Run the talk

Impressions of my assignment for Dustin, Europeans most sustainable IT powerhouse

Sustainable repair

Sustainable repair to move the date of Earth Overshoot Day? Read it in my essay.

Overshooting at 28th of July? Is it because we act so dumb? Or are the products we use just not so smart?

Clearly, we cannot pick one to blame but have to acknowledge in order to stop overshooting we really need systemic change. For Nyenrode Sustainability & Systemic Change MBA module I wrote my paper about how insurers can become leaders in the circular economy with both commercial and sustainability benefits. Thank you Nicolas Chevrollier and Andre Nijhof for your coaching and appraisal. On this fitting overshoot day - the date when humanity has used all the biological resources that Earth regenerates during the entire year - I love to share the summary of my paper. DM me if you like to read the entire academic paper.

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Learning & Slashing my way through Sustainability & Innovation

Looking back after 5 months of Mennovation AKA entrepreurship.

Making Making time to blog?

First of all, I had planned to write a monthly update and did not achieve that. Quite time consuming that entrepreneurship;) It is not per se that I am building a big business myself, but I wanted to work independently for several companies, at one time or from time to time. I was already doing that while working for ABN AMRO. I found a word in one of the tech blogs in 202..something: Slashing your career. Well, I am also slashing in my entrepreneurial career.

NN/Dustin/GRIP, ATIR, QMG/ HollandFintech/Waypayadvisory/ Nyenrode Sustainability MBA module/ Renovatingmyhouse/ Golfcompetition/father/husband

Combining it all these months. At the least, a good try to do so. It’s hard work as I have to deal with the fact that I am not always able to do everything for everyone, but it is very fulfilling. Not only because of the work at hand, but more importantly this slashing is beginning to make sense. I see the synergies between the things I am learning and doing.

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Kansen pakken

My blog on an assignment I got for a Dutch Belgium company.

One door closes and many others open!

Looking back at my first period as an entrepreneur, after letting go of ABN AMRO where I worked over 20 years. Yes, you were all right! I should have done this sooner:) In my defense, I am levering lots I have learned the past two decades. Read my lessons learned, also about dealing with the admin hassle.

Adminpreneurship

The past two months have been quite dynamic. Like all you entrepreneurs and self employed know, such an admin hassle comes with the job. I spent time setting up structures that help me to be in control of things without too much effort. Teaming up with NAHV to automate things helped. But I also had to arrange a lot of other private stuff I did not have to deal with as an employee. New insurances, new mortgage, new mobility solution, new telecom subscription and so on. I was quite lousy with the admin at ABN AMRO, but I must say now it is something I like and control better than ever. Maybe because it is for me and my clients and not for the corporate system?

Saywhatbattical?

Most friends I spoke to advised me to take it easy for some time after 20 years non-stop working. That would have been my biggest challenge, not doing too much for some time. I am too restless for that. I decided to let the market decide. If there was not much work in the beginning, no stress an enjoy. But the market pulled me(nnovation) in. A highlight of my first self employed working experience.

Impact assignments

For QMG with their labels HTC , ATIR and GRIP I was asked to help them on their Digital Strategy. Really love working for SME companies where the focus is on getting things done. That is exactly what we worked on making digital strategy as practical for the company as possible. I learned that being an outsider with an expert view helps, as long as you stay connected with the people and don’t rely only on powerpointing. Also the facility services market is an interesting one - so it fed my curious brain - where technology is creating new business models for a traditionally humanized, consultancy driven industry. Of course a hybrid model is where the opportunity lies:

Grip Facility digitizes key information for facility management to gain transparency, optimal cost and contract control on a continuous level.  Their platform empowers consultants to differentiate and improves the efficiency of facility management and enriches the experience in buildings.

For the consultant this means becoming a personal advisor, in a digital age;) And as you can expect from me, sustainability is a topic we talked about being increasingly important as key information and to advise on.

For NN non-life, market leader in NL with property, casualty and income insurance, I was assigned to help them out by improving their sustainability strategy and actions. My experience of how ABN AMRO took sustainability to the core of their strategy and worked on proof points such as the Impact Nation program I founded really comes into place. Applying best and worst practices to NN. I am very excited about the opportunity an insurer like NN has to steer on impact. The role they play as ‘insurer’, underwriting risks, protecting financial losses, is so aligned with sustainability goals. They have the distribution power to accelerate sustainability shifts with their products, promoting behavior change and best of all preventing it. A big commitment has been made to become net zero in 2050 with already some proof points in the portfolio and lots of enthusiastic NN colleagues throughout the organization motivated to take on this impact opportunity. I will keep you posted on the many innovative and impactful initiatives we will scale. In one track NN is working together with Impact Nation (how did that happen?!?). I will still have a foot between the door I closed and I am experiencing the client side of what I set up. Eat your own dog food in practice,

With Holland Fintech - I have been working with Don since he started in 2014 - also a collaboration started. Increasing the fintech startup and scaleup vibe is the goal. I already could deliver some value by sharing my experience to Israeli Fintech looking for a springboard: fintech blog .

Doors

So many doors are open! And more new doors are about to open. I will write about those in my next article. It really feels like Sustainability and Innovation are the pressing topics in more and more companies where strategy and delivering proof points have to go hand in hand. An open door for Mennovation.

All in: My impact journey has started

Read my personal journey from intrapreneur to entrepreneur.

I remember the day I was doubting whether to start my career at a bank. I was triggered because of the impressive traineeship program and though it would do me well to learn more about finance before I would start being an entrepreneur. Just like my father had always been. Actually, it was his advice to pick up these lessons learned. Well over 20 years later (!) I took a lot of rich lessons.

I got the opportunity to give advice to hundreds of entrepreneurs...

I got the opportunity to specialize in tech, innovation and sustainability...

I got the opportunity to be entrepreneurial setting up new propositions and ventures such as sector banking, Moneyou Go and Impact Nation .

And in my freetime I coached startups in the fintech and impact space through my connections with Startupbootcamp and Holland Fintech .

The first experience of doing it on my own account I got via TheNextSpeaker of Tessa Sterkenburg. I had to take days off from my regular job to take on work to chair or present. But I loved it although I never really had enough spare time.

As of 2022 I will have time! I will start being full time self employed, working for different companies help them accelerating their business. I bring in my experience in the field of innovation, sustainability and finance. Those three don't always have to go hand in hand in projects, but often they do. My father was right with his advice 20 years ago.

It feels like a natural step to take now. My impact journey took off.