The many paths in SAP development

Apr 12, 2023

Look up 'SAP developer' in the delaware dictionary and you'll see over 80 definitions - the same amount as the number of people in the team. Each has their own story. There's no such thing as a "one size fits all" path to follow, so check out the stories of the people at the heart of our SAP ecosystem.

Which twists and turns have they taken in their career paths? What choices have led them up to this point? And what’s their secret to success?

the delaware journey: exciting, varied and challenging

Those are just three of the words that our SAP developers use to describe their career at delaware. Leave it to Maxim, Stef, Liesa, Jolien, Nathan and Timothy to tell you all about their journey.

Meet Jolien & Liesa: Career development to SAP development
Meet Nathan: The man with a plan
Meet Stef & Maxim: The developer dads

meet Jolien

a bio engineer turned developer

my delaware journey

“In 2017, I obtained a Master’s degree in Bioscience Engineering. I was actually planning on getting a job in the pharmaceutical industry, but while working on my thesis I realized I really liked writing basic scripts. At my first job, I was asked to validate in SAP. I joined the SAP Development team in November 2018."

"Since I had little to no experience in IT, I did a lot of self-study and collected plenty of tips and tricks from colleagues. I got the hang of ABAP development by doing my first projects and it made me feel useful and appreciated."

Where I focused mostly on acquiring technical skills in my first years, I’m now further developing my soft skills in people management as team lead.
Jolien Lipkens (29)

"When I started, I was staffed on the Ineos Grenadier project and alternated between programming and authorizations. Although I still like the technical work, the opportunity recently arose to become team lead and I decided to take it with both hands. I’m still working on that same project, but my role shifted towards leading a team of 5 developers."

"I would describe my delaware journey in one word: exciting."

meet Liesa

a supply chain consultant turned developer

meet Nathan

the man with a plan

my delaware journey

”I joined delaware in 2016, after graduating as a Business Engineer in Operations Management. Back then, I knew what ERP was and had some rudimentary programming skills. Fresh out of school, I knew consultancy meant getting in touch with all kinds of industries and customers – and that’s what I wanted: entering a real-life business context without committing to one specific sector.”

At delaware, I got the freedom to carve out my own path, but you need to take matters into your own hands if you want to grow.
Nathan Van Lombeek (30)

"Over the years, I have discovered what my strengths are: transforming ideas from theory into business reality, asking critical questions, and being a coach.

"Now that I’ve started as Solution Lead of SAP development, that creates a responsibility for me to start identifying and coaching who I believe can become the next solution lead. I believe that’s how I can create value in the long term for delaware. As soon as I’m ready to take another challenge, the next generation should be ready and eager.”

"I would describe my delaware journey in one word: varied."

meet Stef

the developer dad

my delaware journey

“I have always had great respect for entrepreneurs, and felt inspired to start a business myself after completing my studies in SME Management. In my second year, however, I was introduced to web development, which made me reconsider my options. I decided to enroll in Graphic and Digital Media and knew right away that I had made the right choice. I joined the delaware SAP Development team in 2016.”

“I have always felt drawn to newer technologies, so I have been mainly focusing on building Fiori applications. Even though SAP development is a niche field, there are so many different components and features, which makes it hard to choose a favorite.

I’m happy with the variety in my work and the freedom to select projects with customers who are located closer to home. It makes maintaining a healthy work-life balance that much easier.”
Stef Van Wienendaele (28)

“Working closer to home is important to me as I just became a father for the second time. This provides the necessary challenges in my private time. At home I am sharpening on my dad skills and at work I plan on sharpening my skills in both areas: frond and back-end development. This should keep me busy for the next few years 😉."

"I’m also convinced that a good relationship with colleagues and customers is vital for success, so I look forward to meeting with end users, developing user-friendly interfaces and becoming an even better developer and sparring partner.”

"I would describe my delaware journey in two words: positive challenging."