Bart Anvelink – The Netherlands

Bart Anvelink from the Netherlands 

Position: Team Leader 

Business Unit: Improvement and Support  

Employed at Control Union since 2022 

Tell us a little about your background 

I studied Animal Management at Van Hall Larenstein in Leeuwarden. After graduating that industry was experiencing a downturn, so I ended up working in telecommunications for a while. I then worked for a research company that focused on soil-borne pests and diseases in agriculture. That’s where I discovered my interest in process improvement, and I’ve continued along that path. Although my studies are not directly relevant to this position, I am pleased to be working for a sustainable company.   

What is your role at Control Union? 

I have been working at Control Union Certifications in Zwolle since January 2022 and recently became team leader of the business unit Improvement and Support. Our team focuses on internal process improvement and automation, among other things. This includes working more efficiently, planning more intelligently and developing tools that help colleagues in their work. 

What do you find most rewarding about this work?  

I get the most energy from innovative projects that significantly improve the lives of my colleagues. When I see that something we have devised and built saves time, eliminates frustration or works better, I know why I do it. Optimising processes so that people can enjoy their work more – that’s what it’s all about for me. 

How would you explain your work to ten-year-olds? 

I happen to have children of that age. I explain my work to them in this way. If you buy a bar of chocolate with a quality mark on it, it means that sustainability, fair wages and the environment have been carefully considered. That quality mark is there, thanks to certification. Many people at Control Union are involved in this. And me? I make sure that my colleagues can do their work more easily and enjoyably by organising things more intelligently or automating them. I work behind the scenes, but my work makes everything run more smoothly.   

What do you consider to be a highlight at Control Union? 

One of my favourite moments was the implementation of an innovative tool for the textile department. It reads emails from customers, automatically searches through dozens of PDFs with standards and suggests a response. All my colleague has to do is check it and click “send”. Innovative solutions like that make me happy. Although I enjoy all my work, delivering a creative project is definitely a highlight.   

Why did you choose Control Union as your employer?  

Control Union is an organisation that really looks at the person. I applied for a different position at the time, but during the second interview, Control Union offered me a role that suited me much better. In addition, we work on sustainability, and there is much room for initiative, with an informal and pleasant atmosphere. It genuinely feels like a family business. You notice this because the director’s door is always open and the lines of communication are short.