Ted Paxton

Ted Paxton

“Cooperation comes first in Brainport”

“Brainport is the gateway to Europe! Something that’s very attractive for Americans is that in Brainport you will find a lot of different companies in all kinds of high-tech industries. What I especially like about working here is the interactive culture, where cooperation comes first.”

“At ASML I get both European as well as Asian experience in a position with a broad scope.”

Ted Paxton (44) has been working for ASML for 15 years: 10 years in the United States and 5 years in the Netherlands and Taiwan. Before that, he worked in the aerospace industry for a subcontractor of NASA in Houston. Due to its heat and humidity, Ted and his wife decided to leave Houston for Phoenix, Arizona (which is still hot, but dry). He applied for a vacancy that matched his experience and qualifications remarkably well (undergraduate in bio-medical engineering and a Masters in industrial engineering). He ended up at ASML, a company that was fairly unknown in the US.   Ten years later, ASML decided to consolidate his department with one in the Netherlands. At that time ASML's business was growing rapidly providing many different opportunities.  Ted seized the chance to fill a position at the ASML headquarters in the Netherlands – and his wife also found a job (quality manager) with ASML that matched her experience.

 Ted has always aimed to get as much international work experience as possible, both European and Asian. He didn’t hesitate when offered the chance of a three-year job assignment for ASML in Taipei (Taiwan). Upon his return to the Netherlands, he started working as a program manager coordinating the start-up of some ASML production in Taiwan. His program is responsible for setting up the factory, logistics, hiring staff, and more. As Ted explains: “It’s a very broad scope. The idea is to create a smaller copy of the production capabilities that are currently in the Netherlands.”

Here in the Netherlands there is a conscious balance of work and life integrated into the working culture

"I really enjoy the work environment within Brainport. It is very open culture where it is encouraged, and part of the culture, to make your opinions known.  This gives everyone the ability to directly influence their work and the company."   Ted laughs, with a hint of disbelief.   He hasn’t yet gotten completely used to the Dutch way of having meetings.  “There are a lot less meetings in the US. Here there are a lot more meetings required to insure everyone gets plenty of time to speak up  and obtain consensus.  In the US the decisions tend to be made more quickly within a hierarchy."

"Another pleasant surprise when I started working in the Netherlands is the ‘work-life balance’. Here in the Netherlands there is a conscious balance of work and life integrated into the working culture.  The most conspicuous sign of this balance is the huge amount of standard holiday time provided.  While in America you need special arrangement to take off more than a week at a time, a Dutch employee can plan a three-week holiday without a problem.” 

 

Name
Ted Paxton
Company
ASML
Function
Program Manager
Country
USA
City
Eindhoven
Education
Industrial engineering
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“The Expat Centre offers one single location to take care of everything. This ensured a smooth and quick landing for me in Brainport.”

“When I first arrived in the Netherlands four years ago, I had to deal with a lot of bureaucracy and process much of the government paper work in sequence, which took months.  I have to say that a lot has improved since the arrival of the Expat Centre, which offers one single location to take care of everything. This ensured my second ‘landing’ in Brainport went smoothly and quickly.”

“A big advantage of living in Eindhoven is the fact that everything is within walking distance – shops, museums, schools, leisure centres. From Eindhoven Central Station you can be in any other city in no time. Europe is full of history, which is a breath of fresh air for someone from Phoenix, where they have strip malls on every corner.”

"Coming from the US you will notice many differences in the local lifestyle.  Some of these differences can be frustrating, such as the expectation that dining in a restaurant s takes all evening or that shops are closed on Sundays.  I think the key is adapting to the local culture; do not fight it, just sit back and enjoy the nice long dinner with your spouse, and relax outside on a nice Sunday afternoon at Pub."

According to Ted, one less obvious  difference between the United States and The Netherlands is the ‘open architecture’. “Offices, especially, typically have larger undivided spaces, with lots of windows and daylight. This is very different from the ‘cubes’ you find in American offices”

A tip from Ted: “As an expat, if you're having a tough time making new friends, join a local club associated with your favourite hobby.  This enables you to build a social network. From this network you’ll get closer contacts, people you do other things with. This is fairly straightforward and the Dutch will help make you feel at home.  My wife and I are rowers and have joined the local rowing club where we have made many friends.  My wife also enjoys one evening every two weeks with the local knitting group.”

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