Why did you choose PwC?
‘I started my working life as a lawyer. A great and educational time with a focus on increasing my professional skills. At one point, I felt an increasing need to develop more broadly, both in business and personally. Discussing it with different people I ended up at PwC and I saw opportunities to develop myself into a broad advisor. In my role at PwC, I find it refreshing to put the client at the centre, rather than the legal question.’
“In my role at PwC, I find it refreshing to put the client at the centre, rather than the legal question.”
Meet Wouter. Mountain hiker, director public sector, sculptor and solver at PwC.
What do you do exactly?
‘I often work in multidisciplinary teams on structuring and governance issues in the public sector. That is often about setting up, evaluating, or adjusting a number of things. Think about a legal structure and the distribution of tasks, roles, and authorisations. Those are for instance, projects where we advise a ministry on the design and implementation of a public fund. Or guiding healthcare institutions during a fusion.’
What does your workday look like?
‘The days that I only sat behind my laptop are luckily very rare. It is usually a mix of internal meetings, client meetings and time to work on things. I collaborate a lot with colleagues and teams from different offices, so I am also on the road a lot.’
“A lot is possible at PwC. It is up to you in which direction you want to grow.”
What is the most challenging job you have worked on?
‘I have worked on a team that advised on the child benefits scandal (toeslagenaffaire). At some point I realised that I and a team member, a data analyst, looked at the same issue in a very different way. It was very educational because those different perspectives amplified each other in the end. Those are the moments that make me very proud of the work that I do.’
To what extend is your career path at PwC been mapped out?
‘At PwC, impact and development are the focus. I started in a team that worked on international restructurings. At some point, I came across the public sector practice. I noticed that the social impact of projects really interested me. I got plenty of room to develop myself in that direction. So there is a lot possible at PwC. It is up to you in which direction you want to grow.’
What opportunities do you get at PwC?
‘You can look at PwC as a learning institute that attracts a lot of talented people. It is my job to ensure that they do interesting work that they can learn from. To me personal and professional development is an integral part of the PwC culture. We give each other a lot of feedback and have open conversations about expectations and learning moments. The range of training offered is very diverse, from technical training to the development of leadership qualities.’
What do the teams in which you work look like?
‘The composition of teams is very divers and constantly changes. That is because the focus is on the client’s issue. Once we have that, we can look at what people we need to get to the strong solution. Sometimes, a team consists of legal and tax specialists. But often, it also includes an economist, consultant or strategist.’
What can you say about work-life balance at PwC?
‘At PwC, it is perfectly possible to combine working hard with flexibility and freedom. We keep each other on the ball when it comes to finding the right balance between work and personal situations. If I want to go home to exercise or work at home for the day, that is not a problem. If a colleague has a problem with a deadline because a child at home needs care, we are there as a team to fix it.’
“The composition of teams is very divers and constantly changes. That is because the focus is on the client’s issue.”
How would you describe the culture at PwC?
‘Moslty informal and with little fuss. There’s a lot of laughter and we do that across all layers and silos of the organisation. I think I have a tie lying around in my car. But I couldn’t recall when I last actually wore it.’
“I think I have a tie lying around in my car. But I couldn’t recall when I last actually wore it.”
What do you like about your job?
‘Mostly the social impact I can make with colleagues with the projects in the public sector. I also enjoy engaging in client conversations with an open mind. To discover if we can answer a legal or strategic question. To then help the client together with the right specialist gives me the feeling of doing relevant work.’
Why would you recommend working at PwC?
‘Because it is absolutely great to work together with a diverse group on solving important problems. Through the integral collaboration we create together, we help our clients and ourselves to progress further.’
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