Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Lisanne and I joined IG&H almost four years ago. I did a management traineeship at a retailer, where I was focusing on trade marketing and management. I zoomed in on personal management and effective communication. Next came IG&H.
What drew you to IG&H?
Here I found more high-stake and high-energy challenges, focusing on complex projects and getting them from A to B. I made the switch to IG&H because I wanted to be part of the strategic agenda of a firm.
What is your role & what does it involve?
I'm a manager in the Retail team, but I've done projects in other sectors as well. I led a project on creating a new app for a pension platform for example, as well as team lead for our health sector at the LCPS during COVID. I like large and complex projects, especially when the end consumer is involved because you make an impact outside the four walls of a company.
How does a typical day at IG&H look like?
I always say that I've done at least six jobs within the four years I've been here. I think of it in eras. There was the era of Eindhoven, then the era of Rotterdam… everything calls for new way of putting your life together. At one point, you might need to get up at 06:00, or be in the car by 05:30 so you don't hit traffic. Another time you might be working from home, waking up at 08:00. There is no typical workday; there are lots of shifts and it requires you to be very flexible!
What do you enjoy most about working at IG&H?
I love my colleagues and learn from them every single day. When I work with someone new, I think, "Wow, you're really good at XYZ, maybe I could improve here, too," so I am motivated to step up my game every day.
It's a comfortable and challenging environment. You also get a lot of responsibility combined with focus on your personal development and training opportunities. That combination is what I enjoy most.
What has been your proudest moment at IG&H?
Creating an analysis for the LCPS about intensive care beds, covering the full spectrum of hypothetical scenarios of the COVID pandemic. Later that same day, I saw it in the news on TV. This was rewarding from an external point of view.
Internally, I’m proudest when you put something together with the team in very little time. You can't change the deadline, but you can change your mind set for getting there. For a project involving Brexit, we had to meet a tight deadline and kept the energy levels up with lots of enthusiasm along the way.
You've been involved in a company event called "FIT"… Could you tell us more?
FIT stands for Fun, Inspiration and Training. It's not just a normal company day. It has cool surprises, and everything goes to the extreme. It is a day to get to know your colleagues, the company, and yourself in a lot of ways. You get to enjoy everything that IG&H has to offer to the max.
Why is it so important to IG&H?
One of the downsides of consulting is that you don't get to work with all your colleagues. I have so many great colleagues I'd love to cooperate with, but they are on different teams, projects, etc. On these days, or trips (sometimes a FIT lasts for several days) the connections you make with your colleagues last forever. You can always contact these colleagues, even if you've never worked with them before. I’d say it's aunique, life-time bond.
People still talk about the FIT in Lisbon, which was already four years ago. Partners are present, and so are receptionists and the kitchen chefs. Everyone is equal. It's a very low-threshold experience. The talks don't need to be serious, there's always something going on, something to chat about, so it's easy breezy.
How do we make it a typical IG&H experience?
Our goal is that people end up thinking, "I can't believe they did this, but they still did it!" There need to be enough elements in the day that there's something that will stick to everyone. For instance, a person may come home to their partner or family and mention an interesting training… or that they went laser gaming. Something should have stood out to every single person. The party at the end is also pretty legendary.
