Getting to know DNB

“I was approached by a DNB recruiter around six years ago. I had heard of the name, of course, but DNB had never occurred to me as a potential employer. That changed as soon as I took a closer look at the opportunity. The size and social importance of DNB as well as the complexity of its IT organisation, drew me in. We had a pleasant conversation but having just become a father, I decided to hold off – combining a baby and a career move didn’t seem like a great idea. I figured that my time will come.

The versatility of SharePoint

And it did. Last year. Having spent ten years with my previous employer, I was now ready for a new challenge and had not forgotten about the pleasant talk with DNB. I’ve had a special interest in Sharepoint since the early days of my career and so I joined DNB as a software developer for the Microsoft platform. Together with my team, I develop and maintain applications, primarily for internal use. With .NET technology as well as HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

“Doesn’t Sharepoint get boring after all those years, you ask?” Not at all. The platform is being developed continuously, which makes my job that much more dynamic. Plus, DNB has provided me with a fresh perspective of my field. My previous job was about building solutions for external clients. Once implemented, the project was over. In contrast, my internal position at DNB gives me a better understanding of the way in which applications are being used and how my solutions can contribute on the long term. I have a very mature development team around me with a high degree of experience.

To the cloud in five years

 Another important reason for joining DNB recently is the fact that the organisation is undergoing a massive digital transition. DNB has committed to transitioning to the cloud in full by 2025. I’ve helped a lot of organisations migrate to the cloud and realise new cloud solutions in my previous job, but the complexity at DNB is quite unique. How does one migrate a central bank with so much sensitive data about banks, pension funds, insurers and other financial institutions to the cloud as smoothly and securely as possible? It is fascinating to have a part in the solution to such a current and vast IT problem.

Quality focus

One of the best aspects of working at DNB, is its quality focus. Quality is a central pillar in all of the organisation’s endeavours. Our team is no exception. We take our time to do things properly and employ an Agile method with a maximum degree of automation. And we check each other’s work. A wealth of courses and education are offered to facilitate your development; at the end of the day, this improves the overall quality as well.

The composition of my team is another great example of quality. Each with a different background, we add up to a high degree of accumulated experience. And quite importantly: the atmosphere is great. Each and every one of us is competitive, so spontaneous challenges occur on a regular basis, such as a push-up contest at the DNB gym or a 100-metre dash. Yes, an actual race, not a scrum sprint. I won the consolation prize. Just like in my job, I’m more of a marathoner.