Jip

Name: Jip Steenbakkers

Function: External Affairs Officer of Asset Strategy & Logistics

Education: MSc Supply Chain Management

 

Why did you want to spend a board year?

Student life has been good on me, so I really wanted to extend it for another year. Though I felt ready for the labor market, I knew that there was still a lot that I could learn. A board year is the best way to gather all of these practical skills.

I’ve doubted for a while but, in the end, was convinced I really wanted this. I reasoned that, when I look back in 10 years, I would definitely regret not doing a board year rather than start working right away. I applied at both S&L and at UniPartners, where I was selected too. I turned UniPartners down because of the better fun-work balance at Asset. So far, this is very true.

How is your typical week as a board member?

My week typically consists of meetings and executing small tasks. Of course, I also spend a lot of time with the members of S&L. We’ve got some set meetings such as our board meeting on Monday morning and the Acquisition Meeting (AM) on Thursday afternoon, where the External Affairs Officers of all the departments gather to better coordinate our efforts.

I also coordinate a lot of committees (mostly formal) which meet weekly. This takes a lot of time but is a lot of fun and very rewarding as well. Of course, there is also the acquisition that I do, the reason I chose for this position.

What have you enjoyed the most with the board work?

As an External Affairs Officer, I highly enjoy visiting companies and talking to them face-to-face about what Asset | Strategy & Logistics has to offer. I try to visit businesses as often as I can for evaluation, recruitment and just to keep up the good contact. The days that I get to go to Amsterdam to visit partners are the days why I chose to be an External.

All of the activities with the members of the association are also a lot of fun and very rewarding. Activities like the COdE, Acom etc. are things that make my blood flow faster. And the fact that you can see your members having a good time is such an amazing feeling!

What have you learned the most from your time as a board member?

A board year is a very instructional happening. You develop presenting, communication, leadership and analytical skills very well. What I’ve learned the most personally is probably doing well in a hefty discussion and pushing my own opinion forward if necessary. You get the opportunity to get lots and lots of trainings if you are doing a board year. These range from anything like Excel to giving a sales pitch and extremely valuable for your skillset and greatly increase your employability.

Have there been any major surprises regarding the board year?

A board year is not to be underestimated, this will prevent you from facing major surprises. Something I did encounter was that I was surprised by the amount of tasks I was able to do in one day. This was often lower than expected because people constantly need you for all kind of things, which is also a compliment of course.

What do you look forward the most regarding the upcoming activities of Asset Strategy & Logistics?

This is a tricky choice because there are a lot of activities coming up. I think I’m mostly looking forward to the Active Members Weekend in April and the TRIP to Dublin, of course. Especially the AMW is marked in my agenda with a huge circle. I’m really looking forward to spending an entire weekend with all the members of S&L and just have a blast!

 

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