Jasper Kruis

I do not believe in authority, but in commitment. In my opinion, hierarchy by title alone is not sustainable. Self-assured and modest, firm and committed, I naturally like to take the lead.

Where I naturally like to take the lead, I also really enjoy being in front of a group. For example, I’ve taught for a while, have been a mentor, and am comfortable giving presentations.

There are many people who can talk your ears off, but there are only a handful who really listen. I like to give space to the opinions of others. In doing so, I try to listen not only on an emotional level but also analytically, allowing me to ask the right questions.

Without a certain harmony and connection, you won’t get ahead together. At least, not in a nice way. Without judgement, I connect with different characters and, in doing so, teach them to do the same.

As Junior Business Change & Implementation Manager at Rabobank, I supported the Commercial Support and Corporate Insurance departments in various projects and implementations. Within Commercial Support, for example, I contributed to the continuous improvement of working methods, processes and policy within the department in the form of an improvement tool. My role here focused on the communication aspect, i.e. how to communicate towards a submitter of an improvement proposal. I also went into the country to conduct a pilot on a new work system for finance specialists at various regional offices. In this I was responsible for the smooth organization. By switching quickly and communicating clearly, I managed to stand my ground. Within Corporate Insurance I worked on a business case, where the focus for me was on the role differentiation that will occur within this department; which roles will disappear and what will replace them? I thought it was cool to put my background in strategic HRM to practical use here. Finally, working in two different departments, I had to deal with many stakeholders. As a result, I learned a lot in stakeholder management.

n the HR department of War Child Holland, I supported and took on several projects. One of these projects I was responsible for executing a tender for a new health and safety service. I started by mapping out what the needs and requirements were within War Child for the new service. I did this by conducting interviews with various departments within the organization. Based on these requirements, I made a selection and scheduled interviews between them and my employer at HR. In this, as well as all the other projects I did, I was given complete freedom to design and execute it myself according to my own judgement. Besides the fact that this responsibility was very educational project management-wise, I also made strides in developing my stakeholder management skills. I really enjoyed working for an organization with such a socially positive impact as well as making an impact myself in this way.