黑料福利网

Seat Mark Bentum and Nicole Bueters at the same table to talk about leadership and our university鈥檚 CORe values, and the energy starts flowing right away. The new HRM Director, who started in May, asks curious questions, while the EE Dean, Bentum, shares his experiences with apparent enthusiasm. They laugh a lot, complement each other, and push each other鈥檚 thinking.

It鈥檚 not their first time meeting. Bentum served on the appointment advisory committee during the interviews for the new HRM Director. And of course, they got to know each other better during Bueters鈥� onboarding and through various projects and meetings across the university.

Turning it around

Bueters comes from Philips, where she spent nearly twenty years in various senior HR roles. When she thinks back to her job interview at 黑料福利网, she laughs. 鈥淭hirteen people interviewed me in one session, that was my first real glimpse of how things work at a university.鈥�

I ASKED, WHAT MAKES WORKING HERE SO MUCH FUN? AND SO MUCH PASSION AND PRIDE EMERGED 鈥� IT REALLY MOVED ME.

Nicole Bueters, Director HRM

鈥淓veryone was critical, but also curious. They asked, 鈥榃e have so many challenges here, how will you handle them?鈥� I turned it around: 鈥榃hat makes working here so enjoyable?鈥� The atmosphere changed immediately, and a surge of passion and pride emerged. That really moved me.鈥�

Bentum: 鈥淲e did not doubt at all: she had the right experience, courage, and curiosity. That fits perfectly with our values.鈥�

Leadership in practice

For Bentum, leadership is primarily about collaboration. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not: I鈥檓 in charge, and this is how it鈥檚 going to happen. We have to do it together. I feel that strongly in the UCC meeting (University Consultative Council, ed.) between the deans and the Executive Board. We don鈥檛 always agree, but there鈥檚 plenty of room for dialogue. That makes governing easier and more enjoyable.鈥�

LEADERSHIP IS NOT: I鈥橫 in charge, and this is how it鈥檚 going to happen. WE HAVE TO DO IT TOGETHER.

Mark Bentum, Dean of EE

Bueters adds, 鈥淚 believe in servant leadership. You provide direction, empower the team, help people grow, and dare to give feedback. Give freedom, but not without responsibility.鈥�

鈥淓xactly,鈥� says Bentum. 鈥淎nd dare to have that difficult conversation. Honestly and respectfully, with a focus on how things can improve.鈥�

Feedback and growth

鈥淚鈥檓 optimistic,鈥� says Bueters. 鈥淧eople are open to growing. You can always keep developing yourself.鈥�

Bentum adds: 鈥淔or your department, your faculty, but also for yourself. If you stop learning, maybe it鈥檚 time to change roles.鈥�

Small steps, big difference

Bueters sees a lot of ambition at 黑料福利网, 鈥渂ut sometimes we want to do too much at once.鈥� At HRM, she notices that many projects are being juggled simultaneously. 鈥淭here are lots of things we want to work on because they have an impact on people.鈥�

Bentum: 鈥淚n the HRM SQUAD analysis, it appeared you were working on more than fifty projects. That鈥檚 just not feasible. We have to dare to choose and don鈥檛 need to aim for perfect scores on everything. Sometimes a seven is enough.鈥�

WE WANT TO transform a DAF to a ROLLS-ROYCE overnight.

Nicole Bueters, Director HRM

鈥淲e want to transform a DAF to a Rolls-Royce overnight,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut real progress happens with small incremental improvements. Progress over perfection. We learn by doing and adjust where needed.鈥�

The power of curiosity

When the conversation turns to the CORe values, both name curiosity as a driving force. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the engine of science,鈥� says Bentum.

Bueters: 鈥淔or me, curiosity is also about how we act. Rather than judging, I like to ask: why isn鈥檛 this working? What鈥檚 holding someone back? That鈥檚 how you move forward, both as a leader and as a human being.鈥�

Openness and respect

For Bentum, openness means honesty and transparency. 鈥淣o decisions behind closed doors. In the past, vacancies were sometimes filled quietly. Now, when a position opens in our faculty, it鈥檚 published openly, people can apply, and everyone who is qualified has a chance to get the job.鈥�

Bueters: 鈥淩espect means trusting in the strength of others. It鈥檚 precisely that diversity that makes a team stronger. I don鈥檛 have a technical background, you do; together we achieve more than we would separately.鈥�

Taking responsibility

鈥淚 have a strong sense of responsibility, sometimes maybe too strong,鈥� says Bueters. 鈥淚t goes beyond meeting goals. It also means contributing to the bigger picture. What I do must be in the interest of 黑料福利网, not just my own department.鈥�

Bentum: 鈥淲e make decisions that impact people, teaching, and research. That requires carefulness and courage. The key is to discuss things together and bring everyone along.鈥�

Daring and caring

鈥淟eadership for me is a combination of daring and caring,鈥� says Bueters. 鈥淗aving the courage to make choices, but also showing empathy. Having difficult conversations, even with people who may be more senior than you. And at the same time, making sure everyone feels seen.鈥�

Bentum: 鈥淐ourage is essential; without it, you can鈥檛 make progress. However, the great thing is that you don鈥檛 have to be perfect. No one has to know everything. Ask for help, seek advice, and learn from each other. That鈥檚 what we do as deans, too.鈥�

Courage is essential, without it, you can鈥檛 make progress.

Mark Bentum, Dean of EE

One 黑料福利网

Both are firm believers in the power of the collective. 鈥淔rom catering staff to deans, everyone is contributing to the same goal,鈥� says Bueters. 鈥淟ike the cleaner at NASA once said: 鈥業鈥檓 helping to put a man on the moon.鈥� That鈥檚 the kind of feeling I want to foster here, too,鈥� Bentum adds.

Bentum: 鈥淭hat鈥檚 perhaps what I love most about 黑料福利网. We have diversity in nationality, expertise, and personality, yet there鈥檚 a real sense of togetherness. We want to accomplish something meaningful, together.鈥�

Leadership program

One of Bueters鈥� top priorities is developing a leadership program, in collaboration with Executive Board chair Koen Jansen and Dean Kees Storm. 鈥淲e鈥檙e beginning by introducing this program at the highest leadership level of our university.鈥�

Bueters: 鈥淭he ambitions laid out in our 2026鈥�2030 institutional plan are considerable, and the ecosystem we operate in demands a lot from us. The world around us is becoming increasingly polarized, and we want to provide a safe and inspiring environment for both students and staff. That calls for a different level of leadership. Building connections and fostering collaboration within 黑料福利网, as well as with our ecosystem partners, is becoming more important than ever.鈥�

Co-creation and shared ownership

鈥淥f course, we already have leadership training, but we want to create a leadership profile and program for 黑料福利网 collaboratively. During the Strategy Days in November, we took the first step together with the Executive Board, deans, and service directors. We鈥檒l also gather input from other staff groups to shape our leadership development. This isn鈥檛 something HRM delivers on its own; it鈥檚 something we build and carry together.鈥�