From Iranian telecom to IT0professional at FrieslandCampina

Consciously choosing the Netherlands

Armin Asgharpour (38), grew up in Tehran, Iran, and has been fascinated by technology since childhood. How does a remote control work? How do cell phones send text messages? That curiosity led him to a career with big names like Ericsson and Nokia. The sanctions and the culture in Iran limited Armin and his wife’s freedom. They consciously made the choice for the Netherlands, a country where men and women have equal opportunities. Here they could continue their careers and develop their passion for new technologies.

”At FrieslandCampina, I get the opportunity to combine my passion for IT with operational technology”.

Since April this year, after his intensive training at Motopp, Armin has started his first steps as a ServiceNow consultant at FrieslandCampina. A big challenge? Not really, if you ask Armin. “The transition was not difficult for me,” he explains. “In telecom I was already working with different software, and ServiceNow felt immediately familiar to me, because at Ericsson we were also working with similar systems. The big difference here? I have access to the most up-to-date knowledge and applications, and that makes it all the more exciting.”

Versatility in my career

As a ServiceNow developer, Armin can apply himself widely within FrieslandCampina. “We apply ServiceNow within all kinds of departments, from HR and Finance to Facility and Purchasing. This opens many doors for them,” explains Bert Nijbroek. “ServiceNow is growing at lightning speed, and that’s exactly why we started this process in cooperation with ServiceNow.”

Armin is currently automating processes that were previously done manually, such as capturing assessments on the sites. Where this used to be done via large Excel sheets, he has now turned this into an efficient automated system within ServiceNow. These innovations make a substantial difference.”

Bert continues: “His project manager, Twan Verkerk, guides him in further developing his skills. During progress meetings with Motopp, we evaluate whether there is sufficient knowledge exchange, whether additional training is needed, and in what areas they can develop further. With a whole year ahead of them, there is plenty of room for growth and progress.”

Challenges in Dutch culture

“We love the beauty of the Netherlands, the open mentality of the people and the opportunities we have here. We can fulfill dreams here that were unachievable in Iran,‘’ says Armin. Still, Dutch culture feels a bit complicated for Armin. “I find it difficult to build a relationship with Dutch people, especially because I don’t have a good command of the language yet.

A big part also lies with ourselves: we have to prove ourselves. To fit in better with the culture, I want to learn the Dutch language. My wife and I will invest in this together, so we can connect with people more easily and share the beautiful things in our culture in new friendships.” Armin is optimistic about the future: “This experience has motivated me to learn new things. I would like to develop further in cybersecurity, especially in relation to OT.”

Read the entire interview from FrieslandCampina here