The company and projects were on another level compared to when I first joined Avanade. This would be the turning point in my career.”

Crafting your career

“The deciding factor for me was the ability to work on international projects. Within the first four to five years I traveled to Kuwait, Scandinavia, Spain, and Belgium. I was able to experience the scalability of the company firsthand.” When Jeroen landed a project with one of the largest health insurers in The Netherlands, he decided to stay. He was responsible for a team - leading the migration of 18.000+ workplaces, including the set-up of new devices and applications: “From that moment on Avanade never failed to challenge me. Every new position I fulfilled within the company came with different opportunities and challenges. In a way, you are responsible for your own success. I am set on expanding my horizon through my capability, knowledge, and skills.” For a long time, Jeroen worked on delivery projects. Now he is more involved with commercial projects and accounts: “The worst thing that can happen to me is boredom. Luckily Avanade facilitates training, gatherings, and other initiatives to support your roadmap.”

“We don't believe in cookie-cutter solutions for our customers because every project is unique”

Ever-evolving workplace

In his current position as Solution Area Lead Applications & Infrastructure, Jeroen works with a steady team of professionals: “Together we've been assisting companies with Azure projects to guide them through the digital transformation. We understand the opportunities of digitization and how it will affect their business, processes, people, and culture.” Avanade has a flat organizational structure that provides unique opportunities for employees: “I believe autonomy enables employees to find better ways to do their job or become involved in new areas of the company. For example, as a father of 3, I am associated with the Working Parents initiative. Avanade provides a range of benefits and support to working parents and with my experience, I can support other working parents. Although I have been working from my attic for the last 18 months during the pandemic, I didn’t feel limited in my interactions with colleagues or customers. That shows the power of a healthy digital work environment strategy.”

Also interested in a career at Avanade? See our open roles here.