Honorary Members

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Honorary members are those who have performed special work for TeMa.Currently, TeMa has three honorary members, namely: Anna Paques, Jelena van Gelder and Jan Riezebos.

Anna and Jelena co-founded TeMa. They felt that something was missing. There was little contact between students and few study-related activities were organized. They have successfully changed this by founding the TeMa study association.

Prof. Dr. Jan Riezebos has been closely involved with TeMa from its inception and has helped in various ways to bring TeMa where it is today.

My name is Anna Paques. I still remember well how I came to university as a somewhat shy and quiet girl. I had met a number of fellow students during the EBF camp and during the lectures I spent a lot of time with Jelena. We were regularly together and in the end we were surprised that virtually nothing was organized specifically for our study 'Technology Management'. 

No cozy drinks to get to know your fellow fellow students in an informal way, and unfortunately also few study-related activities such as a company visit. The idea arose to set up a study association that could meet this need. With this idea we went to the then program board: Jan Riezebos, Gwenny Ruel and Nicole van der Beek. They were immediately very enthusiastic. It was now important to further gauge the enthusiasm for a study association. We organized a cozy drink (afterwards) in the canteen of the Blauwborgje building and asked future first-years what they would think of a study association. There was interest, but the enthusiasm was also limited. Something had to be set up first! We persevered and the statutes were paid for by the program board.

In October 2009 we had a full board and we were the first board of TeMa to really get started! We organized the first company visits to Gasunie and Friesland Campina, where attendance was still moderate. But everyone who was with us was enthusiastic and that gave us the drive to continue. Our favorite pub became Tram 13 where we celebrated a super Christmas drink and Dies. We have regularly run into difficulties; enthusiasm that was not always present or our own ignorance, but we persevered and after a year we not only had a number of committees and 100 members, but also a second board of TeMa! At the moment the fifth board is already up and running and it is fantastic to see how enthusiastic each board is every year. It is astonishing how much has been set up in those relatively few years: monthly drinks, in-house tours, symposia, trips abroad and nowadays even its own boardroom as a sub-association of the EBF. All thanks to five enthusiastic boards, active members, ordinary members and the education board of TM.

In the meantime I have graduated. Many graduates move to the west to start great traineeships at: Essent, Tata Steel, Fokker, Heineken, etc. Such a traineeship myself and a large city do not appeal to me, but here in the north there is also plenty to offer. I worked at Avebe for several months where I was involved in the production planning. Mainly an operational matter, which I found very enjoyable and instructive after my studies. During your studies you regularly hear about ERP systems, but what can you really do with them? Due to the operational activities at Avebe, I now have much more insight into the SAP system. I am currently employed by Yacht and I am part of the Young Professionals program. Within two years we carry out a number of different assignments at interesting companies such as Friesland Campina, Douwe Egberts, Gasunie, Philips or, for example, a lesser known Neopost. In addition, we receive some coaching and there is the possibility to follow courses or training.

So as a recent graduate in logistics, planning or supply chain management with some ambition, even in these less favorable times, there are plenty of opportunities all over the country and certainly also abroad if that appeals to you!​

Hi, my name is Jelena van Gelder.

TeMa: an association that is so successful that it doesn't seem like it is only five years old. Or five years old already? Five years ago, a study association for Technology Management students was not as obvious as it is now. It all started when Anna and I got the feeling that there weren't a lot of study-related activities for TMers. We had relatively little contact with our fellow students, we missed cozy drinks and contact with the faculty and the business community: because what can a TM student be able to do later? All these elements formed the basis for setting up a study association. And now TeMa seems to be such a success, but that did not happen by itself. Activities were not always well attended and I can still remember a drink with six people. 

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But with some perseverance, a clear goal in mind and above all patience, it steadily became a success. After the founding year, our official first board year came: we got three more board members. A great year, in which the five of us laid the foundation for the current TeMa. Drinks, GMM's, company visits, coffee hours, looking for first sponsors and networking within the faculty and within studying Groningen were already on our agenda and how fantastic to see that it has been successfully taken over and expanded over the years! I can say that I am very proud of TeMa and all the boards, committees, active and non-active members that made TeMa TeMa.

And what do you do after all those fantastic years of studying? As a TM'er you don't have to worry too much, there is something for everyone. Many fellow students I know quickly find a job; whether that is consultancy, a management traineeship or another position, everything is possible. I started the Essent Trainee Program on 1 November 2013 and I am on a project that rolls out lean processes within Essent. The Trainee Program is an intensive development process in which you quickly get to know the organization by doing three projects in two years and where you receive a lot of training in the field of personal development, together with your class. I couldn't have wished for a better start to my career! But as said: there is something for everyone, so keep going to the in-house days and conferences organized by TeMa and you will find out for yourself!