After completing her master's degree in Strategic Management at Radboud University, Naomi Kools knew one thing for sure: she didn't want to sit still. No gap year, no waiting, but getting straight to work. During her job search, a vacancy at ConQuaestor caught her eye. "The Young Executive Program (YEP) immediately made me curious. The combination of learning, working and personal guidance appealed to me." She has since become an Associate Management Consultant and is fully engaged in challenging assignments.
As a consultant, Naomi works on strategic issues on the CFO's agenda. Her assignments are diverse. For example, she supports the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) at a large service provider: "We guide the drafting of the report, but also ensure that the organization has its data assurance in order. The goal is for them to be able to continue independently in the following years, without depending on an external party."
Another assignment was short but intensive: supporting a private equity firm in an investigation of a potential acquisition of a third party. "We investigated whether the third party would offer potential to acquire. I spoke with that party's management and worked through the findings to come to a conclusion. That does show how diverse the work is." Although it was an intensive assignment, Naomi drew energy from it. "That diversity means I discover different organizations and roles. And by doing diverse assignments, I find out what suits me best."
Fast learning through close collaboration
For Naomi, that very variety and collaboration is the strength of consulting at ConQuaestor. "The lines of communication are short. You work together with people with a lot of experience and as an associate you get the space to think along with them. At large organizations, as a starter you often work in a fixed layer. Here there is room to gain experience from collaborations with multiple year layers. That makes you learn and grow quickly. You learn by connecting with how colleagues think, and you learn something every day."
Pragmatic, content strong and committed
What appeals to her at ConQuaestor is the culture as well as the way we work. "We are pragmatic and solution-oriented. Of course theoretical knowledge is important, but ultimately it has to work in practice. We don't write reports of hundreds of pages if we can do it in ten. That's something we excel at as an organization."
Naomi herself is analytically strong and shifts gears quickly. "I quickly see where the client wants to go and adapt my work accordingly. Listening well and responding to the signals you get makes all the difference."
Learning through YEP and in practice
Naomi is part of the Young Executive Program (YEP), a two-year program with training in consulting, finance and soft skills. "The offer is very broad, so we develop broadly. In addition to the regular training program from the YEP, there is also plenty of room to do additional training on your own initiative."
She continues to develop and looks ahead ambitiously, but with no fixed end goal. "I want to keep challenging myself and get the highest possible out of myself. For me, it's mainly about continuing to grow and ConQuaestor provides the right environment for that."
Performing together and having fun
What Naomi would like to pass along to anyone considering starting at ConQuaestor is the good atmosphere in the team. "You work with a group of colleagues who support and motivate each other. I started with seven other associates and that contact is still super close."
She also says the collaboration with more experienced colleagues is a big plus. "The atmosphere is informal, involved and focused on getting better together. That combination of content and culture makes it the ideal employer for me."