Meet Anouk, a proud member of the insurance community who loves variety

Could you tell us a bit about yourself? 

I’m someone who enjoys variety in both work and life and am always keen to connect with others. I live in the Betuwe countryside with my partner and our three children. While I enjoy being outdoors, you’re most likely to find me on the golf course, behind the BBQ trying new recipes or at a gym class. Banking and insurance are where my career began, moving into strategy and operations consulting. As of about one and a half years, I’m proud member of the IG&H family. “Work hard play hard’’ is something I genuinely believe in, and I love achieving great things together.  

What drew you to IG&H? 

The combination of deep sector expertise and serious ambition. I’ve always had a passion for the financial sector and IG&H is a place full of sector gekkies - and I mean that in the best possible way (rough translation: "sector nerds"). IG&H, as opposed to other firms, isn’t just talking about transformation; we’re building towards becoming the leading end-to-end partner in the pension and insurance sector. There’s real room here to grow, to take ownership, and to be entrepreneurial, but the best part of all is the people. It feels like my professional family with sharp, driven professionals who are always up for a chat and a laugh. 

What is your role & what does it involve? 

As Managing Director of the Financial Services team, I'm involved in a range of strategic and transformational projects, mostly for our insurance clients. Days are therefore often a mix of managing client relationships and supporting our team. My work covers a broad spectrum: sometimes it’s about content and strategy, other times it’s about processes or simply making sure everyone is aligned.  

My tasks might involve reviewing the concept strategy document for a client, facilitating workshops on redesign of an operating model or collaborating with my technology colleagues on features of a new technology solution. I also handle the pipeline and planning of our projects and staffing of our consultancy team.  

I enjoy the dynamic nature of the role, even if it means juggling different priorities at once. And I’ll admit, I also genuinely enjoy creating PowerPoint slides to bring our ideas to life. The best part of my job? Hopping in the car with my (often smarter!) colleagues to visit clients and feeling truly connected to the insurance community we serve. For me, the insurance community holds a crucial place in society, where solidarity is essential, yet there is a continual need to advance technologically. However, it’s truly the people who work in this sector that make all the difference, and it’s in this world that I feel at home. 

What does a typical day at IG&H look like? 

There isn’t really a typical day at IG&H; I prefer it that way. A typical beginning is a check-in with the project teams and every week there’s a staffing and pipeline meeting to keep things on track. The only routines I can count on are the great lunches from Timo and Patrick and seeing familiar faces around the office. The rest of my day is shaped by the flow of projects or proposals: sometimes it’s meetings or client sessions, other times it’s catching up on calls. The variety and unpredictability keep things interesting. If every day were the same, I don’t think I’d enjoy my work as much! 

What do you enjoy most about working at IG&H? 

What I enjoy most about working at IG&H is the energy and commitment of the people around me. I work with smart, driven colleagues who support and challenge each other and there’s a real sense of teamwork. We achieve things together and can rely on one another. Being part of IG&H also means bringing our best every day, which is motivating. That mix of collaboration, ambition and responsibility makes IG&H a great place to work for me. 

What has been your proudest moment at IG&H? 

One of my proudest moments at IG&H was being selected as the end-to-end partner for a new insurance organization. It was a wonderful achievement to be trusted not only with designing the new entity, but also with helping to implement it and bring their ideas into reality. This is possible because we have all the necessary capabilities in-house and work in a multidisciplinary way. It feels a bit like being a kid in a candy store: There’s so much expertise and opportunity to really make a difference together. This project is a great example of what IG&H can deliver for our clients. 

What is your advice to other women looking to pursue a career in consulting / tech? 

Bring yourself and your whole personality to work and don’t be afraid to use a bit of self-irony: don’t take yourself or others too seriously. Also think about what you need to succeed and organize it for yourself. Connect with others and ask for help when you need it. Sometimes things aren’t easy, but with fun and enjoyment, everything goes better in my opinion. If you enjoy what you do and set things up in a way that works for you, you’ll go far. 

What do you like most about your role? 

What I like most about my role is the variety it brings. Working with clients along with bright and eager colleagues is a mix that brings me joy, while involved in a broad range from strategic to operational topics. Last but not least, I truly enjoy the moments when we visit clients together and feel part of the broader insurance community.