Richard Klijnstra joins Impact Orange Partners
Richard Klijnstra joins Impact Orange Partners
This special was originally written in Dutch. This is an English translation.
‘Caring for people and the planet.’
Congratulations on your new step. How do you like your new position?
‘I really like the new position. After working in healthcare for a number of years, it's nice to be back in the financial sector as a professional. Impact Orange Partners is a dynamic and ambitious company with decisive and pleasant colleagues.’
Which aspects of your job already give you energy?
‘I get a lot of energy from being able to get started right away, for example with analysing companies and funds. It's also stimulating to be involved in direct impact investments, such as regenerative forestry to promote biodiversity.’
What was your very first (holiday) job and what did you learn there?
‘My first job was in the hospitality industry, where I learned to work hard and interact with people. I also did a lot of tutoring during my student days. This taught me to be patient with students and to pay attention to what someone is not good at.’
How and when did you come into contact with Impact Orange Partners?
‘The three partners are former colleagues of mine. I kept in touch with them and, after completing my training in healthcare, I had the opportunity to take on the role of analyst.’
What do you expect to achieve in that role?
‘I expect to be able to make a significant contribution to the development of impact investing in general and the organisation in particular. Analysing and trying to understand complex systems in order to get to the heart of the matter and make the right decisions has always appealed to me. Achieving sustainability goals is a complicated business. The goals are not separate from each other and require ambition, a well-thought-out long-term strategy and perseverance.’
What is the most important thing you learned in your previous job, and how are you applying that to this new role?
‘As a district nurse, I learned to look at people holistically and to engage in conversation about what is important to them in often challenging circumstances. People usually confide in you and give you direct feedback. This brings you closer to them and enables you to work well together. Impact investing also requires a holistic approach and close collaboration with your clients to achieve environmental, social and financial goals. As in healthcare, collaboration throughout the entire chain is necessary to be successful. This is easier said than done.
At Van Lanschot Kempen, I learned a great deal about investing, leadership and sustainability. Investing is about opportunities and risks. Finding companies and projects with attractive opportunities, such as applications of innovation, helps to generate good returns. Preventing permanent loss of capital does the same and has been important to me when investing in both loans and quality shares. I expect to be able to use what I have learned in my new advisory role.
What are your personal ambitions?
‘My personal ambitions are to continue doing meaningful and challenging work with nice people for a long time to come. Lying on the beach with a good book is not for me. Continuing to learn and discover is. With my work as a district nurse at Buurtzorg and as an analyst at Impact Orange Partners, I can make an impact. Caring for people and the planet is paramount in this regard.’
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