Hi, I’m Sebas Krijgsman. Two years after completing my term, I want to reflect on my journey as the External Affairs Officer of the 2022-2023 Asset | IB&M Board.
Ever since TOP Week, where both my TOP parents were upcoming IB&M board members, I knew I wanted to do a board year. I was always super active at IB&M, only having missed 1 event in my first two years of being a member. The experiences, new friendships and memories of huge parties to amazing trips made sure that the next step for me was to apply for a board year.
The moment I got the call confirming my role as External Affairs Officer I was ecstatic. I was full of energy and drive, ready to begin my Board year! The official news and announcement of the board should stay secret for a few weeks, but in a gin & tonic fueled moment of excitement, Femke and I couldn’t resist sharing the news during a sunny afternoon in the Spoorpark. When the time finally came to reveal that Annika, Femke, Levi and I would join Hilde and Mylene as new boardies, the excitement flared up - we were ready to begin on an unforgettable year.
As External Affairs Officer, my role centred around connecting students with companies, effectively bridging the theoretical knowledge gained in university with the practical realities of business. This is crucial, especially in a field like IBA, where many students have no clear idea of what career path they want to pursue. The role meant taking on tasks like cold acquisition—reaching out to new companies to expand our portfolio—and warm acquisition, which involved maintaining and strengthening existing relationships. In addition, you need to keep track of the financial well-being and overall business strategy of your department. Even though study associations are non-profit, a better financial situation equips the entire department to increase the quantity and quality of all sorts of offerings, from formal to informal.
External Affairs at IB&M is unique since you are always with two External Affairs Officers. Since one of the two board members rotates after half a year, there is always an
experienced External Affairs Officer there, which is great. As External Affairs Officer you also have a seat in the Acquisition Meeting, where External Affairs Officers from different departments gather to discuss strategies and negotiate the best opportunities for their students.
The acquisition side of the role was, hands down, my favourite part. I had a blast travelling to the biggest companies in the Netherlands, connecting with the people who work there, learning about their jobs, businesses and environment, and in the end making deals with them. I derived a lot of energy and pleasure from establishing and strengthening all those relationships.
During my time as an External Affairs Officer, I started to excel in soft skills. You come in contact with people ranging from starters and interns to C-level executives and people from all kinds of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, so you need to be able to level with everyone regardless of who they are or where they come from. with people from diverse backgrounds was both challenging and deeply rewarding.
In addition to my core responsibilities, I had the honour of chairing and coordinating the Lustrum Committee as we celebrated IB&M’s third Lustrum. Organizing events like the Gala was a massive undertaking but also one of the most fulfilling experiences of my board year. Of course, there were also the board weekends in Lille and Sofia, the two COdEs, and the countless spontaneous nights out that made my board year into what it was.
Even now, two years later, I’m incredibly grateful for my time as External Affairs Officer. It was an honour to take on the role, and I can only hope that future board members find as much joy and fulfilment in their positions as I did. To those considering a board year: take the leap! It’s a challenging, rewarding, and unforgettable experience that will shape you in ways you can’t yet imagine. You might make friends for a lifetime, you develop yourself in so many ways, you get to know yourself better, and after all, it’s a lot of fun.
