Hi Max, could you please introduce yourself?
Max: 'Of course! After growing up in Den Bosch, I moved to Groningen, where I did both my Bachelor's in Business Administration and Master's in Technology & Operations Management. During my Masters, I interned as a Data Analyst in both Barcelona and Amsterdam at an AdTech company, alongside which I wrote my thesis. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking and sports.'

How did you arrive at Boer & Croon?
'After completing my studies and working as a Data Analyst for 1.5 years, I started looking for a new challenge. Through a friend, I came into contact with Boer & Croon, and after the first interview, it was clear that I wanted to work here. The focus on personal development and being given responsibility appealed to me. So the choice was quickly made!'

What attracted you to our Finance & Technology Solution
'My studies and previous work primarily focused on using 'hard skills' to create knowledge from different data types. However, I still needed to follow up on implementing this knowledge within an organisation. Within the Finance & Technology Solution, I found a perfect mix of both. The Finance & Technology Academy offers the opportunity to focus on the skills you want to develop further and to put them into practice immediately during your assignments.'

You are almost at the end of your first project. Can you tell me something about this project?
'I did an optimisation project for an NSD International. NSD manufactures labels for shampoo, toothpaste, and whisky bottles, with branches in the Netherlands, Scotland, and the Czech Republic. The primary demand was optimising the ERP systems used in the Netherlands and Scotland. A migration and redesign of these systems increased the operational efficiency and quality of information within the branches. I also worked on standardising the financial reports to get a clear overview of the various branches.'

How did you experience your first project?
'Right from the start, I was given several challenging tasks. For example, during the first week of my assignment, I flew to Scotland and the Czech Republic to map the processes and get to know the organisation. I was given a lot of freedom and responsibility, which I liked, but I sometimes needed help to make the right decision due to my inexperience in consultancy. During this time, I had much contact with colleagues within the F&T Team who always made time to think with me and look for solutions. This is something I appreciate about Boer&Croon in general. On the one hand, you get the responsibility and freedom to shape your assignment yourself, but colleagues can always support you where necessary.'

Can you give some examples of what you have learned?
''I learned a lot, especially in project management and stakeholder management. I soon learned that writing and executing an improvement plan in practice can be very different. Here, you will always have to look for a solution that contributes to the set goal and is accepted by the employees on whom it impacts.'

What kind of projects would you like to do in the future?
''The company was relatively small, so the lines of communication were short, which made things quicker to arrange. I am someone who switches easily and likes to work fast, and that worked fine on this project. However, I want to see how this works in a larger company with several departments, dependencies, and interests. Now, I am lucky that the company for my next assignment meets these characteristics exactly! Working on projects at different companies in different sectors challenges you as a consultant.'