In his search for challenging work, Tristan made the move to Alistar six years ago. Since then, he has developed into a versatile IT professional who loves to learn, explore, and connect with others. Tristan shares how he has grown since 2019—both as a professional and as a person.
Tristan sees every project as an opportunity to continue growing and deepening his understanding of technology. “I’ve gained a lot of experience in the meantime,” he says. “Over the years, you see both successful and less successful technological applications. With that experience, you gradually develop a sense of how technology can contribute and where your own preferences lie.”
“That’s why I’d be interested in becoming more involved at some point in shaping the vision for a company’s entire IT landscape.”
Continuous Development
For now, Tristan is still in his role at Alistar. What drives him is the constant evolution of the field. “IT as a whole is so complex, and so much is changing in so many different areas. You can’t keep up with everything, so it’s important to determine what’s relevant in IT right now and where you want to add the most value yourself.”
Tristan believes that one of the reasons he has been able to grow so much in recent years is that he has always tried to be as open as possible to new knowledge—in the broadest sense of the word. “IT is, of course, all about technology, but it certainly has a human side as well,” he explains. “It’s important not to lose sight of that aspect during projects: ultimately, it’s people who use the technology.”
For Tristan, the human factor is central. He is fascinated by the tension between people and technology, and thanks to Alistar, he has been able to turn that into his work. “Insights arise from conversations about technology and from engaging with it,” he says.
Thanks to the IT Growth Program, I’m able to do that in a much clearer and more structured way than I could six years ago. I’m still glad I made the switch to Alistar back then.
Keeping the goal in mind
Tristan began his career at Alistar in 2019, where he took his first steps in IT through the IT Growth Program. He carried out his first assignment at Medux, a healthcare company. “As a workplace administrator, I spent nine months setting up hardware. All of Medux’s ATMs were being replaced, and we were tasked with overseeing the process. That’s where I discovered how enjoyable it is to combine technical projects with human interaction. Among other things, I realized that project-based work really appeals to me.”
This was followed by new projects that further shaped his development. For example, Tristan worked for SCOL, the Leiden school board organization, on upgrading laptops from Windows 8 to Windows 10. At BAM, he was part of a project team that included several colleagues. “I was responsible for keeping all the planning applications that BAM uses to complete major construction projects up to date,” he explains. Tristan spent two years doing project management for the province of South Holland. “The province wanted to know to what extent innovative technologies like virtual reality and the metaverse could be relevant to its residents. It started small but grew significantly. Eventually, I found myself sitting at the table with Microsoft and Meta, among others.”
On behalf of the province, Tristan was invited to give a presentation at a major technology conference. “I thought that was pretty special. During this project, I learned above all how important it is to navigate between different interests—those of policymakers, management, and large organizations. Microsoft was eager to collaborate, but ultimately it all comes down to the goal: What real benefits does this bring to residents? That requires a lot of listening and careful consideration.”
Dealing with the Unknown
Tristan is now going through the Next Program, the final phase of the IT Growth Program, in which he holds senior positions. “If there’s one thing I’m proud of, it’s that I’m trusted to work on projects that really matter.”
When asked what he considers to be one of the most important lessons he’s learned, Tristan says: “Dealing with the unknown. After all, the outcome of a project is still unknown at the start because there’s no evidence to go on. You always have to keep asking yourself: Do your decisions serve the project’s goal?”
One example of this is the migration project at BAM, in which more than 300 physical servers in the Netherlands and England had to be migrated to the Microsoft Cloud. “It was a complex task that was successfully completed—I look back on it with satisfaction,” said Tristan.
Broad Perspective, Deep Experience
It was his desire to continue growing that brought Tristan to Alistar back then. What sets him apart now is his open-mindedness. “I’m open to other perspectives on a given issue—not to convince people, but because I find it interesting how people think.”
Tristan is aware of his own background and experience and how they influence his perspective on IT. “My way of looking at a subject is just one of six billion,” he notes. That curiosity also translates into his view of IT as a human endeavor. “IT is a field with a strong technical aspect, but it’s also simply a human endeavor. Ultimately, it’s people who work with technology,” he emphasizes once again.
Over the past few years, Tristan has developed into a versatile IT professional with broad and in-depth expertise. Drawing on that experience, Tristan would like to share the following: “It’s important to consider how different people think and view different fields. Keep an open mind so you can form a broader perspective.”