The story of Mukta Mariwala

'Doing the same thing every month, I find that too monotonous. Luckily, as IT project manager in the service organisation of TNO, I have many different projects and there is always a new challenge. TNO works on innovation and I definitely see that reflected in IT. We really keep up.’

Mukta Mariwala started her career in IT in 2000 as a software developer in India. ‘Soon it was discovered I had a talent for leadership, communication and motivating people.' Subsequently, she filled many roles such as scrum master, service manager and programme manager. She is now IT project manager at TNO.

Part of a bigger picture

'In my work, I am part of a bigger picture. Colleagues work hard on innovations for people and the environment and I support them with all kinds of IT solutions and tools. I do not develop innovations myself, but I help make them possible.’

Balance

'Having knowledge of IT and understanding the client is a useful combination for a project manager. I always ask questions: what does the customer want and why? Is there any legislation involved? And of course: what is technically possible? Managing a project is often a matter of finding the right balance. For example between user-friendliness and security.’

Stress test

‘What I am most proud of? The recent stress test we ran. We practised whether, in the event of a disaster, we can ensure that critical software processes continue to run as normal. Super important!’

Growing together

‘I don't miss working as a developer myself. The nice thing about this role is that you can zoom out. As a solution architect or developer, you can deep dive into a subject. Though as project manager, it is my job to ensure that team members do not deviate from the goal. I monitor the scope of the project, the budgets and also the process. What I enjoy most is working in a very driven team. Learning and growing together - that brings satisfaction. That is what I find really special about working at TNO.'