“To truly help someone, you first have to understand them”

Who are the people working every day on your pension? What motivates them, what do they enjoy about their work, and where do they get their energy? In the series The person behind your pension, APG employees offer a glimpse into their work and their lives. This time: Mahendranath Chalamcharla, DevOps engineer, functional application manager, and scrum master. “Working with people, interacting, and building connections, that’s what drives me.”

What exactly is your role at APG?
“I work as a DevOps engineer, and within that role my main focus is as a functional application manager. I’m also the scrum master for my team. That combination suits me well, because I enjoy working in depth on systems and processes, but I also really like working with people and helping teams collaborate effectively.”

What initially attracted you to APG as an employer?
“Mainly the role itself. I was looking for a position that aligned with what I had been doing at the financial institution where I worked before. I wanted to stay in the financial sector because I already had experience in it. That’s how I ended up at APG, and I haven’t regretted that decision for a second.”

How do you experience APG as an employer?
“What I really appreciate is the freedom you’re given. There isn’t constant supervision or someone looking over your shoulder. The work-life balance is also good. There is real attention to people, and there isn’t pressure to keep working in your personal time. I can structure a large part of my day myself. It’s not a strict nine-to-five environment as long as the work gets done. I value that a lot.”

What does an average workday look like?
“It starts with waking up, which can be a challenge because I’m definitely a night person, not an early bird. I’m usually at my laptop around 8:30 a.m. I join my first meetings, including the daily stand-up with my team, from home. After that, I head to the office. That way I avoid rush-hour traffic and can start my day productively.

At the office, my day consists of meetings, responding to emails, and of course my core responsibilities. The rest of my team is based in Heerlen, while I’m the only one from my team working out of the Amsterdam office. But that doesn’t feel like a distance, because I’m in constant touch with my colleagues online. Around lunchtime, I like to connect with other colleagues in person. After more than five years at APG, I know quite a few people. I enjoy being around others, having conversations, or discussing things briefly in person. That gives me energy and helps me move forward with my work.”

How do you make a difference in your role?
“My biggest strength is connecting with people. When I work with someone, I really want to understand them. I try to put myself in their position and understand what’s going on. That ties closely to my second strength, which is networking. It always helps make work easier and more effective.

Sometimes the work is complex. It can be difficult to understand exactly what someone needs or what the real issue is with a particular application. That’s when it’s especially important to invest time in communication and understanding others. If I don’t fully grasp the problem as an application manager, I can’t provide the right support. That’s why I consciously invest in that.”

What do you enjoy about your work?
“I really enjoy the unpredictability of my work. As an application manager, you never know exactly what issues will come your way. That’s what makes it interesting. I like diving into a problem and figuring out what’s going wrong. And not just finding a solution, but also making sure the issue doesn’t come back in the future.

That’s also why I enjoy the combination with being a scrum master. It allows you not only to resolve issues, but also to work with your team on sustainable solutions and shared goals. I like contributing to that in my own way.”

When does it become a less enjoyable day?
“When the work becomes too repetitive and I’m doing the same thing for several weeks in a row. Fortunately, that doesn’t happen often. But when it does, I actively look for something new. I connect with colleagues from other teams and see where I can help or take on new work. That’s another thing I really appreciate about APG, there’s room to do that.”

In addition to your daily work, you are also active in different communities. What appeals to you about that?
“I enjoy organizing activities that bring people together. That can be team events like dinners, a soccer game, or other gatherings. In every team and at every employer, I’ve always been the person who volunteers to organize things.

When I first joined APG, I wanted to get involved with YoungAPG and eventually become a board member. I wanted to support younger colleagues, but it also gave me a lot in return. I learned a lot about APG, about networking, and about leading a group. You meet a lot of people, organize all kinds of activities, and learn a great deal from that. I did it for two years, and then it was time for others to have that opportunity as well.”

You are also active in the Connecting Cultures network. Why is that important to you?
“At APG, colleagues come from many different nationalities and cultural backgrounds. I think topics like diversity, equality, and inclusion are very important. I’ve been living in the Netherlands for more than ten years now and have worked at APG for over five years. I may not need the network as much as I did in the beginning, but I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience with colleagues who can benefit from it.

Through Connecting Cultures, we organize events like an iftar or a shared lunch around Diwali. During those moments, we also share insights about the cultures and countries behind these traditions. It helps colleagues open up to different backgrounds. At the same time, it helps people who are new to the Netherlands find their way more quickly. I think that’s very valuable.”

How do you see your future at APG?
“I feel like I’m a good fit here, and I can definitely see myself staying for several more years. Preferably in a role like the one I have now. I want to keep gaining experience, growing in my field, and developing further. The more knowledge and experience I build, the better I can help others.”

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
“I enjoy volunteering. I’ve always done quite a bit of that because I think it’s important to give back to society. I regularly help organize marathons. It’s fun to do, and once again it’s all about connecting, collaborating, and interacting with people.”