Dirk-Jan Alken Inside ITQ:
“You can really tell that people here have a genuine passion for what they do, and it’s contagious.”
How did you end up at ITQ?
“I worked a lot with VMware solutions and had already been keeping an eye on ITQ for a while,” Dirk-Jan explains. “In the Netherlands, there’s really only one company you want to join if you truly want to grow in that field, and that’s ITQ. Once I’d earned my certifications, I thought: now I’m interesting enough. And that turned out to be true.”
His first contact with ITQ happened almost by chance. Dirk-Jan sent a LinkedIn connection request to Dennis Hoegen Dijkhof, who was then team lead of the SDDC team and is now Managing Director of the consulting branch in the Netherlands. “We turned out to live in the same village,” Dirk-Jan recalls. “Dennis thought: someone who works with VMware and lives nearb, I should talk to him.”
From that moment, things moved quickly. The conversations clicked, and Dirk-Jan immediately felt this was the right place for him: “What drew me in right away was the level of knowledge within ITQ. You can tell people here are truly passionate about what they do, and that’s contagious.”
How do you experience working at ITQ now, more than four years later?
“It’s still a great company,” Dirk-Jan says. “Of course, some things change as we grow. It’s more international now and sometimes a bit larger in scale, which means you don’t talk to every colleague as often. But it also brings a lot of positives; you connect with people from other countries, learn from different customer cases, and see how IT is applied in many ways.”
A great example of that is the VCF Squad, an initiative Dirk-Jan started together with colleagues from Germany and France: “Every month we organize an online knowledge-sharing session, kind of a community club. People share stories about cool projects or things they’ve built. It leads to really interesting discussions. It’s great to see something like that grow purely from a community spirit.”
Even in countries where ITQ isn’t active, the company’s name is well known in the VMware and Broadcom world. Dirk-Jan noticed that this past August at VMware Explore in Las Vegas. Besides describing Vegas as “Disneyland for adults,” he spoke with several people there who already knew ITQ or some of his colleagues. “I was there representing ITQ, and even there, people had at least heard of us, even though it’s not our market at all. It’s funny to see how far our reputation has spread.”
“You’re encouraged to dive into new things, to understand how they work, and how you can apply them.”
Can you tell us something about the clients you’re currently working with and the projects you do there?
“I’ve been working for Rijkswaterstaat for a while now, where I focus on NSX, specifically setting up and managing their network virtualization environment. It’s a large and complex landscape, but that makes it a great learning experience.”
Dirk-Jan also works on projects for clients both inside and outside the Netherlands. “For example, I recently worked with two Belgian colleagues on a project for a Norwegian customer, where we delivered a workshop.”
Closer to home, he was involved earlier this year with the Municipality of Enschede. “We first looked into FinOps, basically assessing the costs and efficiency of their private cloud solution. Later, I also implemented microsegmentation there. I was already in, so why not?” he laughs. “When I later presented the results, I received such positive feedback. I thought: I just did my job, but they were genuinely enthusiastic. That’s really rewarding.”
Soon, Dirk-Jan will start a new project for a Danish client, working with a management team based in India. “That’s another interesting challenge, working across cultures and time zones. But that’s what makes it fun.”
What kind of challenges do you encounter in these projects?
“Well, for example: VCF 9 has just been released, and it includes all kinds of new features,” says Dirk-Jan. “I’m currently exploring that with the Norwegian client. You notice you don’t know everything yet, and within ITQ, we’re all still figuring out what it means for our customers. Then you start asking around: Who’s already worked with this?”
“And that’s the great thing about ITQ,” he continues. “You’re encouraged to dive into new technologies, understand how they work, and figure out how to apply them.”
That says a lot about how fast technology evolves, and how ITQ keeps up with it. Dirk-Jan explains: “When I started four years ago, the VMware landscape looked completely different. It’s evolved so much. There’s always something new, you never stop learning.”
He adds that ITQ often takes the lead by embracing and experimenting with new technologies. Even at VMware Explore in Las Vegas, that became clear again: “I was in a session about microsegmentation, they presented it as something brand new,” he says with a smile. “Afterward, I spoke to the presenter and said: But we’ve been doing that at ITQ for years.”
So why does ITQ tend to be ahead of the curve? “I think it’s a combination of our passion for technology and our eagerness to earn certifications and pass exams,” he says.
“We’re all different, but we share that same drive, and that’s what connects us.”
What do you enjoy most about working at ITQ?
“That we all share the same passion,” Dirk-Jan answers without hesitation. “Everyone wants to deliver the best technical solutions. We’re all different, but we share that same drive and that’s what connects us. You can see it not only in the Netherlands but also internationally.”
How do you stay up to date in such a fast-changing world?
“When something new is announced, I usually hear about it from a colleague who shares it,” Dirk-Jan explains. “There’s also the annual VMUG Community Event, which is full of great information. As one of the VMUG leaders in the Netherlands, I’m closely involved myself. It’s a great way to stay informed and see how we can bring the latest innovations to our clients.”
He also follows industry peers on LinkedIn and other platforms to stay informed outside of work. “But honestly, most of the updates I hear about come through work.”
Dirk-Jan emphasizes that the broader VMware and Broadcom community plays an important role as well: “That’s where our real strength lies, and I think that’s something powerful to see.”
What makes ITQ different from other organizations you’ve worked for?
“The people,” Dirk-Jan says without hesitation.
“The way we all are, that’s what defines ITQ. It’s what we’re known for: the culture. And you feel it at every level of the company, from management to the directors. The passion, the culture, and the way we collaborate, that’s what ITQ stands for, and it’s something you’ll hear again and again.”
About Dirk-Jan
Dirk-Jan has been with ITQ since May 1, 2021, starting as an IT Consultant within the SDDC team. Since 2025, he has also taken on the role of Technologist, focusing even more on knowledge sharing, earning certifications, and contributing to activities such as webinars, interviews, and presentations. That same year, Dirk-Jan was named a Broadcom Knight, a prestigious recognition for top experts within the Broadcom ecosystem, awarded to professionals who excel in technical expertise and community contributions.
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