The story of Andrea van Dijk

Andrea works as an ESG Officer at Invest-NL. Andrea: “The ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) criteria are used in every investment to gain as complete a picture as possible of the sustainability aspects of a fund or company. My role is to identify the ESG risks as clearly as possible, that is, how the respective fund or company deals with the risks.” This involves both risks of negative impact on the environment (for example, air pollution) and risks that could negatively affect the value of the financing (for example, revoked permits due to non-compliance with new environmental legislation). “Based on the ESG analysis, we engage in a conversation with the entrepreneur or fund manager.”

Andrea has been following Invest-NL since its inception and was intrigued by the organisation's mission. “I have always kept an eye out for vacancies that suited me and my experience. When an ESG Officer position was advertised in early 2021, I didn’t hesitate for a moment and applied immediately.” And she was successful. Andrea is now the ESG Officer at Invest-NL. And she finds it very rewarding. “I think Invest-NL is a very special workplace. For several reasons. The unique collaborations; people with deep technical knowledge work directly with the investment teams. It makes everything we do very concrete and at the same time well thought out. Then there’s the unique age composition at Invest-NL. There are relatively many twenty-somethings and young thirty-somethings. That creates an energetic atmosphere and certainly enough camaraderie. There is also a group of more experienced colleagues who have already earned their stripes elsewhere, now eager to make an impact, and who bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Overall, it’s a fresh, young organisation. Basically, everything is possible and up for discussion. There is little to no organisational ‘baggage’ such as ingrained patterns. That works very well.”

Andrea is most proud of the impact investment focus of Invest-NL: “We invest in incredibly beautiful and interesting companies that can make a difference in the near future. That’s also just great to tell to, for example, family and friends.”

The pursuit of impact is a personal motivation for Andrea – as it is for many colleagues. Andrea: “Indeed. I am thoroughly convinced that the linear economy and the desire for infinite growth are not sustainable and are damaging to our planet and society. However, we have so little experience with anything else than liberal capitalism that a different way of doing business doesn’t happen automatically. I myself am a consumer whose choices strengthen the current economy, and it’s not easy to do otherwise. I do notice that spending a lot of time in nature helps me shift my focus to what really matters. Additionally, my children can also be a source of inspiration. They sometimes ask such logical questions that we, as adults, no longer ask ourselves.”