Social role

“I find it important to work for a company that has a mission I support. DNB ticks that box. As a supervisory body, we contribute to the smooth operation of financial institutions and the protection of their clients. That gives me a lot of satisfaction.

A year and a half ago, my family and I returned to the Netherlands. We had spent three years in England, where I worked as a risk manager for a small bank. I was considering my options with a recruiter and DNB had always appealed to me as a potential employer due to its social role. Joining them was a wonderful opportunity.

Solving a puzzle

I conduct on-site research at financial institutions, in my case insurers and pension funds. These studies may involve highly technical subjects, such as the models for mapping financial risks. Or operational topics such as their investments. I will spend one month with a large international insurer and the next with a small niche insurer or a pension fund administrator. This level of diversity is a lot of fun.

These on-site studies are like puzzles. It begins with a request from the colleague responsible for the supervision of an institution. He or she identifies a certain risk and asks us to investigate. Together with a team of 2-3 colleagues, we will formulate research questions and familiarise ourselves with the subject matter. Next, we visit the insurer or pension fund for a couple of weeks. We conduct interviews and observe the operation. Slowly but surely, we gain an understanding of the issues, how they came about and how they can be resolved. Finally, we submit our findings in a report for the institution to sink their teeth into.

I enjoy the fact that our research has an impact. It contributes to the improvement of an institution. In that respect, DNB has a true added value. Because we are independent and external, we can often identify risks that an insurer or pension fund wasn’t able to find themselves.

Another big plus of working at DNB: the people. This organisation consists of smart, driven employees. You will notice they truly believe in the importance of their work. There is a great deal of involvement, especially in our on-site teams. Even though the work-life balance is good, the job can be demanding. You travel a lot and deadlines are tight. But everyone will go the extra mile to help each other get the job done, which makes for a great atmosphere to work in.