Blend of higher education and work experience leads to success for Praxis next gen

With a drive to gain practical work experience and to accelerate his quantitative knowledge in a corporate environment, Casper Hoogenboom joined PraxisIFM Netherlands B.V. (Praxis Group) on a part-time basis in 2019, while studying for an Econometrics degree with a statistics and maths focus at the University of Amsterdam.

After two years with the company, and having graduated from his Master’s, Casper joined the Praxis Group full-time as a management trainee in 2021, gaining valuable experience across a range of business areas. ‘The two-year programme has given me a fantastic opportunity to work both in the Netherlands and abroad with different teams, and to experience a variety of different roles across the company.’ said Casper.

Global insight

During the first year of the split programme, Casper worked in the accounting, compliance, management, and operations divisions, developing a good understanding of these areas of the business and their commitment to driving innovation as part of the Group’s growth strategy. He looked into research areas from a quantitative perspective and focused on identifying where improvements could be made to existing processes.

For the programme’s second year, Casper joined the Global Transformation team in Guernsey where he began to look at opportunities for streamlining processes and adding value through effective change management. This allowed him to work abroad alongside subject matter experts who gave him valuable insight into critical processes across the Group’s global network of offices.

‘The team has a huge amount of collective experience, and colleagues were very generous with their time and willing to explain everything clearly and share their experience, even when deadlines were approaching and the pressure was high,’ he said.

As a Group Transformation Analyst, Casper identified inefficiencies, facilitated workshops to agree a roadmap for improvements, and integrated subsequent changes through the effective management of technology and operational policies. Finally, he helped with the roll-out of renewed processes and the delivery of relevant training to the respective business teams.  

During the two years Casper acquired several qualifications, including the Trust Officer Certificate and the globally recognised PRINCE2 Certificate, which is a structured project management method and practitioner programme. 

Career development

Casper found his last rotation on the Global Transformation team to be the most rewarding part of the programme as he was involved in various global projects and was able to see first-hand their impact on the business.

His commitment and skills have been recognised by the leadership and in January 2024, he was promoted to Operations Manager. His focus remains on the ongoing enhancement of operational processes and efficiencies within the business units, and he also maintains his role as an internal consultant for the Global Transformation team.

‘I am pleased to have reached this point in my career and I recognise the importance of continuing to challenge myself and develop my in-depth understanding of the business, and the role that effective transformation programmes can play in future-proofing organisations,’ added Casper.

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