“I actually liked the fact that I didn’t end up in an easy situation”
Tess van Gils, Functional Consultant at Bluace
After starting in tourism, Tess quickly discovered that she needed more variety and opportunities for personal development. She worked at a small company where she guided students interested in studying abroad. She enjoyed this very much, but there was little room for advancement. “I actually realized quite quickly: this is fun, but not forever,” says Tess. Since she found project-based work interesting and wanted to learn more about change and people, she decided to pursue her Master’s in Business Psychology in England. She earned her degree in one year and deliberately stepped outside of tourism. Through a former intern, she then found her way into the Microsoft world. Her social skills and customer-oriented approach were beneficial there. After a brief start with Business Central, which suited her less, she found her place within CE (Customer Engagement). “That’s where everything came together: designing processes, working with clients, and setting up systems in a way that really supports them.” After gaining experience at several Microsoft companies, Bluace came her way. From the start, the application process felt right. She was drawn to the openness and honesty, as well as the fact that not everything was already set in stone. “I actually liked that I didn’t end up in a cushy, predetermined position, but could help build things,” says Tess, Functional Consultant at Bluace. Tess lives in Brabant with her two cats. In her free time, she is often found doing CrossFit, but she also really enjoys spending time with friends and family. Carnival is definitely not to be missed. She comes from a family with two younger sisters and a little brother.
Within Bluace, Tess works as a link between the client and technology. She maps out processes and customer needs and translates them into CRM solutions. She implements some parts herself, while for other aspects she works closely with her technical colleagues. No day is the same: from client meetings to building, testing, and coordinating with the team. She describes the culture at Bluace as open and direct, with plenty of room for humor. “Silly jokes are made, and you might be made fun of a little, but always with a wink,” she says with a smile.
For the future, Tess hopes that the CRM team will continue to grow, with a variety of specialisms and interests. “This way, everyone can use their own strengths, and Bluace can continue to build great solutions for customers together,” she explains.