Smooth integration
Tom and Jorik have been part of the Data Science & Pricing team for over a year now. This department, which creates data-driven models to analyse competitor and customer information, consists of both former Aegon NL and a.s.r. colleagues. ‘Data scientists are all the same type of people. It does not matter where you come from, you understand each other, and that makes working together really easy.’
Tom Blanke (pictured on the left) was one of the eight colleagues working at the Analytics Lab of a.s.r. This team of data scientists and data engineers took on projects for the various business lines. As a result of the merger with Aegon NL, 20 former Aegon NL colleagues have been added to the Analytics Lab, which now operates under the name Data Science & Pricing. Tom was not worried about their arrival beforehand. 'I was mainly very curious about what knowledge and expertise they have and how we can strengthen one another. It never felt like a threat.'
Even now that the former Aegon NL colleagues are here, Tom only sees advantages. 'I am part of a larger team that serves all business lines and thus elevates a.s.r. to a higher level.' One project that Tom is working on with colleagues is building a model for Disability to identify extraordinary claim behaviour to prevent or recover unjustified payments.
Jorik van der Oord (pictured on the right), one of the colleagues who joined from Aegon NL, is also enthusiastic about his new team. 'I think it has to do with the type of people; all in their late twenties to early thirties, tech savvy, driven, and overly interested in data models. Because of this, it does not matter where you come from, you understand each other, and that makes working together really easy. I felt at home very quickly.’
Expertise
Since Jorik and the other former Aegon NL colleagues are new to a.s.r., they have been spending quite some time connecting with the various business lines. By now, the business lines are well-informed where to find the Data Science & Pricing team. 'So well, in fact, that we are currently working on multiple assignments at the same time. It is nice to see that there is a demand for our expertise.' Jorik is currently working on a pricing tool for Pensions. 'With this, Pensions can determine the amount of the pension payment based on competitor rates. This is a very important process for the pension organisation. To me, making an impact with my work is valuable, and I am able to realise that through these types of projects.'
For Tom, working in a larger team requires a change in his way of working. 'I like to be aware of every project in detail so that I know what is happening. That is no longer realistic because we are simply working on too many projects.' In the meantime, three new colleagues have also joined the team. Jorik: 'These colleagues do not have an a.s.r. or Aegon background, and that is nice. This way, the team becomes even more mixed, and we continue to build on a shared future.'