Heleen Cocu-Wassink, Trudy Onland and Mariëlle Vogt: 'We need to learn to experiment'

The energy transition poses a huge challenge for grid operators and network companies in the Netherlands. What does this shift demand from leaders at the heart of these organizations? Under the guidance of Hans Bongartz, partner at executive interim agency Boer & Croon, Trudy Onland (COO of Stedin), Heleen Cocu-Wassink (CHRO of Alliander), and Mariëlle Vogt (outgoing CFO of Enexis) discuss achieving a brisk pace, acceleration, smart solutions, and dilemmas, staff shortages, leadership, and collaboration.
For these roundtable participants, meeting at Stedin’s regional office in Utrecht—COO Onland’s ‘home base’—the big picture, or assignment, is clear. Cocu-Wassink states, ‘We all feel a huge responsibility for the many companies and households that are waiting for a connection or an upgrade.’ Vogt adds, ‘We are working at full tilt to meet the demand.’ Onland notes, ‘I think it is good that the industry is following the process critically and that we have the occasional knock on our door. We need to push forward.’

How do you personally experience being part of the energy transition?
Vogt: ‘I am happy to be part of the energy transition. In my role as CFO, I do everything I can to keep energy accessible and affordable for everyone.’
Cocu-Wassink: ‘We have only one planet. Climate change is advancing rapidly. I see it as a privilege to be able to contribute to this transition.’
Onland: ‘We are facing what seems like an impossible task, but we are going to achieve it.’
Vogt: ‘We are moving faster than ever, and a lot has already been set in motion. The fast pace and huge demand present several challenges. There is an enormous shortage of personnel, a lack of space, challenges regarding materials, and a sustainability challenge.’

Has the energy transition made things more complex?
Vogt: ‘For 100 years, we were solely grid operators, and we did that exceedingly well. We re-calculated everything ten times, and almost nothing went wrong. That was our license to operate. Now, we are also grid investors, architects, and creators of a future-proof energy system. It has become a completely different profession.’
Cocu-Wassink: ‘We come from a different kind of culture, one of reliability, safety, and predictability. Now, different values are important. We must move faster, and we need to learn to experiment.’
Onland: ‘Everything we were used to doing, we must now do differently. Sometimes we must cut corners. We must be innovative, we must dare to fail with initiatives—yes, it is a totally new culture.’

A new culture also means weighing up options and dealing with dilemmas. How do you approach that?
Onland: ‘The energy transition is just one of the transitions we are facing. We are also in a sustainability transition. We must consider biodiversity. Can we build high-voltage stations at the expense of bat colonies? These are all factors we need to weigh up.’
Cocu-Wassink: ‘In Amsterdam, there is such a lack of space that the only place for a transformer station is sometimes a Cruyff Court, a small football field. But we all agree that we would not want that. So, we need to search for smart solutions together. We usually succeed, but it does take time.’
Vogt: ‘From my position as CFO, it seems most logical to focus on where we can make the greatest impact with our one euro. But even then, we sometimes need to adjust our approach. We can have the largest CO2 impact through our primary processes. If we connect solar parks and accommodate electric cars, the impact is far greater than if we focus solely on greening internally and electrifying our own fleet. However, we also notice that this does not always sit well with our employees. They are working extremely hard to contribute to the energy transition, and they want us to do our part internally as well. This must be factored into our considerations regarding impact. This is also true for neighbors of a distribution station. They are often quite willing to accept such a station in their vicinity, as long as there is some compensation—such as a green roof or a park surrounding it.’

Grid operators are facing overloaded networks, although the real peak moments occur only at limited times and on a limited number of days a year. What is the solution?
Cocu-Wassink: ‘We need to make smarter use of the existing networks. The most significant progress we can make is through behavioral change, for example, by providing economic incentives.’
Vogt: ‘Earlier in 2024, we conducted a survey among all our business customers. It turned out that 70 percent were unaware of the network congestion issue. So, we are now also working on raising awareness and informing companies that it may take an extended period for them to be connected to the electricity grid, and they need to anticipate that. We see that we can develop smart solutions with entrepreneurs, such as energy hubs, local networks, and time-based contracts. These allow us to flatten the peaks.’

There now are multiple grid operators in the Netherlands. That, I assume, requires collaboration...?
Onland: ‘When I started here a few years ago, there was a stakeholder survey indicating that there was no real collaboration between grid operators. This was not my experience at all, because if there is one example of selfless collaboration, it is between grid operators.’
Vogt: ‘I think the energy transition has greatly helped us in terms of collaboration. We in the sector collaborate extensively on European legislation like CSRD and CSDDD. It would be a waste to reinvent the wheel each on our own. We largely share the same suppliers, so it does not make much sense for each to ask the same questions independently. For me, the principle is ‘collaborate, unless.’’
Onland: ‘We need to benefit from one another. A few years ago, we introduced the ‘Goed Gejat Bokaal’ (Well Stolen Trophy) in the sector, an award for the best appropriated idea. The sector agreed that we can freely ‘steal’ ideas from each other to avoid wasting time and money.’
Cocu-Wassink: ‘I strongly believe in going faster alone, but further together. I think we can further improve our collaboration. For example, we could consider creating a sector-wide training school. We could also organize joint labor market campaigns. I know this is a sensitive topic since we are also each other’s competitors, but there is indeed a common interest.’

The sector is facing significant personnel shortages. At the same time, you need to accelerate. How do you address this?
Cocu-Wassink: ‘Regarding personnel, it is not only about numbers. Yes, we need more people, but we also need to work more efficiently and effectively. We do not just need engineers, installers, and executors; we also need to progress with digitalization, innovation, and smarter work practices. It is not only about recruitment; it is also about organizational effectiveness, leadership development, and cultural development. At the same time, to tackle the personnel shortage, we will have to actively recruit employees from abroad. There is no other option.’

Safety is a crucial factor in your sector. Does safety hinder a faster transition?
Onland: ‘Safety is non-negotiable, we cannot compromise on it. It does, however, sometimes impact the speed at which we can progress.’
Cocu-Wassink: ‘Experienced installers often completed their qualifications over several years. When new installers are trained, through a new method, in only two years, the perception can sometimes be that safety is being compromised, whereas on the contrary we prioritize safety. We need to shift our thinking. That is tough because you cannot be at variance on the importance of safety. This needs to be addressed by our leadership, how we can maintain safety while adjusting the way we do things.’

Speaking of leadership: how is that embedded in your organizations?
Onland: ‘The leaders at Stedin invested significant time in this, which is tricky as it means time not directly spent working on increased production. However, this has led to a solid foundation, with a strong focus on results-oriented collaboration.’
Cocu-Wassink: ‘We see leadership as a profession. Therefore, everyone who joins our organization as a leader attends training. You also learn the profession by doing; we want learning to become second nature. Furthermore, we try to organize learning within the work context to ensure it becomes second nature.’
Vogt: ‘New members of our top 100 always go through an assessment. They are evaluated against our three core values: clarity, inclusivity, and learning. You need to embed those values in all your systems. Our internal progress conversations, which we refer to as energy discussions, also reflect these core values. This message needs to be repeated endlessly.’
Onland: ‘Sometimes, we also just apply the Herman Finkers method. When addressing the traffic congestion problem, he once said, ‘I will count to three, and at three, we all accelerate!’ You can keep talking, but at a certain point, it is time to act. Occasionally, you need to think: one, two, three, and go!’