Dirk Bollen | Partner
I have been working in the utility industry for more than 20 years. I have witnessed and experienced the transformation from monopolistic companies to flexible organisations that have to anticipate changing market conditions.
My first employer was Essent (the Netherlands’ largest utility company), and its predecessors, where I started my career as the designer of a custom billing system for residential customers. After that I was responsible for maintenance and support of all administrative IT applications within Essent (financial, human resources, projects, etc.)
When the Dutch market was liberalised (large industrial customers first) I had a leading role in the first implementation of SAP IS-U in the Netherlands. When phase 2 started (medium-sized commercial customers), I was responsible for dealing with all process and IT implications (in SAP IS-U and Siebel) as a program manager for Essent.
I then moved to energie:direct, a start-up retailer, where I was involved in realising a comprehensive IT solution for this internet self-service supplier. After the start-up phase I was responsible for billing, debt collection and IT and process modifications.
Before joining UCPartners I was lead application consultant at Excelergy, a US software developer of a utility billing system. I was involved in several Excelergy implementations in the Netherlands and abroad (UK and Italy), as a certified (PRINCE2) project manager. I also was a certified trainer at Excelergy.
I’m a team player and a “hands-on guy” whose goal is to realise a solution for the client without losing sight of the broader scheme. I’m capable of motivating others to improve team performance. My comprehensive experience in large utilities as well as my role in nimble start-ups have made me a pragmatic all-round utility expert.