11 September 2020
'The dynamics of change are almost tangible within ABN AMRO. We are reinventing ourselves and innovating in the use of data and the way we communicate with clients and colleagues. Start-ups and tech companies are our new competitors and accelerate the transformation. The future of banking lies in data, and the quality of data is essential to that. Inadequate data can result in wrong risk assessments, incorrect client propositions and inefficient operations. Our team is responsible for the quality of that data.'
Not a Game Producer, but a Scrum Master
Max Hüsstege was Scrum Master for Data Quality at ABN AMRO. He is now part of Innovation & Technology. He studied Game Technology & Informatics at Utrecht University and turned his hobby into his profession. 'I have always been a keen gamer and enjoyed delving into the technical and organisational side of things. I was looking forward to a future job as a Game Producer, but that didn't materialise. I started at ABN AMRO as a developer and immersed myself in content. At the start of this year, I was asked to become a Scrum Master. I grabbed that opportunity with both hands. Now, I finally have my dream job, not as a Game Producer but as a Scrum Master.
As a Scrum Master, you only have one objective: to help the team operate as well as possible. The most important thing is that the team clicks, that people feel safe, that they look out for each other and seek collaboration. That involves investing in people – only then does the content flow. In my position, I try to challenge people by encouraging constant improvement and innovation. That's where my computer science background comes in handy.
A good example of how I have encouraged innovation is the hackathon that I recently organised. Over two days, we worked with colleagues from across the data engineering domain on various cases to find out which tools Microsoft Azure offers and how effectively they can be used within our organisation. This produced surprising results and helps our data engineers make huge progress in working in a cloud environment.'
IT Academy
'ABN AMRO is a great environment for data specialists. Data is really at the forefront here and I think there are very few places where you can get so much from your job. We have a lot of different teams with a lot of rotation. This helps your development, just like the training opportunities that the bank offers. For example, I took part in the IT Academy for six months. During that period, you spend 40% of your time on various courses and training programmes. For me, it ended in January with a trip to India where we met our IT partners. It was very informative and inspiring!
