An excellent match

‘I started here straight out of university, just over 14 years ago. I actually wanted to join via the traineeship programme, but that didn’t start until five months after I graduated. Via my university network, I came into contact with ING Investment Management, the predecessor of NN Investment Partners (NN IP). It proved to be an excellent match, because NN IP has been my first and, so far, only employer.’

‘The International Economics and Finance course at Tilburg University really suited me, because I wanted to work in an international environment and I had a talent for economics, particularly macroeconomics. To me, asset management is a very interesting market and I enjoy learning more about it by reading research. Plus, investment is all over the news: everybody has a view on it.’

Emerging Markets Debt

‘I work in a multidisciplinary team, which with fifteen different nationalities is very international, and we focus on the Emerging Markets Debt investment category: bond markets in emerging countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe. As the Client Portfolio Manager in the team, I take the lead in all commercial activities, such as customer and review meetings. Our customers are located all over the world and so travel is a part of my job. I also answer customer questions, position the team and the products and represent our investment outlook.’

‘In addition, I spend time on research every day. What’s happening in the world? How are the markets developing? And what impact do those developments have on our market outlook? It’s important to be well informed, so that the view of the portfolio managers – which is expressed in the positioning of the portfolio – is correctly represented. I also translate the research into clear reports for our customers.’

ESG factors

‘NN IP is very involved in innovation. To give you an example: partly because pension fund legislation and regulation in the Netherlands has been tightened further, we’re developing solutions to support our customers with this issue. In this case, the solution involves integrating ESG factors, enabling us to target our experience in this field specifically at the wishes of the customer. In addition, we’re constantly looking at the role innovation can play in our strategies and for our customers. That’s why we also have data strategists in the team, who maintain and develop quantitative processes.’

Talent Management Programme

‘You may well ask how I keep things interesting and challenging after 14 years. I started here in a sales role. I then realised that I wanted to get more involved with the nitty gritty, so I gradually progressed to my role as Client Portfolio Manager. NN IP offers a lot of career opportunities and because I’m part of the Talent Management Programme, I was quickly given the opportunity to develop further by taking part in training and other courses. I was also given the visibility in the company that is needed to move through the ranks. For anybody who believes that innovation is important and would like to work in an international environment, NN IP is a great organisation and one that offers lots of opportunities.’