A multifaceted theme

“During my studies in public administration and economic policy, DNB had already piqued my interest. After I graduated, I went travelling first, but on my return I immediately turned to DNB to find a job. I stumbled across the job opening in the On-site Supervision of Pension Funds & Insurers Department. Pensions are an incredibly interesting and multifaceted subject – indeed especially for young people. But unfortunately, pensions don't really have that image yet.

In my job I get to conduct examinations with a team of specialists on a variety of topics. Some issues are different for each sector, while other aspects are cross-sectoral. For example, the Dutch pension sector is facing major changes, and at DNB we are getting our supervision lined up for those changes. Also, we are integrating sustainability into our supervision. I find supervising both pension funds and insurers to be really varied, and I love that I get to be involved in shaping these developments.

Responsibility and significance

As a supervisor, I conduct in-depth examinations at a pension fund or insurer over a period of some 12 weeks. I then conduct interviews at the institution to obtain findings, on which I write a report. These findings can be about a range of things: where does an institution stand on ESG or in the transition to the new pension system, for example? Or what is the status of certain measures taken? I also carry out various organisational tasks, such as organising the roundtable. I think it is really cool that I was given the responsibility and freedom to chair the roundtable and bring the sector together so soon after I joined DNB. That’s really unique!

The power of teamwork

As far as I’m concerned, there is a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in our organisation. You can always turn to your colleagues, and we collaborate a lot within and across departments. For example, account supervisors use the report that we write during on-site inspections. Other supervisors will only be able to use our examination as a basis if it is of high quality. 

In terms of content, I have always found DNB an interesting employer, but I did not expect to be so excited about its corporate culture as well. There are many young people at DNB, and there is a whole range of fun activities. During the summer social last year, for instance, I played a role in the cabaret performance. I really enjoyed seeing that we’re not afraid to make fun of ourselves at DNB. It doesn't always have to be all serious; we should also have fun together.”