Ali came from Iran and has been living in the Netherlands since 2023. He has a multidisciplinary educational background in petroleum engineering, electrochemistry, strategic communication and public relations. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in petroleum production engineering in Iran, and now works for ADM in the Netherlands.
After moving from Iran, Ali took on a scholarship from the American ambassy and now had the opportunity to study. He completed two masters in the United States of America and gained a lot of experiences from studying there. By then, he got to know all about himself and what he wants in life. “’The real education is unofficial’, is what my father used to say. Once I arrived in the Netherlands I knew exactly what I wanted: to settle down and find a career I can excel at that preferably has to do with energy, water or biomasses. ADM has turned out to be the perfect combination of what I adore doing and what I find interesting.”
ADM is one of the world’s biggest nutrition companies and is a leader in both human and animal nutrition. These days, Ali works as a process engineer at this successful company. “The combination of the chemistry and engineering suits me like a glove. Except for this amazing combination of work, my colleagues are always available if I have any questions and my knowledge and skills are being acknowledged within this team. This all makes it easier for me to be part of the team as someone who is completely new. I cherish the place I am currently at, especially after seeing that it can be different in other countries.”
Brenda, Ali’s supervisor, shares her inspiring thoughts with us as well: “Even though we are a company on international scales, this makes the first time that we have taken a chance for ourselves and started working together with a newcomer. We have learned from Ali’s story that it is important to see what every person needs and what works will with them. That’s because that time and attention pays itself back tenfold after some time. I’d say that this is not going to be the last story of success.”
Ali is grateful for Port of Opportunities help and ADM’s support. “A collaboration like this gives me hope. And this doesn’t just give that to me, but for everyone and for society. I’m very happy with how Port of Opportunities has helped me find a great job for me and how they have supported me even after when I started working for ADM. They even financially support me so that I'm able to get my drivers license, which makes getting to work a lot easier".