Do you know where you will be in 5 or 10 years? Me neither, and as MSc student I never expected to start my own business before my 30th.
You will probably find you’re path while you’re on the road. But how do you choose the right directions if you don’t know your destination? It’s about the choices you make today that determine your tomorrow. I believe you will be able to find your passion by doing what you like, doing what you don’t like, reflecting, concluding, planning, making choices and start over by doing again.
So, what’s the first step after graduation? I graduated with a MSc in Geology from the UU and as geoscientist at Shell. I loved solving geological fieldwork puzzles during my studies, but while writing my thesis I quickly found out that a career as desktop geologist did not suit me. In this lecture, I will reflect on the choices that I took in my short career that resulted in founding a renewable energy company. I will emphasize on the valuable skills and knowledge that geoscientists have for our path towards a new economy and discuss what empowers my and your future.
About Michiel Ottevanger
Sharp look. With vision. And always looking for ‘common ground’, synergy. Michiel finds it exciting that so many diverse themes come together in one complex challenge, the energy transition. The social impact, political character, spatial integration and the large technical component make it probably the biggest challenge of his life.
Michiel graduated with a MSc in Geology and Geophysics from the UU, graduated as geoscientist at Shell and started his career as Commercial advisor for Vermilion Energy. Two years ago, Michiel founded D4, his own renewable project development company. At D4, Michiel is lead developer in geothermal-, biogas, bioLNG-, wind-, hydrogen- and energy storage projects.
Michiel is passionate, inventive, interested and a sailor.