Get to Know Jeroen!

Many of our customers, especially in concrete, ventilation, and steel, have met our skilled Dutchman, Jeroen Graafland. Jeroen, Jay among friends, has been with LCA.no for over three years and currently works as an LCA consultant, with expanded responsibilities in product development, from our headquarters in Fredrikstad. In this article, you can get to know Jeroen better. 

Master’s Degree in Sustainable Production from NTNU 

Jeroen completed his bachelor’s degree in Science, Business, and Innovation from VU Amsterdam in 2017. He then worked for a year in the after-sales market for the housing manufacturer BAM Wonen. 

“In Amsterdam, I learned a lot about how new technology can be commercialized and the importance of understanding customer use cases early in the design phase to tailor the product to customer needs and improve practical use. This is transferable to how we work with product development at LCA.no. After gaining a year of work experience, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in sustainable production. I did this at NTNU in Gjøvik in 2019 and moved to Trondheim to complete my studies at the Gløshaugen Campus, specializing in LCA,” Jeroen explains. “I enjoyed Norway very much and looked for opportunities to work in companies that combine modern technology and sustainability. Through a study friend, I was tipped off about opportunities at LCA.no and contacted the company. It was a great match! The decision to move from Trondheim to Fredrikstad was easy, and I have been here for over three years now,” he adds. 

Working with the Entire Value Chain 

As an LCA consultant, you work with a wide range of customers. Many are just starting their sustainability journey and are new to environmental documentation. Others are large international corporations that have a clear idea of what they need and want to streamline the development of environmental documentation across borders, factories, and suppliers. 

“It is important to map and analyze the customer’s internal business processes and how the value chain looks, both upstream and downstream. I advise customers on LCA projects, work with data development, and collaborate with our development department to implement product improvements. This is becoming increasingly relevant as regulations and laws change, but also as customers become more aware,” Jeroen shares enthusiastically. “We help customers succeed in their collaboration with their suppliers and customers. In some cases, customers need advice on how to convince their own customers about their commitment to LCA and EPD to achieve sustainability goals. In other cases, it is crucial to mobilize the customer’s suppliers. Insight into the industry’s complexity, characteristics, and framework conditions is essential for success in this work. In many ways, we act as ambassadors for our customers’ sustainability efforts through their investments in EPD and LCA.” 

Proactive Industry Organizations 

After over three years as an LCA consultant, Jeroen has helped numerous industry and member organizations get started with environmental documentation and EPD. Especially in concrete and ventilation, he has worked with proactive industry organizations and mentions VKE, the Association for Ventilation, Cooling, and Energy, and Dansk Beton as examples of organizations he has worked with for a long time. 

Read about Dansk Beton investments in EPD 

“Working with partners that represent many companies is particularly exciting because there are several variables to consider to effectively reach the members. Strong anchoring within the industry organization means everything in such projects. At LCA.no, we have many partners who are very good in their field. Helping them with environmental documentation is very rewarding, and we get the opportunity to see how the best in their field continuously strive to improve. Being able to work globally is also a plus,” says Jeroen with a smile. “Geographical locations provide different energy mixes (for example, electricity, coal, solar, wind. Ed. note), which is important input in the EPD, so local conditions really matter! For our customers, project-specific EPDs are a significant advantage, which they get through our EPD Generator.” 

Are You Starting with EPD? Learn More in the Knowledge Bank

LCA.no is a Workplace with Room for Personal Development 

Finally, we asked Jeroen what he likes best about working at LCA.no. “I have to highlight our company culture and work environment. We have a very international and diverse work environment. There is a pleasant tone among us, and I think we also have that with our customers and partners. There is room for personal and professional development. If you want to deepen your role, there are opportunities for that. If you want to change direction, there are other roles you can take on. That I can now combine the role of LCA consultant with product responsibility is a good example of this!