The story of

Leo Penders

Senior Operations Engineer

“We are a small company and do great things.”
How did you end up at Circle?
I’ve been walking around Chemelot for about 14 years now and started working for the IAZI (the wastewater treatment plant) in 2020. With my technical background as an engineer, I was looking for a new challenge and saw great opportunities here.

Our “raw material” is wastewater from the 60 plants on the site. This creates a lot of dynamism in my work, where every day, and even every hour, we make clean Meuse water from a different composition of wastewater. Besides the dynamics, it also requires good coordination with customers, consultation with our “neighbors. We watch over the wastewater of all of Chemelot and have contacts with fellow technologists at the plants for this purpose.

What is typical about Circle as an employer?
There is always momentum, not only at the IAZI, but throughout the company. The factories at Chemelot do what they are good at, while we as a partner arrange everything around it and relieve them with our infrastructural services. Safety is inextricably linked to this and comes first in everything we do.
What do you enjoy most about working at Circle?
Circle Infra Partners is a new and small organization. This offers freedom, but also requires ownership. We do business within a corporation! We would like to grow, do new things. With a smaller company, you often have to do that yourself. With us, you may and can also do a lot yourself. There is also the freedom to get together with colleagues and work out new ideas. There is an atmosphere here of: Want to do something different or better? Then pick it up, with support from management.
What are your personal ambitions?
I always want to be able to do everything and find it interesting to do new things. My role as a chemical engineer has become increasingly broad in recent years at the IAZI. Now I am also assistant production manager and coach a team of technologists. Together we are working on the wastewater treatment strategy for the coming years. Leading from the content and working on my coaching skills is definitely a great challenge for continued growth.

I also derive satisfaction from my duties on the Works Council. I am involved in organizational development and have helped create our new name and core values. Now we are looking at how we, together with our teams, can integrate them into our daily work, including through workshops.

What is your message for future employees?
We are a small company and do great things. You’ll have to do it yourself here, but that’s what makes it engaging and fun. So…are you a go-getter who likes to take action yourself? Then definitely come join our team because this is a hearty fun company!

Curious about our colleague Danee’s work experience?