There are two main threads in my life that have shaped me and my career. The first is that I’ve had a passion for nutrition and healthcare form a young age. Early memories include standing in the kitchen with my mom and asking what she was cooking and what certain ingredients do to your body. “And if something isn’t working in your body, where do you go?” Therefore, it was a logical step to study Nutrition and Health and to start working as a healthcare consultant after graduation, and I am still enjoying every day of it.
The other thread in my life is one that winds through many different countries. I started my life in New-Zealand, grew up in the Netherlands, spent a few months studying in Sweden, started working in the United Kingdom (at KPMG), and then continued my career in South Africa (at PwC). Each country has shaped me in a certain way and has taught me something that I try to apply in my own life. The friendly nature of the Kiwis and the appreciation for the basic things in life and for nature; the Dutch drive for structure, rules, improvement, and directness; The British commitment to always keep promises and to keep your chin up no matter what (but not too high), and the South African enjoyment of life and their ability to instantly make you feel at ease (and at home).
In the past five years I have gained experience as a healthcare consultant across various parts of the industry. I have worked on operational improvements in hospitals, optimising the medicines’ supply chain, strategic workforce restructuring in hospitals, and performance improvement in diagnostics.
Every project is like a new adventure to me. I can’t wait to read, meet, hear, and learn all about the client. I also like to dive into the data and to see what their story is and how it (mis)aligns to what I hear from the people. The data is very powerful, but it cannot function as a standalone pillar. Thus, I will always make sure to engage with the right people to understand what is truly going on and what needs to be done to help solve the problem.
One of my favorite memories is waking up to a beautiful sunrise in a tent on top of a mountain after a long hike. Now that I’m back in the Netherlands I’d like to start appreciating the surrounding environment more, because I don’t think I’ve given it enough attention previously. If you meet me in fifty years from now I’d like to think that I live in a small house with a big green garden, have a small group of very good friends, and that I enthusiastically tell you a story about the day on which I just grabbed my backpack, filled it with some good food, and started walking to an unknown destination.
