Anne Soede

As a former Business & Transformation trainee, Anne Soede reflects positively on a two-year traineeship that truly delivers on its promises. “The personal leadership programme, in particular, has been extremely valuable and relevant for me. I get to fulfil a management role and put my learnings into practice.”

Lasting friendships

At Utrecht University, Anne completed her bachelor’s in Economics & Business Economics. With a broad interest, she pursued a master’s in Business Development & Entrepreneurship and another in Digital Business. After graduating, Anne sought a traineeship in the financial sector to explore her options. “I like to work on my personal development. Thanks to the committee work I had done, I wanted to explore the possibility of a management role.” The NN traineeship ticked all the boxes.

As the first major training took place just before the 2021 lockdown, Anne’s group still had the opportunity to connect personally. “That training really stood out. I’d never experienced anything like it; it led to lasting friendships.”

Rotation

Trainees rotate assignments to get to know the company. “What struck me is how different the business units and activities are. Working for a large corporate means there’s an expert for everything. Quite a contrast to the start-up where I worked during my studies,” says Anne.

“Doing all these different assignments helped me discover where my interests lie. Another valuable lesson I took away is that you don’t need to excel at everything. It’s OK to ask questions and focus on what you like, because that helps you get better at it.”

Journey towards a lead role

For her third assignment, Anne joined the Sales team of the NN Disability Group. The group insures employers against workers’ occupational disability and offers additional services like return-to-work support. “I wanted to gain experience in a lead role and started out with a team of two account managers, which grew to five.” When a supervisor left, Anne temporarily took charge of his team.

Evolving and learning continuously

In 2023, Anne seized the opportunity to build an entirely new team. The team focuses on mid-size and smaller brokers that have a huge SME client base. “I loved what I was doing and just knew I wanted to continue in this role after finishing my traineeship. My team challenges me, and I still learn a lot about sales, leading a team, and organizational sensitivity.”

Seeking collaboration with a Sales colleague in the Life & Pensions business unit, Anne and her colleague have started training a new team of young professionals in commercial roles. “Life & Pensions and the Disability Group have mutual brokers and clients, so we’re looking to collaborate more closely and align our client approach.”

Social commitment

“At NN, it’s not all about work,” says Anne. “I like running and I hope to participate in the NN City-Pier-City run next year. NN is also socially committed and encourages employees and trainees alike to do volunteer work during work hours, like helping clean up canals.”

“The traineeship brought together a wonderful group of people, and we still meet. What makes the traineeship so valuable is the combination of getting to know yourself, the company, and an amazing group of people.”