Marleen Tuijl is a Senior Consultant Financial Risk Management. Her job is to identify financial risks, specifically for insurers. ‘I work in projects, with strict deadlines. That’s what appeals to me most: every week and every period is different, and you can actually achieve something.’ Working at Financial Risk Management Marleen works in Financial Risk Management, which consists of three teams: Market Risk, Credit Risk, and Actuarial & Insurance solutions. Marleen is part of the third team. ‘Each team focuses on different financial risks. The other teams are working for the banking sector, while I’m focusing on insurance companies. And by “insurance” I mean all types of insurance, including life, non-life, and health insurance. And pensions – insuring your future after you retire. I studied Econometrics, combining math and statistics in order to make predictions – whether it’s tomorrow’s weather or airplane ticket prices. I get to use it for market insights and financial risks in complex issues.’ High pressure Currently, Marleen is involved in a very topical problem for one of the insurance funds. The pressure is high, as it’s a complex situation involving large amounts of money, especially for the individual (private) clients involved. ‘Time is short. There is an acute problem and we need to act fast. The insurance company found out that, without knowing, it had structurally underpaid a group of clients. At first, the solution seemed to be to pay them that particular amount of money. But that would mean the clients would have to pay more taxes and would miss out on e.g. care allowance, so they would still be underpaid. For months, the insurance company tried to find a solution, but couldn’t. Then they contacted us. We were asked to identify the problem and define potential solutions within four weeks’ time.'

Creating an overview ‘It’s a very complex challenge that requires a number of calculations and the mapping of vital individual details, including questions about the presence or absence of life partners, equity, and the number of years these people have worked. However, it was agreed before that these clients shouldn’t have to take any steps to remedy the situation, so they don’t need to provide these data. In order to make the right calculations, I work with a tax lawyer and a Senior Manager. I define and test assumptions, supported by the tax lawyer who handles tax regulations, reductions, and allowances. This is how we create an overview of the entire project. The Senior Manager is in charge of project progress and for communications with the client.

Familiar with challenges This may seem impossible, but Marleen is familiar with challenges like this. ‘When you’re a student, you get to work with perfect data, but when you’re working for clients that rarely happens. In little time, with inconsistent data and in a complex situation you must make the best of what little you have to perform well. You need to deliver within a strict deadline, with moving targets, and that’s actually what makes this job extra fun. We have found a potential solution for the pension insurer. This case was on television a while ago at Omroep Max, and will soon reappear in the media. Getting to relive the assignment like that is wonderful.’ Young and full of life ‘I got to know Deloitte during a national econometrics day. I had a great interview with a recruiter and immediately wanted to work at Deloitte. The vibe I got was so young and full of life. And it is. Work hard, play hard is in balance and there is a real team spirit. Also, there is a strong focus on my personal and professional development. I have just enrolled in Actuarial studies, which I need in order to do certain assignments in the future. It’s actually one of the subjects within Econometrics, but I chose Big Data when I was a student. Deloitte has now offered me this opportunity, as well as a number of hours I can dedicate to studying. The team asked me if I was interested, and since I have the ambition to grow, I took this opportunity with both hands.’

Growth ‘The support for development is very good at Deloitte. During the fiscal year there are check-in moments: what are you good at, in what direction do you want to grow, and how would you like to do that? The leadership is very focused on developing yourself and achieving your goals. I like that, because I sometimes get lost in the issues of the day. They encourage me and help me grow.’

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