Inside the STIRint project: fifteen years of dedication from Sofie Van Opstal

Welcome to our Project POV series, created to give an inside look at the meaningful projects our Sopra Steria colleagues bring to life. In this edition, Sofie Van Opstal reflects on her fifteen-year journey within the STIRint programme at FPS Finance. Her story shows how long-term commitment, shared purpose and strong relationships shape both a project and the people who contribute to it.

STIRint began in 2009 to support the international exchange of VAT refund applications. Over time, its scope expanded. Every two years, a new type of data exchange was added and a new subproject was created. The number of subprojects eventually grew to more than twenty and every deadline was a legal deadline, which meant that Product Owners needed to coordinate priorities carefully to ensure timely delivery. 

In January 2014, Sofie became Product Owner. She led workshops, set priorities and planned releases. In 2019, Sofie started on a new project as a half time analyst/Product Owner where she also coached junior analysts and helped one of them become the next Product Owner. In 2020, after the retirement of the Project Manager, she took over a significant part of his responsibilities, even without the official title. 

STIRint helps governments gain a more complete picture of a person’s situation, including whether someone owns property abroad. The work is part of the European Directive on Administrative Cooperation, which supports information exchange between EU tax authorities to combat tax evasion and promote fair taxation. 

Across her journey, Sofie gained two lessons that she considers essential. First, document decisions and the reasoning behind them. Someone in the future will always ask why something was done a certain way. Second, make decisions when priorities are unclear, inform the business and keep the project moving. These are lessons she passes on to new analysts she coaches. 

A new chapter begins

After fifteen years, Sofie has now started working with a new client. Returning from maternity leave helped her see that what she valued most were the people and the environment, which made her realise it was time for a new chapter. She leaves with gratitude for the people who shaped her career and pride in what they achieved together.