Hi Bart, can you tell us how you ended up at HTG?

That’s quite a story. During the final year of my Business Economics studies, I was busy looking for a great graduation internship. I still lived in Winsum at the time, where the “Winsumer Baistemaart” takes place every year in October. That’s where I got talking to the Finance Manager at HTG and the ball started rolling. After an introductory meeting, we agreed on the structure of a graduation project and my internship was arranged! While working on my project, I also purposely spent time getting involved in work at the department, so that I could really gain a comprehensive understanding of the company. I really enjoyed it, and luckily it was mutual. After a formal recruitment process, I eventually started work as a Trainee.

There was a great opportunity for you after your internship.

Definitely! After my internship, I started work as a Finance Trainee for the Perfumes & Cosmetics/Health & Beauty department. I was there for about 7 months and during that time I got to know the ins and outs of financial administration, which gave me a really good foundation. Incredibly informative, but of course I wanted to progress and be a Controller. That was 2 years ago and I am currently working as a Controller at the HTG Liquors department. It’s great to see how the work is generally the same even though the departments are different.

What do you like best about working at HTG?

The bond within the team and the organization as a whole: we really want to progress together. Drive and passion! It’s a dynamic organization, with standard work and then a lot of extra activities and hubbub – that’s what really keeps the work fun for me. HTG is my first “real” employer, but I when I compare myself with others in my social circle, I have noticed I am progressing quite quickly here. That’s really important to me, because I have ambitions I want to achieve.

You have just started a degree program again, haven’t you?

From the beginning I have been very open about my doubts, whether to start work or continue my studies. One the one hand I wanted to continue and do a master’s degree straight after I graduated from the university of applied sciences, but I wasn’t sure which discipline to choose. As it stood, I just missed the registration deadline at the university. That was tough, but it did mean I was in a position to discuss options with HTG. They knew I wanted to complete a master’s degree at some point and always encouraged this. Last year, I made concrete progress on this goal and both my supervisor and HR were supportive. I am now studying part-time at the University of Amsterdam. It’s ideal, because I only have lectures on Fridays. Many topics and situations from my studies also occur at work, which is nice. Although I am doing a pre-master’s course, I am already noticing that the study adds a lot of value to the way I think. It helps to take a step back from the actual situation and to consider situations from a bird’s eye point of view.

Are there any plans and projects for the future you are looking forward to?

I am currently doing a lot of work for other companies that are part of HTG, such as our locations in Amsterdam and Germany. The best thing about that is that I am gaining even more knowledge about the organization as a whole and I am in regular contact with colleagues over there. Sparring together, traveling and making connections between HTG and its subsidiaries: a job that suits me perfectly!