BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Student
Mark Meijer is 24 years old and he's almost finished with his studies at the University of Twente. "I first completed my Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering and Management. Then for 6 months I followed the Master's Financial Engineering and Management programme. But I discovered that it was not what I really wanted to with my future, and there was too much mathematics involved, so I decided to switch to the financial management track in Business Administration. I started in September 2009 and I really liked the programme. Across the various courses there was more focus on financial controlling, performance, accounting and finance. I completed all the courses by March of 2010, and meanwhile searched for companies where I could write my Master's thesis. Finally I came across Deloitte, an auditing and consultancy company, and it was there that I wrote my Master's thesis, from March until July. I also visited some of the clients where the audits took place. In July, after I finished my Master's thesis, Deloitte offered me a contract. Since September 2010 I've been working at Deloitte in Enschede, in the audit national market division. In addition, I'm following a post-graduate RA course of study at the VU University of Amsterdam. Over the last few months, I have experienced working life and gained a lot of experience and knowledge during audits for a wide range of clients. Because of my busy work schedule, I will be defending my Master's thesis later this month. It will be the conclusion to an enjoyable and fascinating time at the University of Twente."
Jan Ravensteijn Vice President - Direct Sales Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions Europe BASF Coatings GmbH
Stephanie Ankone Communication staff member Business Administration
Theresa Küter-Luks Communication staff member
Alumnus
Last year (2010) Gert Jan Combee finished his Master's in Business Administration, with a specialisation in Human Resources Management. "After following an HRM course at a University of Applied Sciences (HBO), I entered this Master's programme wanting to gain more in-depth knowledge and to further develop my skills. At the end of my study, I found a consulting position at The Human Capital Group, which is a part of Conclusion. The Human Capital Group offers customers a full package of HRM services. From training to performance management, and from reward systems to interim assignments. At The Human Capital Group, I advise customers about compensation and benefits. This involves developing reward systems for directors or board members, comparing primary and fringe benefits of the customers with relevant markets, as well as advising customers on the development of variable fringe benefits. The customers I work for are very diverse, ranging from Government-owned organisations, such as municipalities and water boards, to commercial businesses, such as DHL and the Rabobank."
Advisory Board of Practitioners
Ad van Hamburg was up to the end of 2007 director of DHV BV and member of the direction team responsible for the DHV's Construction and Industry business group. "In 2008, I stepped aside to make room for younger talent and became an advisor to DHV Holding, as well as a manager at UWOON, a housing corporation with operations in Harderwijk, Ermelo, Elburg and Oldebroek. In these functions, I am looking to give people with a longer work future ahead of them the benefit of my experience and knowledge. At the moment, knowledge transfer is the 'red thread' running through my working life. Interaction between education and the business world is hugely important. For a number of years, I was a member of various comparable advisory boards within diverse programmes at Eindhoven Technical University, including the faculty from which I graduated in 1974, where I served as Advisory Board Chair for four years. I am currently the Chair of the Stichting Kennis Transfer Bouw (Foundation for Construction Knowledge Transfer), an organisation contributing expertise from construction practice to universities and construction departments at colleges. Good education is of vital importance to trade and industry. Well-educated people are a basic requisite for successful enterpreneurship. The reverse is also true for education: input from the world of trade and industry is crucial for the design of education programmes. The Advisory Board optimises this interchange from both sides. My personal experience with the Advisory Board of Practitioners at the School of Management and Governance in Twente is that it truly does work this way. I learn a great deal from Board meetings and I channel this knowledge through to organisations in which I am involved, and I hope that the School finds my practical experience just as valuable."