How do you become a water specialist? It’s not as if Jos knew from an early age that this was what he wanted to be. In fact, he didn’t even know the profession existed. He did, however, love playing with water. “Building little dams and things like that.” He went on to study Civil Engineering and chose to pursue a Master’s in Water Management, specialising in drinking water. “Drinking water is vital to human life, and I wanted to do something with societal impact. That’s just who I am, it’s also why I do volunteer work and am an active parent at my children’s school.” After working for several years at a drinking water company, where he gained extensive knowledge and experience, Jos applied for a job at Quooker. “At first I thought: a commercial company, is that really for me? But I’ve completely found my place here.”

Making a difference “My mission at Quooker is, in short, to safeguard that our products deliver the best possible water quality. This means, among other things, ensuring that the materials used in our products do not negatively affect water quality. To achieve this, I sometimes make proposals to colleagues that involve additional costs or impact the functionality of our products. That can occasionally lead to dilemmas and discussions. I am Quooker’s conscience when it comes to water quality.” Jos also focuses on the quality of the water that enters people’s homes, which varies greatly from country to country. “In the Netherlands, we take it for granted that high-quality drinking water comes out of the tap. But in a country like Spain, it’s very different. People drink water from plastic bottles, which is expensive and not environmentally friendly. A Quooker with a water filter that purifies the water and improves its taste is the perfect alternative. In my view, we should position that water filter much more prominently in the market as a unique selling point of our product. Because in many countries, that truly makes the difference.”

Learning from one another Jos is the only water specialist at Quooker, yet he doesn’t feel isolated. “That’s because I’m part of the expert team within the Research & Development department. We also have a packaging specialist, an energy specialist and regulatory specialists. Together, we form a great team and learn a lot from one another.” He also collaborates with almost every department in the company. “Any question related to water eventually lands on my desk. For example, I’m also involved in determining the ideal level of carbonation for the sparkling water produced by the Cube. I can tell you, opinions on that vary quite a bit!”

In addition to his role at Quooker, Jos also teaches at various water-related educational programmes. “I really appreciate that Quooker’s management gives me the space to do that, because it allows me to share my knowledge with future experts. At the same time, teaching gives me a lot of new insights and inspiration, which I then bring back into the company. Quooker is simply a great company to work for. The atmosphere on the work floor is friendly and informal, and as an employee, you’re very well taken care of.”