"At Salure, we’re always looking for new experts! Personal development is our top priority." Taylor, a former data analyst, had an impressive start as a technical project manager in the Data & Analytics department. Now, she works as a Product Owner. Get to know Taylor and her time at Salure!
13 Questions for Product Owner Taylor
1. Tell us about yourself!
Hi, I’m Taylor! This year, I became a Product Owner at Salure. Before that, I worked for two years as a technical project manager in the Data & Analytics department. I live in Breda with my husband and two cats. I’ve been with Salure since August 2019.
2. What would you gladly wake up for?
You can always wake me up for food - sushi or a frikandel speciaal, even though I hardly ever eat it. It’s unhealthy, of course, but so delicious! For material things, let me sleep—I value sleep more than possessions.
3. How did you end up at Salure?
I initially had a job offer from another company, but I wasn’t completely certain about the role. After having a few conversations with my potential colleagues, I realized the company wasn’t the right fit for me.
So, I uploaded my CV to an IT job site and went on vacation. Before I knew it, I was getting calls left and right! It must have been a great market for fresh econometrics graduates at the time.
Not long after, Jaco, a partner at Salure, called me. His enthusiasm instantly made me happy. With my previous employer, I had focused on the company’s size and reputation, so I decided this time to choose with my heart.
After my vacation, I visited Salure’s office to see if the connection felt right in person. I had a conversation with Erwin, my current manager, and Jaco. The chemistry was there right away.
"Everyone here has an innovative mindset, constantly improving and challenging each other."
4. Did your studies prepare you for this role?
Yes! I started as a data analyst, which requires strong analytical skills and programming knowledge. The technical skills I learned at university came in handy for that role.
After a year, though, I realized I was progressing well but wasn’t happy in my role. This was partly due to how our work was structured. I brought this up with Erwin, suggesting ways to improve how we manage our work and clients.
Erwin acknowledged my point but wasn’t initially keen on creating a project manager role. However, he gave me the freedom to explore the idea—and the rest is history! I think our entire team agrees this role has added a lot of value.
Although I still handle a lot of technical intakes and information sessions, I now rely on my university skills less than I did as a data analyst. Now, I’ve taken another step forward as a Product Owner.
5. Can you tell us more about your role as a project manager?
I spent two years as the team’s project manager. During the first year, I focused on researching and experimenting since the role didn’t exist in its current form. I made mistakes along the way, but I learned from them.
Two years later, the role is well-established, but there’s always room for improvement. One major milestone for me was automating parts of my work, allowing us to handle more projects with minimal overhead. I believe the aim should always be to make your work as straightforward and efficient as possible.
6. What’s the best part of your job?
My colleagues, hands down! The atmosphere is fantastic. Everyone is kind, easy to talk to, and some have even become good friends. This makes coming to work really enjoyable.
On top of that, everyone has an innovative mindset, constantly challenging and improving each other. In many ways, our team adds a lot of value to my daily life.
7. What does a typical workday look like for you?
It’s always different. Within Data & Analytics, we’re responsible for our own planning. Every two weeks, we commit to tasks and decide when to complete them, coordinating directly with clients. I love this flexibility because I’m not a fan of repetitive operational tasks.
I often have client meetings, which can be an intake for a new project or a status update on an ongoing one. As I mentioned, I’m also focused on improving the project manager role. Every week, I dedicate one day to process improvement and automation, which Erwin strongly supports.
Sometimes, I like to keep my technical skills sharp by building connections or assisting colleagues. If I stopped building entirely, my technical knowledge might start to fade. Understanding how things are built helps me advise clients better.
8. What achievement are you most proud of?
I’m proud of setting up my role within the department. It’s incredibly satisfying to see how well it’s working now. I get a lot of positive feedback from colleagues and other departments, which shows that the effort I’ve put in is paying off.
9. What do you enjoy about technology?
I love the complexity of it. Sometimes you’re faced with a problem and think, “How am I going to solve this?” Then, after thinking hard, experimenting, and hitting some roadblocks, you figure it out—and it’s so satisfying! You can do so much with data; it’s amazing.
One fun example, not entirely work-related, is using data in sports. I trained for an Ironman (a full triathlon), and even there, data is incredibly useful. Unfortunately, I got COVID during my training.
I felt like my fitness had taken a big hit, but when I looked at the data, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I could even see when I likely got sick, based on an increased resting heart rate and higher-than-usual training heart rates. I think that’s so fascinating!
10. What’s typical of Salure?
The family atmosphere among colleagues. You can tell everyone genuinely cares about each other. I’ve always felt that people are open, honest, and have good intentions. Strong values and collegiality are what make Salure unique.
11. What could Salure improve for you as an employer?
Overall, I’m very satisfied. The only thing that could improve is encouraging more interaction between different departments. Not necessarily for work, but to create more opportunities for people to connect socially. I think some extra team-building activities could help with that.
12. What would you like to learn or develop further?
I’ve discovered that I enjoy mentoring people. Since I’m still quite young and don’t have much experience in this area, I’d love to develop those skills further. If opportunities arise, I’d definitely take them. What’s great about mentoring is that it not only helps you grow but also allows you to help others improve—that’s amazing, isn’t it?
13. What advice would you give someone considering a role in your department?
I’d say: make sure you feel a connection with the person interviewing you and the team members you meet. The work needs to suit you, of course, but that often falls into place if you feel at ease with the team and find the work interesting. In our team, there’s room to adjust roles or tasks to better fit someone’s strengths. So, focus first on whether the team, culture, and people align with you. It’s so important to enjoy coming to work every day. Personally, I think that joy comes more from the people you work with than from the work itself.
