'ASML is a playground that keeps challenging you’

Maurice du Mée is Vice President Development & Engineering at ASML. On the exact day of his quarter of a century jubilee at the multinational company from Veldhoven, we reflect on his exciting, ever developing career.

Today it is exactly 25 years ago that you started at ASML. We are now drinking coffee at Vascobelo, the exact spot where ASML modestly began in 1984, in wooden temporary barracks. No better place or time to catch up and reflect, right?
“Exactly. Just now in the car on the way here, my thoughts drifted back in time. Such an anniversary elicits reflection. 25 years in the service of a company is no mean feat. It is incredible what has happened since then. I recently saw that we are in the top 30 most valuable companies in the world. Very bizarre, if you think about it.”

The common thread in your career is that you have taken on a new role every two or three years. From Team Leader Software Development to Project Leader, Manager, Director to Vice President Development & Engineering. Is it the nature of the beast not to stay in the same position for too long?
“In my youth, I moved around a lot. My father was in the military. We lived in Germany, in the United States and throughout the Netherlands. Moving around like that, really does something to you. It makes you flexible and allows you to adapt well. Moving wasn’t always easy. When I was 14, for example, we moved to Germany. It is quite something to take such a step in the middle of your adolescence. Perhaps it is a counter-reaction that I have been working for the same company for 25 years. But in a way though where I am shifting positions often. A perfect combination perhaps of staying put and discovering new options continuously.”

As the son of a military man, were you brought up rigidly?
“People think so, but the opposite is actually true. My parents gave me a lot of freedom in choosing what I would like to do. I am very grateful for that. When I went into military service myself I started a petty officer training course, where I first came into contact with leadership.”

Did you already have an idea about your future career at a young age?
“Not at first. Nowadays, young people choose much more what they really like to do. I remember picking up a pile of newspapers and finding out where the most work was to be found. Mechanical engineering and electrical engineering were the options that came to mind. Electrical engineering seemed more mysterious, more difficult to fathom, and therefore more interesting. That’s why I chose it.”

You did your graduation project at Maas International, a supplier of coffee machines. Then you joined them as an employee. Maas is a much smaller company than ASML. What did you learn there in particular?
“I was able to do a lot there, especially in terms of technical content. I was immediately given many responsibilities. I also learned to look at the broader impact of the product you are working on. At ASML, you are a slightly smaller cog in a very complex whole. There, it takes longer to understand the larger patterns. Yet after five years at Maas I felt I was ready for a next step and challenge. After all: a wafer stage is very different from a coffee machine.”

How did you decide at the time that ASML should be your next employer?
“At Maas, I quickly became team leader. I wanted to know whether those leadership skills were portable. Working with highly specialised technology or managing complexity: that appeals to me enormously. I always call ASML a playground for adults. A playground is also a place that keeps challenging  you.”

You made the switch to ASML in 1997. How do you look back on that year?
“That was a real pivotal moment for me. In that year, I was able to buy a plot of land from the municipality of Eindhoven on which we could build our own house. A new job and building our own house: that is a recipe for a burnout, I thought. Miraculously, that worked out really well: when I came home in the evening after a hard day’s work, I could be physically active. Construction work is almost like a sport. It helped me to relax mentally. Looking back, I really threw out an anchor at the time: I still live in the same place and work for the same employer.”

ASML has undergone a stormy development in the time that you have been working there. What do you think is the reason for its success?
“That you can’t do without an ecosystem. Our CEO Peter Wennink has understood that very well. He invests a lot of time in making the region interesting. That can be related to education, culture or relatively small things, like helping a skating rink to remain open. But for some people, these small things are the reason to come to or stay in this region.

ASML has also always been well aware that we are part of an ecosystem in which there is mutual dependance between many companies, institutions and people. This means you have to pull the rug out from under each other every now and then, that you can share success without having to hold each other’s hand. The trick is to keep the balance in this. In any case, you can really improve by working together. You also see this kind of pattern around other successful companies such as Samsung. And Philips, of course, is another example of a company that did not just aim hard for profit figures, but had a broader picture in mind.”

What is the most important lesson you have learned about leadership?
“That you have to have two things in mind: the goal and the team. That is the basic competence. You start by outlining your goal and try to communicate it clearly to your team. You also have to be very clear about your own role as manager and constantly ask the question: what does my team need? Servant-leadership does not mean that you immediately have to get everyone coffee. No, it means that you sometimes have to take the lead in solving a problem. If you walk in front and catch the wind, you set a good example. Sometimes you have to walk in the back to help there. This way, you give others the at the front responsibility. That is good leadership too: giving people confidence and knowing exactly when they can do things themselves.”

Given the earlier course of your career, you will not stay in the same place for the next ten years. Do you already have an idea where it will go?
“No, not exactly. But I have been in my current position for over two years now, so it does start to itch. I am getting to an age where you realize more and more that you have to be mentally and physically fit to do this work. I therefore exercise regularly. I run at least once a week and recently I started playing squash as well. It allows me to unleash my aggression, haha. In that sport, it is a matter of giving everything and making decisions very quickly. That suits me. Throughout my career, I have jumped on the train as soon as one came along. I am sure that will happen in the years to come.”

You did your graduation project at Maas International, a supplier of coffee machines. Then you joined them as an employee. Maas is a much smaller company than ASML. What did you learn there in particular?
“I was able to do a lot there, especially in terms of technical content. I was immediately given many responsibilities. I also learned to look at the broader impact of the product you are working on. At ASML, you are a slightly smaller cog in a very complex whole. There, it takes longer to understand the larger patterns. Yet after five years at Maas I felt I was ready for a next step and challenge. After all: a wafer stage is very different from a coffee machine.”

How did you decide at the time that ASML should be your next employer?
“At Maas, I quickly became team leader. I wanted to know whether those leadership skills were portable. Working with highly specialised technology or managing complexity: that appeals to me enormously. I always call ASML a playground for adults. A playground is also a place that keeps challenging  you.”

You made the switch to ASML in 1997. How do you look back on that year?
“That was a real pivotal moment for me. In that year, I was able to buy a plot of land from the municipality of Eindhoven on which we could build our own house. A new job and building our own house: that is a recipe for a burnout, I thought. Miraculously, that worked out really well: when I came home in the evening after a hard day’s work, I could be physically active. Construction work is almost like a sport. It helped me to relax mentally. Looking back, I really threw out an anchor at the time: I still live in the same place and work for the same employer.”

ASML has undergone a stormy development in the time that you have been working there. What do you think is the reason for its success?
“That you can’t do without an ecosystem. Our CEO Peter Wennink has understood that very well. He invests a lot of time in making the region interesting. That can be related to education, culture or relatively small things, like helping a skating rink to remain open. But for some people, these small things are the reason to come to or stay in this region.

ASML has also always been well aware that we are part of an ecosystem in which there is mutual dependance between many companies, institutions and people. This means you have to pull the rug out from under each other every now and then, that you can share success without having to hold each other’s hand. The trick is to keep the balance in this. In any case, you can really improve by working together. You also see this kind of pattern around other successful companies such as Samsung. And Philips, of course, is another example of a company that did not just aim hard for profit figures, but had a broader picture in mind.”

What is the most important lesson you have learned about leadership?
“That you have to have two things in mind: the goal and the team. That is the basic competence. You start by outlining your goal and try to communicate it clearly to your team. You also have to be very clear about your own role as manager and constantly ask the question: what does my team need? Servant-leadership does not mean that you immediately have to get everyone coffee. No, it means that you sometimes have to take the lead in solving a problem. If you walk in front and catch the wind, you set a good example. Sometimes you have to walk in the back to help there. This way, you give others the at the front responsibility. That is good leadership too: giving people confidence and knowing exactly when they can do things themselves.”

Given the earlier course of your career, you will not stay in the same place for the next ten years. Do you already have an idea where it will go?
“No, not exactly. But I have been in my current position for over two years now, so it does start to itch. I am getting to an age where you realize more and more that you have to be mentally and physically fit to do this work. I therefore exercise regularly. I run at least once a week and recently I started playing squash as well. It allows me to unleash my aggression, haha. In that sport, it is a matter of giving everything and making decisions very quickly. That suits me. Throughout my career, I have jumped on the train as soon as one came along. I am sure that will happen in the years to come.”