Interview with Jos Haazen: From Student to Professional at Kasparov Finance & BI

In this week’s article, we interview Jos Haazen, 24 years old and originally from Venlo. In this ‘Just Graduated’ segment, he explains how he spent his university career and how he decided to start at Kasparov Finance & BI.

Can you tell us about your educational background?

During high school, I found Mathematics and Economics particularly interesting and wanted to combine them. Although Mathematics was my best subject, Econometrics seemed a bit too challenging, so I chose Business Economics, which includes slightly easier mathematics.

Due to the pandemic, I couldn’t do much besides studying during my first two years. While this was a distraction for others, I could focus well and flew through my bachelor’s degree. When it was time to choose a minor, I found all Finance-related subjects interesting and chose to pursue in this direction.

However, I realized that I had hardly experienced the ‘beautiful student life’ that many talk about due to the pandemic, which motivated me to become an active member of Asset | SBIT. Here, I quickly met many nice people and decided to apply for a board year to gain experience and enjoy student life by taking a gap year between my bachelor’s and master’s.

Can you take us through your time at Asset | SBIT?

At Asset | SBIT, I joined a five-person board and took on the role of Treasurer. I see this as one of the best decisions in my life because I developed my soft skills significantly and learned to handle responsibilities. And all of this in a very enjoyable year!

Before my board year, I already knew I wanted to do a Master’s in Finance because I enjoyed the minor so much. After my board year, I chose this master’s and became an active member of Asset | Accounting & Finance to see familiar faces in the lecture hall.

And your master’s, how did that go?

Although the Master’s in Finance is a one-year program, I wanted to do it at my own pace, which meant I still wanted to attend both formal and informal activities. If that meant taking 1.5 or 2 years, I was fine with that. During my master’s, I participated in many enjoyable activities and had many conversations with companies to know what I wanted to do after my master’s. Although it was a busy year and I spent many evenings in the library until midnight, it brought me valuable knowledge and skills. Ultimately, I successfully completed my master’s within one year and knew exactly which direction I wanted to go. This allowed me to make a well-considered choice to start my career at Kasparov Finance & BI.

For my thesis, I researched the impact of ESG risk management on the financial performance of Dutch companies. Although I preferred theoretical subjects like Asset Allocation & Sustainable Investing and Investment Analysis, I wanted to finish my master’s well, which made for a busy summer.

From master’s to working, how did that go?

When choosing my first job, gaining experience and location were important to me. Many large Finance companies are located around Amsterdam, but I wanted to start in Brabant because my social life is mainly there, and I enjoy it here. After talking to most Brabant offices, it was clear to me that I could grow most at Kasparov Finance & BI. They offer internal training and finance external courses alongside varied assignments because you work as an interim financial. This way, you quickly expand your network and find out where your passion lies.

My current assignment is at Frontliners in Oss. Due to uncertainty about a possible takeover, they needed two temporary staff members in their Finance team. Together with a colleague from Kasparov Finance & BI, we took on the responsibility of daily tasks. These tasks range from processing invoices to preparing monthly figures and making forecasts for the future. I notice that I really get the responsibility to decide how I think a problem should be solved. Besides working on the assignment, you also visit the Kasparov Finance & BI office a few times a month. For example, you have contact with your Talent Manager to discuss which direction you want to go, or you have lunch or exercise with your team. An assignment usually lasts about 3 to 6 months, after which you get a new position at another company. Future positions could include financial controller, business controller, or CFO.

Although I now must get up a bit earlier than during my student days, I still have plenty of time to do fun things. I am still an active member of Asset | SBIT and Asset | Accounting & Finance in the Audit Committee and Alumni Committee, respectively, and since the summer, I have also started playing football at Merlijn. Because this is still possible, the transition to working doesn’t feel so big.

For me, it is important that I can grow both professionally and personally. That this is possible at Kasparov Finance & BI in the way I had envisioned means that I made the right choice. My advice is to take the time to decide where your passion really lies and to do what feels right for you. Just because you chose a study doesn’t mean you have to do it for the rest of your life. Much is possible if you really go for it.

If you have any questions after reading this article, you can always send Jos a message!