A small-scale university

Winnie could never have imagined that he would end up working at Maastricht University for 44 years. His choice of Maastricht was mainly a practical one at the time. He lived in Riemst, worked in Leuven and applied for a job as an assistant accountant. Thanks to his background in computer science, he was able to help develop the young university’s first computerised financial and HR systems.

He remembers the early years mainly for their small scale. He worked at 4 Abtstraat, alongside colleagues from Personnel and Finance. At the time, the Faculty of Medicine was still located behind the Annadal Clinic, and many other departments were scattered throughout the city centre. “I even had an introductory meeting with the Chair of the Executive Board. It’s almost impossible to imagine that now.”

He never expected back then that the university would grow into the organisation it is today. “No,” he says with a laugh. “But things turn out the way they do.” Because he was part of that development throughout those years, the growth never felt like a major change. It was simply a process that he naturally grew along with.

Stronger together

One of the most defining periods of his career began in 2001. Winnie became a controller at what was then the Faculty of Medicine, just as the faculty was facing serious financial difficulties. Many colleagues did not understand his decision. “When people heard I was becoming a controller at Medicine, they thought I was mad.”

The financial challenges were considerable, but that is not what has stayed with him the most. He remembers much more vividly how colleagues, despite differing interests and debates, ultimately took responsibility together. “There’s a lot of discussion at first. But at a certain point, everyone pulls together. That’s when a tremendous resilience emerges.”

He later saw that same resilience during the merger between Medicine and Health Sciences. The new joint structure proved particularly beneficial in the field of research. In teaching, it took longer for the collaboration to really take shape, but in his view, such processes are simply part of an organisation that continues to develop.

Listening before solving

Winnie later became Director of Operations. Years earlier, he would never have imagined himself in that role. Once in that position, he discovered that, for him, leadership was not about having all the answers, but about asking questions. “Let people talk first. Then a direction often emerges naturally.”

According to Winnie, expertise does not lie with a single person, but with the people who work together every day to run the faculty. “By listening first, you create space for better solutions and better collaboration.”

Continuing to build

Although Winnie has been enjoying his retirement for two years now, he still follows FHML with interest. Looking to the future, he sees plenty of opportunities for further collaboration between FHML and MUMC+. Just like previous changes, this development will also take time.

He looks back on 44 years at Maastricht University and looks forward to everything that lies ahead. A university is never finished; it continues to evolve.