We warmly invite MSc Marketing alumni to return to VU Amsterdam for an evening of meaning ful discussions and reconnection with industry peers and fa culty.
Please note that online registration has closed. If you would still like to join, please send an email to alumni.sbe@vu.nl and we will be happy to h elp!
Marketing is evolving rapidly. AI is reshaping cr eativity. Sustainability expectations are rising. Performance pressur e is intensifying.
In this environment, how do we lead responsi bly, without losing sight of the people behind the data?
Join u s on campus as alumni, faculty, and practitioners come together to ex plore what it means to put humans first in today’s marketing practi ce. Because marketing doesn’t just move markets — it shapes behav iour, experiences, and impact.
Step back from the day-to-day an d reflect on a central question: what changes when we consciously pla ce human dignity, lived experience, and long-term responsibility at t he centre of our decisions?
Keynote: Social Capital: A
n Augmented Reality?
Organizations increasingly operate i
n environments shaped by AI, data, automation, and continuous perform
ance pressure. Yet at the heart of organizations remain people.
In this talk, professor Mirella Kleijnen reflects on the role of soc ial capital in an increasingly “augmented” world. Drawing on her experiences as Dean, researcher, and educator, she explores how trust , relationships, and human connection shape organizations, learning c ommunities, and customer experiences — and why these become even mo re important, rather than less, in times of technological acceleratio n and growing complexity.
Combining personal reflections with insights from customer experience management and leadership, the talk invites alumni to reflect on what it means to keep people truly at the centre of the systems and organizations we build.
Following the keynote, Prof. Peeter Verlegh will le
ad a conversation with MSc Marketing alumni working at the intersecti
on of commercial performance and broader impact.
Together, they will discuss:
- How purpose translates into real organisationa
l decisions
- The tension between short-term results and long-term
value
- What “putting humans first” looks like under commerci
al pressure
- Honest reflections on career paths and leadership tr
ade-offs
Melissa de Kant (The Nice Company) and Dionne van Dijk (DEPT) bring complementary perspectives shaped by different organisa tional contexts and roles. Spanning brand building and global social media strategy, their experiences offer insight into how purpose is i nterpreted, challenged, and acted upon in practice.
Dr. Aylin A ydinli, Programme Director of VU's MSc in Marketing, will also join t he panel to bring the educational lens: how do we prepare the next ge neration of marketers to lead in an increasingly complex landscape?&n bsp;
Current MSc Marketing student Anna rounds out the panel, s haring what the generation set to shape the next decade of marketing expects from their careers, the companies they join, and the leaders they look to.
After the programme, there will be ample opportunity to reco nnect with former classmates, meet alumni from other cohorts, and con tinue the conversation with faculty over drinks and a light buffet.&n bsp;
For this event, we kindly request a small participatio n fee of €12.50.
Please register before 20 May!& nbsp;
DESCRIPTION: We warmly invite MSc Marketing alumni to return to VU Ams terdam for an evening of meaningful discussions and reconnection with industry peers and faculty. Please note that online registration has closed. If you would still like to join, ple ase send an email to alumni.sbe@vu.nl and we will be happy to help!Marketing is evolving rapidly. AI i s reshaping creativity. Sustainability expectations are rising. Perfo rmance pressure is intensifying.In this environment, how do we lead r esponsibly, without losing sight of the people behind the data?Join u s on campus as alumni, faculty, and practitioners come together to ex plore what it means to put humans first in today’s marketing practi ce. Because marketing doesn’t just move markets — it shapes behav iour, experiences, and impact.Step back from the day-to-day and refle ct on a central question: what changes when we consciously place huma n dignity, lived experience, and long-term responsibility at the cent re of our decisions?