“Working in the pension sector is the opposite of boring”

Who are the people who consciously choose to work in the pension sector? What do they do every day to manage your pension? And what do they actually enjoy about their work? In the series “The people behind your pension”, we take you behind the scenes. This time: Azzedine el Hasnaoui (42), Product Owner at APG.

The term Product Owner comes up often at APG. What exactly does that role entail?
“I’m responsible for implementing various customer journeys in the system we use for the renewed pension system. We do this for participants of our two pension fund clients who have already transitioned to the renewed system. A customer journey is the process someone—in this case, a participant—goes through during a life event. The first journey is called ‘Warm Welcome,’ which includes processes like sending the initial letter to a new participant on behalf of the pension fund. The goal of such a journey is to ensure that the participant and their employer can provide us with the correct information for pension accrual, allowing us to approach them in a personalized way.

I also oversee ‘Client View,’ the system our Customer Contact Center staff use to access all relevant data so they can quickly respond to participant inquiries. Additionally, I’m responsible for automating actions within the customer journey, such as granting pension benefits.”

What does a typical workday look like for you?
“My day starts with stand-up meetings with my teams. They share updates on our progress, what they’ll be working on, and whether I need to step in to prioritize something. Before these meetings, I check if everything is running smoothly or if a process has stalled. If something’s off, I make sure one of my teams addresses it.

I also meet daily with a core team of fellow Product Owners. We keep each other informed about what we’re working on and what we plan to tackle in the future across different customer journeys. My work involves both detailed tasks—like resolving issues in a single participant’s journey—and strategic planning: what we’ll focus on in the coming period, whether we can deliver on our promises, and if not, what the impact will be.”

How does someone become a Product Owner?
“I started at APG in 2007 as a pension and systems specialist. In that role, I assessed pension eligibility and answered more complex participant questions. From there, I moved on to testing systems and applications, and later became a business and information specialist. When we transitioned to agile working, I was given the opportunity to become a Product Owner.”

What do you like about working at APG?
“Honestly, everything. What I appreciate most is that APG offers opportunities and gives you the chance to seize them. There’s genuine attention to your professional development. I’m also drawn to the challenges—every year brings something new and exciting.

Working in the pension sector is the opposite of boring, even though many people think otherwise. It’s constantly evolving. It’s great when a participant trusts that their pension is being built up and will be paid out automatically later, but behind the scenes, a lot has to happen to make that possible. Everything we do is aimed at making things as easy as possible for the participant.”

You’ve been with APG for 18 years. Surely you’ve encountered some downsides too?
“What I find challenging is that everyone has an opinion. We often struggle to make decisions. It’s like a miniature version of the Dutch polder model—we always want to reach consensus.”

What gives you the most satisfaction after a workday?
“My family. I really appreciate that APG gives me the flexibility to occasionally pick up my two kids from school. Soccer is another passion of mine. I don’t play anymore, but I love watching it with my son.

I used to be on the board of a foundation for orphans in Morocco. We established an orphanage and were able to do some truly wonderful things. It was sometimes confronting too. I’m of Moroccan descent myself. My father once made the decision to come to the Netherlands for a better life, but I could have easily been one of those orphans. That’s why I find it important to give back and support children who have fewer opportunities.

I really enjoyed that volunteer work, but most of the other volunteers lived in the Randstad, and over time it became too time-consuming to travel there regularly from my home in Germany. Still, it’s something close to my heart. I go to Morocco as often as I can. Who knows—once the transition to the renewed pension system is complete and things settle down at work, I might be able to return to volunteering.”

Where do you see yourself in five years?
“I’m not really thinking about that. I’m very happy in my current role and still see plenty of challenges ahead. I just want to enjoy the present, and we’ll see what the future brings.”