People describe me as a socially capable nerd. I am passionate about science in general, but physics and chemistry have my heart in particular. During my PhD research, I reveled in materials science and in studying the nitty-gritty details of nanotechnology. However, sometimes I missed discussions about the bigger picture, the ‘what is it all good for?’. In addition, I had quite an opinion about the way that doing science was organized at the universities.That is why I joined the central works council of the Foundation FOM – the funder of my research. This choice defined my further career. I learned that there was a whole world out there in which organizational challenges, policymaking and scientific content were close connected. Best of all was the fact that you could actually make a difference. When I joined FOM (later absorbed in NWO) as programme officer, I was quickly emerged further into this world. I got to know the fantastic Dutch physics community quite well, and even got to play a nice role in it. It was a very instructive time in which I learned a lot about the interface between science and politics. I coordinated scientific programmes, organised funding opportunities, lobbied at the government for more investments in academic research and worked on several large national initiatives. Lately I was asked to embark on a new challenge. To set up a new research institute on energy storage and conversion at Eindhoven University of Technology. An institute in which all relevant faculties of the university and the closely linked DIFFER institute can participate. At the same time I will start as general secretary of the Netherlands Energy Research Alliance (NERA). A new role in which organizational, political and scientific challenges come together in order to work on one of the most important questions of our time? Of course I said ‘yes’!