Urenco communications consultant Malou Stegehuis: ‘I can put my creativity to good use in the nuclear sector’

This article is part of the series 'Twente lives!' Here you will read personal stories about working and living in Twente. According to young talent ed people that we speak to, Twente is the place to be. The beautiful nature, the space, the down-to-earth mentality; all things that characterize Twente. In addition, there are plenty of career opportunities! Twente has many innovative, international and future-proof companies that are in need of  additional staff. Want to know what Twente has to offer? The story of Robbin Stegers can be found below.

Urenco works with slightly radioactive materials, which raises eyebrows every now and again. One of Malou’s tasks is to unravel some of the secrets behind the fence. “We give lots of tours and give as much information as we can”, she explains. “After all, people are suspicious of what they do not understand.”

Malou studied communication and information sciences in Groningen. She met her boyfriend – now husband – there and moved to Zwolle. “It was one step closer to Twente; I really wanted to return there. I started working at an employment agency in Zwolle, so I was the first to know about nice vacancies in the communications industry”, she recalls with a smile. "Times were different, and jobs were scarce." She found Urenco’s communications consultant vacancy in Almelo here, and the rest is history. She moved back to Twente with her husband and started her career at Urenco.

Urenco enriches the uranium that is used as fissile material (fuel) in nuclear plants. The company from Almelo also makes a significant contribution to nuclear medicine. Some of the centrifuges on the Urenco site are used to enrich Xenon and Iridium, among other materials, which are used for high-quality scans and targeted tumour treatment, for example. This takes medical diagnostics to the next level and improves patient treatment.

The Urenco site is well protected because of its state-secret ultracentrifuge technology. Visitors must identify themselves and leave their phones and other information carriers at the entrance. “It feels a bit like a village to us employees, perhaps because of that”, says Malou. “There are about 300 of us working here. Everyone knows each other, and the turnover rate is less than two per cent." That says something about the working atmosphere at Urenco. “It is very pleasant, and job satisfaction is paramount. But we also have many opportunities to develop ourselves. I recently took a course to become a workplace happiness expert”, she says. “I like that that is possible.”

She also likes the international dynamics at Urenco. “Our head office is located nearby London, but we also have offices in Gronau, Capenhurst and New Mexico.” She visits the other sites occasionally as part of her job, and she loves that variety. She has always had the urge to travel, even during her studies in Groningen. She lived and studied in Madrid for half a year and went to Peru for two months with her flatmate.
“It’s great to be in a city every now and again; the hustle and bustle is nice. My husband Rob and I also travel with our children – three boys aged 6, 4 and 1 – a lot. Curacao, Portugal, Mallorca and Barcelona were on the agenda for this year. "We love travelling but prefer living in Twente's peace and quiet. Being able to go everywhere by bike and quickly being out in the open. There are super nice places like the green Prins Benhardplantsoen, which has a good, cosy catering establishment; you can go for a walk in Delden and have a lovely lunch in the village; we have everything here.”

Her job at Urenco, three young children, going to the gym three times a week; you would expect her schedule to be full. But this is far from the truth. She recently started a business with one of her friends. “We provide styling for children’s parties”, she says. “It’s amusing to do; we provide a dozen tents in a garden for a camping party, or we beautifully dress up tables for a themed party, that kind of thing. I am extremely entrepreneurial. In my own company, but also at Urenco.” She has her communications tasks, of course, but she also organises company parties, the Christmas gathering and other internal communication. “I like to convey information well, but doing it in an original way”, she says. “I enjoy adding creativity to something business-like.”

Twente lives

Twente is the ideal place to live and work, according to the talents we meet. Want to know why? Read personal stories about living and making a career in Twente on twente.com/twente-leeft. Want to look for a job immediately? Then take a look at our extensive job site.