From military officer with a master’s degree in military science to Product Owner in the printing world: it is not an everyday path, but for Rob (39), it feels completely logical.
“I worked for Defence for fifteen years. Great work and I learned a lot there, both professionally and personally. But at a certain point it started to feel off. Five kids at home, constantly on the road, always switched on… I noticed I wanted to be home more and to contribute in a different way. That is when I started thinking about what else was possible.”
After a short time at an online learning platform, he ended up at Printforce in late 2024.
“My wife was already working here and was always so enthusiastic. When I heard they were looking for a Product Owner, I got curious. And honestly, I was immediately convinced.”
He started as a foreman in production. “That was quite a leap into the deep end,” he admits. “New world, new systems, and right away at the helm. But I like to sink my teeth into something.”
He is now taking the Scrum Master course and feels that the role of Product Owner is a perfect fit. Rob is responsible for improving the internal system that almost everything at Printforce runs on.
“From orders to planning to print sequence – everything goes through that system. My job is to make it work smarter, clearer and more intuitive. I sit between colleagues on the shop floor, our customers and the development team. You have to understand what everyone needs and how to translate that into technology.”
What does he enjoy about it? “You can really make a difference. Take, for example, how we process priorities in production. We used to work on the basis of FIFO – First In, First Out. Now we use a priority-driven approach. What is most urgent is processed first. That sounds logical, but it requires big adjustments in the systems and screens. It still has to be user-friendly for the people on the floor.”
According to Rob, the gains often lie in small improvements. “A good system means fewer mistakes, more speed and more calm in production. That is the goal. In IT, things often go wrong: someone asks for A, the developer builds B, and in the end you get something that looks like C. I want to prevent that. So I ask a lot of questions, test along, and check whether it really works as intended.”
Printforce suits him well, he says. “You work on something tangible: books. That gives satisfaction. And it is a company with short lines of communication. If you take initiative, you are really given space and trust. Here, you always wear multiple hats, which makes the work varied. It is not: this is your box, stay in it. That would not suit me at all.”
He has not regretted the switch for a second. “Of course I did special things at Defence, but that is also a closed world. Since I started working here, doors have opened instead. There is room to learn, to grow, to try. That gives energy.”
