“As a student, I didn’t see myself working for a corporate. I studied Sustainable Technology in Sweden and wanted to work towards a sustainable future. An accountancy firm in Amsterdam’s financial district isn’t exactly the first thing you think of. The image I had in my head was mainly one of cocky men strutting around in suits. But a friend worked at PwC in Sweden and sounded very positive about it. Her stories were confirmed from my very first meeting. At my job interview it wasn’t ‘why should we hire you?’, but ‘why are we a good fit for each other?’ – a completely different approach. As a queer person I also felt immediately welcome. It wasn’t mentioned, it was just accepted. You can really sense something like that.”
“My social commitment is another reason why I feel at home at PwC. The ESG team has doubled in size since my arrival. There is huge demand from the market. We assist large companies with ESG consultancy and assurance. I help clients with climate adaptation and mitigation. For example, we conduct interviews and map out climate scenarios and risks. What are the blind spots? Where is the client lacking knowledge or data? We then advise the client on how to adapt their business processes.”
“Climate is the big issue of our generation. If we don’t manage to solve this problem, we’ll no longer have a society. Society as a whole has to change, including big companies and polluters. A company like PwC is perfectly placed to make a difference, because we already have an entry point into these large companies. Drawing on our expertise, we can act as a catalyst in the field of sustainability.”
‘At PwC there is room to be yourself’
“Alongside my work within the ESG team, I am also actively involved with Shine, PwC’s LGBTQI+ network. We organise lectures, get-togethers and workshops for colleagues to raise awareness of diversity and inclusion. As a queer man, I also see it as my responsibility to help other minorities who are even less visible. I think it’s great that at PwC I’m given hours off so that I can contribute to this. Instead of seeing it as a hobby, they actually make space and resources available for it. We've found that people are willing to listen right up to the board level. PwC has surprised me in all kinds of ways. And yes, to be honest, I did buy a suit before I started working here. I’ve just never worn it, haha. It’s much more relaxed here than I thought it would be!”
