Meet the people behind the Dutch OR Society
Operations Research has many faces. For instance, while an OR practitioner may be trying to apply existing OR techniques to a complex and “dirty“ practical problem, an OR academic may be studying the theorectical aspects of a completely new method. The Dutch OR Society NGB would like to an association where all operation researchers feel at home. To accomplish this it is important that the society stimulates mutual contacts, for instance by making the activities of its members more transparant. Of course, it is also important that the high level at which OR stands in the Netherlands is regulalry brought to the attention of the outside world. Furthermore, I will personally commit myself to to strengthening the ties with the umbrella organizations EURO and IFORS.
I am an assistant professor at the Netherlands Defence Academy in Den Helder. In my work, I combine theoretical research with working on military applications. I joined the board of the NGB because I like to bring people form practice and science together and because I like to make people enthusiastic about OR and mathematics.
In my professional life, I have spent time both in industry (ORTEC) and academia (CWI, University of Auckland). I enjoy connecting people from both sides, which is why I joined the board of the Dutch OR society. It is my personal goal to make our society more well known, and start new initiatives for knowledge sharing and networking. I am also an editor for the journal STAtOR. Currently, I am working at the Vrije Universiteit. My research combines health care and logistics, such as ambulance planning or pharmaceutical supply chains.
When I studied Econometrics, I enjoyed solving Operations Research problems. Therefore, I am happy that I can apply the OR knowledge in my work as an Analytics Consultant at ORTEC. At ORTEC we deliver OR both in software products and consultancy studies, where the goal is to improve the world using our passion for mathematics. We want to be at the forefront of applying developments in the field of OR, and for this the links with universities and research institutions are of great importance.
As a researcher at Netherlands Railways (Nederlandse Spoorwegen, NS), I enjoy using Operations Research techniques to try solving practical problems. In my case, this means creating systems to support decision-making in the planning process of NS, for example when adjusting the timetable in case of construction works. Being part of the board of the NGB gives me the chance to share my enthusiasm for Operations Research with practitioners and researchers.
The combination of studying Operations Research Theory at one side, and applying the theory to practical problems on the other side is of great interest to me. That is also why I started my PhD, in which I work for both Dassault Systemes (formerly known as Quintiq) and CWI. In my research I focus on improving optimization techniques by using machine learning tools. By joining the board of NGB, I hope to be able to share the joy of the interaction between theory and practice with many others.
Erik is lecturer at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam.