“These times call for transparency, and as an organization we must respond to this.”

For over 25 years, we have been connecting organizations with the best marketing, communication, and content professionals. We find suitable assignments or positions for junior, medior, and senior professionals. In Spot On, we would like to introduce them to you. This time, Spot On: Annemiek Bots, spokesperson at the North Sea Canal Area Environmental Service.

“Babbage Company worked with me to find something that would suit me well”

More transparent

“The North Sea Canal Area Environmental Service grants permits to companies in and around the North Sea Canal area. We do this in the areas of environment, construction and soil. We use laws and regulations to assess what is permitted and what installations or emissions must comply with exactly so that the environment remains liveable. If we grant a permit, we also monitor compliance with agreements. If this is not the case, we must take action and enforce.

As an environmental service, we are very focused on content and work with many experts on this. However, we do not always consider that we have to talk about this openly to the people who live there. We have to show what we do and also what we encounter. That is a nice challenge for me. Before we take action if agreements are not complied with, we first have to thoroughly investigate the situation. That takes time. It is not the case that we can immediately impose fines. In the past, we only communicated about this when everything had been definitively investigated. Now we show that we are on top of it. If you wait longer, a situation ebbs away and you get the impression of a government agency that is waiting. These times call for more transparency, and we as an organization have to go along with that.”

Social impact important

“I have always found people and language interesting. The study in which these two aspects came together for me was Corporate Communication. After my internship at Shell, I started working at Milieudefensie. I wanted to do something for society. After 7 years at Milieudefensie, I started working at VluchtelingenWerk Nederland. I was a press officer there for fourteen years. Fourteen years is a very long time, but it was such a current and fascinating subject that the time flew by. VluchtelingenWerk is a great organization, but I wanted to look further. Only I didn't really know what I wanted…

Looking for something that fits with Babbage Company

“That was the moment I contacted Babbage. They then searched with me for what suited me best. Iris eventually came up with the North Sea Canal Area Environmental Service. I had never heard of it, but Iris told me what they do. It seemed like a very interesting assignment to me. Without you, I would never have come to the North Sea Canal Area Environmental Service. You made sure that I started to delve deeper into what an environmental service does. After the first conversations, I thought: 'This is actually really fun!'. Without your context, I probably would never have found this vacancy.” 

Switch between environmental service and region

“Among other things, the environmental service ensures that as few dangerous situations as possible arise. For example, we check fireworks storage facilities or other storage facilities with flammable or explosive substances. As a spokesperson for the environmental service, I maintain contact with the media, both reactively and proactively. If journalists have questions about our work or about companies that fall under our umbrella, they come to me. I am the link between the media and the organization.”

The Tata Steel Challenge

“Our area also includes Tata Steel, for example. That is a challenging dossier for me as a communications expert. On the one hand, Tata Steel is a large company with many employees and various installations for which we provide permits. We check whether the company complies with those permits. On the other hand, the surrounding area suffers a lot of nuisance from the company. We want to show what we do and how we make a difference for the region. We want to include the perspective of the area, otherwise people from the neighbourhood get the impression of a government agency that does not take action. For example, we hold consultation hours in an office in Wijk aan Zee and we speak to representatives from the area.

Keep the fresh look

“Make sure that when you work somewhere, you explore that organization. That way you can see what people do and what drives them in their work. If you get a feel for that, you can tell about it better yourself. That helps to create stories and to tell them. Try to find out what you are doing it for!

The fresh perspective also remains important. If you catch yourself using a lot of jargon in press releases or pieces you write, then you need to wake yourself up and go back to the target group you are writing for. Make sure you get that fresh perspective back and that too can be done by going along with colleagues.”

Are you also looking for a new challenge? We would love to talk to you and find your next step together.