Hi Max, could you please introduce yourself?
Max: Sure! After growing up in Den Bosch, I decided to move to Groningen to study Business Administration with a specialization in Technology Management. Following up on the same route, I decided to also do my Master in Technology and Operations Management in Groningen. Before finishing my Master's, I worked as a Data Analyst Intern in Barcelona. In my free time, I like to cook and practice various sports.

How did you arrive at Boer & Croon?
Well, that is an exciting story. At first, I always felt a bit of aversity towards consultancy. I thought, ‘What do consultants do, and do they add value to an organization?’. Via a friend, I contacted Boer & Croon, and my ideas began to alter. What stood out to me was that we wrote a report and gave advice but also made sure that the advice was implemented. Our motto is Get It Done, but I can honestly say that we Get It Done.

What attracted you to our Finance & Technology Solution
Both my studies and internship were quite heavily focused on hard skills. As I would like to develop these skills further, I wanted to start my career with a job where I would continue to extend these skills. However, I was also looking for a way to use those skills with a more direct impact on businesses. Within the Finance & Technology Solution, there is a perfect mix of both. Through the F&T Academy, you can determine your learning path, focusing on skills you would like to improve while putting them directly into practice during your assignments.

You are almost at the end of your first project. Can you tell me something about this project?
Definitely! I did an optimization project for a label manufacturer that produces the labels for your shampoo, toothpaste or whiskey bottles, for example. The company has three entities located in The Netherlands, Scotland and the Czech Republic. The main issue was that most currently used Management Information Systems (MIS) in these locations were outdated or not set up properly. Therefore, they have reached out to Boer & Croon with the request to dive deep into these systems to streamline their operations and enhance their operational efficiency and data accuracy. [BvD1]

How did you experience your first project?
Given the diversity of tasks and responsibilities from the start, it was a great project. For example, in the first week of my assignment, I flew out to both locations by myself, and suddenly, I stood before these factories, not yet fully aware of how to approach the issue. So, I was getting a lot of freedom, but as a consequence, I sometimes had trouble deciding the right thing to do. By gathering information and knowledge from the experienced team, you will find your way to tackle the issue, and that is what I appreciate and enjoy about Boer&Croon. As a consultant, you already get a lot of responsibility and freedom to determine your action plan and learning path. Initially, this might not be easy, but it accelerates personal development.

Can you name a couple of examples of what you have learned?
I learned essential aspects of project management which you are previously familiar with but can only learn along the way. Stakeholder management or planning are examples of those. In addition, I have learned that writing and implementing the advisory report are two very different things and can sometimes be hard to manage. Your advice should fit the person who eventually needs to work with it.

What kind of projects would you like to do in the future?
Although this was an international project, it was quite a small company, meaning communication lines were relatively short. My way of working is that I am outgoing, energetic, and like to get things done quickly, which worked fine on this project. I would like to see how my way of working would be sustained in a larger company with more formal and longer communication lines. Luckily, my next project will be at a company with such characteristics. I also think that this adds to the benefit of consulting for me, being able to discover a wide variety of companies in many different sectors, each with its culture..