Proudest moment
As captain of the McKinsey running team, finishing in 14th place out of more than 2,000 business teams in the Dam-tot-Dam run.
Why I decided to apply
I got really excited during the case interviews. Each interview was like solving a very interesting and relevant puzzle. Besides that, I felt a good click with the people.
Strangest place I ever had breakfast while at McKinsey
On a glacier in Iceland, together with colleagues.
Most important lesson I learned from a client
Shortly after starting at McKinsey, I had a client meeting for which I had prepared many analyses. In the meeting, the client told me: “This is very interesting, but what should I do?” This experience taught me the importance, when analyzing data, of asking myself, “So what does this mean for my client?”
Favorite movie/sites
Tombstone with Val Kilmer and Kurt Russell.
Favorite Web site
Garmin.com/nl/ to upload GPS data from my GPS running watch—“geweldig speelgoed” (great toy)!
Activities outside McKinsey
Sports (lots of them), especially running, cycling, and swimming.
Favorite restaurant/bar/club in the Netherlands
Tapas bar “Mi Vida” in the Hague.
My toughest day
After a training and subsequent intense social weekend in New York, I flew back to Amsterdam one Sunday night, only to start a 2-day client workshop immediately upon landing on Monday morning. The workshop contained difficult content, and there were many differing opinions that challenged me to stay awake. By Monday night at around midnight I was still going—and I started to feel that there would be no end to it!