Evelien
Project
Manager
"I've always done my own thing, even if many people said that wasn't the most logical move."
- Name: Evelien Clarysse
- Age: 30
- Studies: Bachelor Electronics-ICT, major in electronics (KHBO Oostende)
- Position: Project Manager
- Hobbies: Photography
The 30-year-old Evelien Clarysse works as a Project Manager at Axians Audiovisual.
Do you sometimes feel that you, as a woman, are unique in your business sector?
Evelien: Yes, it is striking that so many men work in the audiovisual world. When you meet another woman in a technical position, it creates an extra bond because it is so exceptional. I do have a couple of female colleagues within Axians, which makes my position here less peculiar. However, there are still some funny situations for a woman in this typically male-dominated world. For example, there is a funny anecdote about when I had to do a site visit at a customer’s place last year. As it happens, there was no second dressing room for women so the entire men’s dressing room had to be cleared out just for me.
Do you enjoy working at VINCI Energies?
Evelien: Yes. In the past, I noticed that there was more prejudice towards women. In contrast, at VINCI Energies it doesn’t matter if you are a man or woman. You are respected as the person you are and treated according to your knowledge and skills, not your gender or sex. I have grown tremendously in these four years I have been working here and I have been given many opportunities. There are also many training courses that I can take to develop myself and I think those aspects make the company stand out. I’ve already had the opportunity to learn a lot in the time I’ve been working here. For me, it is important that I can do my own thing and develop myself.
How can more women be introduced to the technical sector?
Evelien: I think they should promote more technical training in education from an early age. There should really be more attention devoted to this issue. You should be able to develop your interest and skills as early as possible. When I decided in third grade to study electricity-electronics, I knew it was the right choice for me. However, it was a difficult decision. There were practically only boys in that school, but at that time it seemed logical to follow that path. Even though my parents, teachers and supervisors did not completely agree.
