“I was looking for a study programme and a job in which I could work with numbers and do calculations. But I didn't want to become a maths teacher or a researcher. I came across the programme Business Mathematics and Information Science (now Business Analytics) in a study guide; it seemed very interesting.”
“During the introduction days, the projects we worked on especially appealed to me. They were practical projects in which you work on optimisation issues. In addition, the combination of mathematics with business administration and computer science seemed interesting, especially considering the fact that I was looking for a programme with applications in business.”
“For my final internship before I graduated, I carried out an assignment at ORTEC. I worked with one of their clients on this assignment. It went so well, both for me and for ORTEC, that I was offered a job during my internship there and as a result, I graduated in more ways than one. I was quickly given many responsibilities and, within a few years, I rose to the position of a Managing Consultant. Later, as a Managing Director, I set up and managed a successful new business consultancy division for ORTEC in the US. This gave me a taste of entrepreneurship, and I then decided to start my own business back in the Netherlands.”
"With my current company ACTLytics I advise and assist organisations in complex planning problems and supply chain processes. We are involved in the process from the implementation of analysis software to the ultimate achievement of the return on investment (ROI). Companies do not always have the full expertise in house, therefore the results of analysis software sometimes turn out to be unfeasible, or they do not achieve their value. With my current company, I help clients improve their business results by acting as an interpreter-translator between all the players involved. I translate between the customer and the supplier, the software is set up properly and I help to make use of all the promised functionalities of the software.”
“For me, entrepreneurship can be summarised in two words: variety and freedom! One of my strong points is that I can easily adapt to new situations and quickly master them. The disadvantage is that I’m always looking for new challenges. Entrepreneurship is in my DNA. My parents also have their own company and last year my younger brother started his own company, too. Yet, before I moved to America for ORTEC, I didn’t have the ambition of starting my own business. Now, I’m very happy that I made that choice.”
“A tip for future students: choose a study programme that you enjoy and that gives you more energy than it takes! With a Business Analytics degree, you can go in many different directions, so give yourself time to think about what your dream job looks like. For me, the answer to this question has changed several times in the last ten years and will probably change several more times in the coming ten years.”
