"I like standing with my boots in the mud."

A quote from Jet de Boer-Lasseur, director at BAM Infra Rail. Together with Maarten van Raaij, she forms the two-headed management of BAM Infra Rail. In an ideal world, it shouldn't be unusual for a competent woman to hold a top position at a company in the infrastructure sector. Yet it still is, and De Boer-Lasseur notices this on a daily basis.

That there is a certain field of tension when you manifest yourself as a woman in a high position in business in a traditional male world she sees more as a beautiful challenge than a problem. "I believe in my own strength and want to be visible as a woman in this place. To inspire other women to not let role models and conventional views hold them back. Those who want to work with quality and talent should not be judged by who they are," she says.

No more standing on the sidelines
Her career at BAM actually began in 1996, when De Boer-Lasseur joined Tebodin, a division of HBG (later BAM), after studying HTS Construction Engineering. A subsequent study in Business Administration gave her a different perspective: "I held many positions within BAM, eventually ending up in a managerial position at the age of 27. A position and role that naturally suited me well. At the end of 2007 I decided to do something completely different and started working for a management consulting firm. There I dealt with change management. This was an instructive time and also an eye-opener for my future, because I realized that I like 'standing with my boots in the mud'. A return to BAM was the result. I wanted to be directly in business, working with people in the field, because 'then you're really there' is my credo."

Once back within the ranks of BAM, De Boer-Lasseur moved into an HR position. In 2010, BAM Civiel came her way. "Delivering technical projects was not a problem, but the demonstrability of everything was still a thing. I then became involved in managing the non-technical processes. Think of things like project design, LEAN, SixSigma and requirements management, basically everything around the 'technical' fieldwork. Until 2012, I was able to establish and lay a nice foundation here," says De Boer-Lasseur.

Having your own "store" in a man's world
"In 2013 I became responsible for BAM Infra Rail's equipment business, a workshop for large and small machines and pure construction site logistics. Wonderful to be responsible for a 'store' of my own. That this store run by a woman was in a traditional man's world, I did notice by the numerous furrowed brows around me. However, I was able to prove myself and held my own just fine. The "rail bug" got hold of me and I became completely hooked. Working on the tracks is a special kind of sport, the work has to be done when others are sleeping or off. And in very short periods of time."

From 2014 to 2016, De Boer-Lasseur became responsible for all of BAM Infra Rail's projects. She outlines, "That included projects for ProRail, HTM, RET and GVB. I did what I was good at and was 'on the map'. Finally, in 2016, I joined as a co-director and was allowed to sway the scepter together with Maarten van Raaij. There was tension there too, but in a healthy way. We are very different, but respect each other. The division of labor is also a division of roles. Because of what we do, people know who to come to. Contractual issues are more likely to land on Martin's desk, the issues that are relational in nature usually come to me."

"Shoulders down."
"In 2016, I launched the 'shoulders down' program. That means we, as management, trade our office chair for field work. At least once a year, we run a full shift with the people in the field. From breakdown service to project. In addition, I get out at work, preferably as often as I can. So you'll find me monthly with the boots on and the helmet on, trudging through the terrain."

How do the men respond to that, we ask. "I'm very aware sometimes that I'm the only woman. But as with anything new, at some point people get used to it. It only becomes clear again that this is not a normal situation when a newcomer arrives. New persons often do indicate that this is very welcome and unique to the world we are in."

Being seen and asserting competencies
Jet de Boer-Lasseur creates balance with her approach, which, because she is a woman, is significantly different from the male approach. "Of course it is true that competence must come first. However, there are many competent women, who see bears on the road to the top and out of fear choose to follow a horizontal line, instead of a vertical one. For those women, I want to be visible. To them I want to give that push." In conclusion, what would you like to give to these women from your position, we ask her. The answer is, "You don't have to see the whole staircase to take the first step. Believe in your own power and change the world by starting with yourself."