Nathalie De Decker: Service Coordinator
Nathalie, 38, is a Service Coordinator at Actemium. She serves as the link between customers and technical teams, ensuring that service inquiries and automation issues are quickly directed to the right people. She also manages the ticketing system and helps make service operations more efficient and proactive.
“In life, you have to do what you truly enjoy;
that is the only way to bring out
the best in yourself.”
- Name: Nathalie De Decker
- Age: 38
- Studies: Sports (GO! Atheneum Voskenslaan)
- Function: Service Coordinator
- Hobbies: Sports and making ceramics
How did you end up in a role like this without a technical degree?
Nathalie: My career path has been anything but straightforward. After completing my sports studies, I ended up working in a wide variety of sectors: retail, catering, sports, project administration… But actually, that technical interest has always been there. At home, I am often the one who helps figure out how to fix or tackle something. You build knowledge step by step: even though I do not have an engineering degree, I realized I had technical insight and, above all, a strong desire to learn more. At Actemium, I took part in an in-house summer school for new engineers. I attended the first day of various courses and learned a tremendous amount from them. But the rest you learn mainly by just doing it: daring to pick up the phone, asking the right questions and reaching out to colleagues. In my job, that is very important. When a customer calls because a system is down, I have to listen carefully, pinpoint the problem, and find the right expert internally.
Why do you think diverse teams are important in a technical environment?
Nathalie: I believe that diverse teams offer nothing but benefits. When everyone has the same background or approaches a problem the same way, you often miss out on other perspectives. In a team, it is precisely those different insights that help you arrive at better and more creative solutions. That does not have to be solely about gender, by the way. People with different educational backgrounds or expertise can also view a situation differently. It is that mix that makes a team stronger. Especially in a technical environment, where you often have to solve complex problems, it is important to be able to think from multiple angles.
Finally, what advice would you give to young people or women finding their way in a technical sector?
Nathalie: Choose something you are truly passionate about and that makes you feel good. Do not let yourself be overly influenced by what others expect or by the idea that there is only one right path. In my opinion, you can only bring out the best in yourself when you do something you love and that energizes you. I also do not really believe in having one specific role model. Above all, you need to stay true to yourself and make choices based on what feels right for you. That actually applies to how I view my job as well: every role has its value, as long as you feel you are contributing something. Service is still too often seen as a separate silo, when in fact it is part of the engine that drives a company. Good follow-up builds trust with customers. And that trust creates new opportunities. So do not let yourself be discouraged because your path is different; sometimes that very difference is your strength.
