A board year as Vice-Chairman & External Affairs at Asset | Accounting & Finance

Charlotte van der Veeke 

Who am I?
I am Charlotte van der Veeke, 20 years old, and from Almelo, which is definitely not close to Tilburg. Nevertheless, I came to North Brabant to study, and I haven’t regretted it for a moment since. I officially started my third year of the bachelor’s in Business Administration (previously Business Economics) this September, but since I began my board year last winter, I’ll continue with the courses from the second semester of the second year soon. A year ago, I joined Asset | Accounting & Finance and became part of the Orientation Committee. I enjoyed it so much that after half a year, I decided to join the board.

Why did I choose a board year at Asset | Accounting & Finance?
I chose a board year because I wanted to develop myself both personally and organizationally. I enjoy connecting with companies in such a unique way, learning how to hold meetings, functioning in a close-knit group, while still having the social and informal atmosphere of students around you. It’s also a welcome break from studying, and it feels good to dedicate myself fully to the association.

I chose the position of vice-chair because I love interacting with members and want to serve them. I enjoy providing new members with information and making them feel involved in the association. I’m also good at remembering names, which helps! Additionally, I’m responsible for the website, and I love making it as functional and appealing as possible. Another big task for the vice-chair is promotion, which didn’t initially appeal to me, but I’ve found I enjoy brainstorming and helping figure out how to reach as many students as possible.

What does a week as Vice-Chairman look like?
As vice-chair, I mostly focus on member contact and promoting the association. Every Monday morning starts with the board meeting, where we discuss everything important. Usually, I don’t have many set tasks on Mondays, so after the meeting, I can focus on preparing for other meetings and tasks throughout the week. Every Wednesday, I attend the meeting of the website coordinators from other departments, followed by a meeting with all the other vice-chairs. In the first meeting, we discuss technical matters that need alignment or new digital developments relevant to our associations. In the second meeting, we organize promotion for Asset General and the parties we host. The vice-chairs are responsible for organizing major events like COdE, the Pre-Carnival Party, and Asset Champions League. This is a fun extra challenge, and it’s a great way to learn event management.

The vice-chair also oversees informal committees: CityTrip, Cooking Club, and the Master Committee. The CityTrip always takes place in the second semester and goes to a city in Europe. As a coordinator, it’s amazing to help organize this entire trip. The Cooking Club is a relatively calm committee, where you cook for different committees about three times per semester to strengthen bonds between members. It’s always fun and a great addition to the role. The Master Committee organizes informal activities for Master’s students, which is different from the other two and provides a nice variety.

Final words
I recommend a board year to any student. So far, I’ve made countless beautiful memories that wouldn’t have been the same without this experience. I’ve also made many new friends, for which I’m very grateful. I’ve grown immensely, and I now feel more confident and capable of handling various situations. For example, you learn how to work well with people you may not naturally get along with, which is a valuable skill for later in professional life. I’m thankful I’ve had the chance to fulfill this role and will always look back on this year with a big smile.

Sven Joosen

Who am I?
My name is Sven Joosen, and I am 24 years old. I’m originally from the beautiful town of Made in North Brabant (though you can’t really tell from my accent). Until recently, I didn’t live in Tilburg, and after COVID, I thought about becoming active in a student association again. Eventually, through various connections, I ended up at A&F, and I haven’t left since—and I plan to stay for a while longer. After six months, I joined the Activities Committee and then the board, which was the best decision of my life!

Why did I choose a board year?
I don’t enjoy studying, and I’ve never really found it fun, though I’ve always done my best. During my very theoretical master’s in Finance, I ran into two problems. I loved the subject itself, but I didn’t enjoy the studying part, and I didn’t know which career path to pursue—Investment Banking, M&A, Due Diligence—I was really unsure. Then I got a message from Stijn, the former chair, asking if I wanted to grab a coffee, and that’s when things started to fall into place. It turned out to be the perfect opportunity for me because in the role I would take on, I would get in touch with nearly all the finance partners and focus on finance-related events. After considering my parents’ well-thought-out opinions, I realized this was a golden opportunity that I needed to grab with both hands. Plus, it would allow me to improve my management, acquisition, and communication skills.

What does your role involve?
I’m one of three External Affairs officers at A&F and Economics. However, my responsibilities, apart from the basics, differ quite a bit from those of the summer External Affairs officers at A&F and those at Economics. My role heavily focuses on finance. I organize Private Equity Day and also coordinate the Financial Business Dinner, the Finance Expedition, and the Mergers, Acquisitions, and Private Equity committees. I’m also setting up a new event, the Control Dinner, which is derived from the Financial Business Dinner but focuses on control.

At Asset | Tilburg, I’m also part of a body called the Acquisition Meeting, where all the External Affairs officers meet to discuss which partners the departments have and what Economic Business Weeks Tilburg is organizing. Throughout the year, I spend a lot of time working with our partners, running acquisitions, and dealing with internal matters. This can involve anything from helping other External Affairs officers from different departments to assisting students in finding internships.

What’s the best part of your role?
What I enjoy most about my role is how versatile and challenging it is, as well as the amount of freedom I have. I get to decide which companies I want at our events, how to structure my day, and with whom I want to develop new ideas. Ultimately, you’re the face of the association and responsible for generating revenue, but you’re also responsible for providing students with the right career opportunities. The fact that my role is so varied and independent, yet crucial to the association, means I carry a lot of responsibility and can gain a lot of satisfaction from successfully completing my own projects.

Final words
This year hasn’t always been without its challenges, and no board member will try to convince you otherwise. But I can say without a doubt that this has been the most wonderful and educational year of my life. It’s such a unique experience, and I can’t imagine another context where you encounter such a special mix of professionalism and fun. You truly make friends for life.