What did you study?
I studied Linguistics & Literature (English and Spanish) at Ghent University, picking up basic Portuguese, Italian, Chinese and Japanese on the way. I only have a smattering of the last four languages, though!
Where did you work before you joined Blue Lines?
After graduation, I started working as a coordinator at a translation agency – alongside Margo, actually. I then went on to become a project manager at another agency. So I’ve always worked in the translation sector, save for a few stints as an intern at various TV production companies. I didn’t continue professionally along that path, but the entertainment sector will always hold a special place in my heart.
How did you end up at Blue Lines?
I met Stef on LinkedIn. He asked me whether I’d like to join Blue Lines as a project manager, and the rest is history.
Blue Lines as an employer, yay or nay?
I’ve only just joined the team, but I can already tell you that Blue Lines’ ambiance and mindset are right up my alley. Its flexibility and 35-hour work week are a real plus too.
What’s the hardest part of being a project manager?
Maintaining some kind of overview amid the madness! Luckily, however, I’ve always had a knack for structure and planning (sometimes to the annoyance of my friends and family!) so this does come naturally to me. Which doesn’t mean the constant switching between different projects isn’t tricky. But the project management system that Blue Lines uses is a massive help: it was tailor-made to suit our particular workflow, so it offers the exact functionality we need to make everything run smoothly.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I think my very first steps were a chubby-kneed attempt at dancing. I started doing classical ballet, later adding jazz dance to my repertoire. As the years went by, my interest in dance grew to encompass all forms of culture and entertainment. Healthy living is another topic I’m fascinated by – both in theory and in practice.
Would you like to learn another language and if so, which?
I’d like to get better at Japanese. I lived in Japan for half a year, studying the language. That’s something I’d love to continue. I’m just drawn to the structure of Japanese: it’s so different from many other languages, both in terms of grammar and alphabet.
Which profession would you never want to pursue?
Anything involved ‘hard’ sales: convincing people to buy crap they don’t need. I’d be terrible at that!
What’s at the top of your bucket list?
Travelling the world, making a living as a digital nomad.
If you had to move to an uninhabited island and take just one thing, what would that be?
I’d actually rather bring a person than an object. But if I really have to pick an object, I’d take something that would both stave off the boredom and help me survive, maybe a textbook about plants and herbs? Like a manual that tells me which plants are edible and which aren’t, what they can be used for, what their healing properties are. That would probably come in handy.