Your work on the front page of the newspaper, that's making an impact
On the front page of Dutch morning newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad: the deal that you – together with the team – have been working on for weeks. That’s an adrenaline shot that works better than a cup of coffee, at least if you ask Gijs van Leeuwen, Director PwC Deals (FDD), and James Egan, Manager PwC Deals (FDD). The impact you make with your work is precisely what attracts them both to Financial Due Diligence (FDD). For James, this was even the reason for leaving the business world behind and moving to FDD in April 2022.
Making an impact with your work
“Mergers and acquisitions have always interested me”, says James enthusiastically. “These types of deals involve huge sums of money and it is a gigantic operation to merge two companies – to put it simply. I previously worked for almost nine years in various financial positions at American multinationals. After a while, I missed the impact my work had on societal developments. In contrast, the work at FDD has a lot of impact. The value we assign to a business impacts, for example, the amount of money that is offered or the loan that a buyer can take out from the bank. That’s why I decided to switch to FDD, a whole new field of work for me.”
For Gijs, the ‘newness’ has worn off, but his pulse still races when it comes to a big deal. He has been with PwC since 2003, and in this field since 2010, although he did make a foray into the business world seven-and-a-half years ago. “After completing my propaedeutic year in higher professional education, I started at PwC straight away”, Gijs explains. “After 11 years – including two in New York – I was ready for something different and said farewell to consultancy. However, I soon realised that the grass was not really greener on the other side. I missed the adrenaline, a young team, working with clients and the enormous focus on your own development. There was also a lack of variety. I was often working on the same tasks, whereas I enjoy working on a new deal every time and seeing what's going on behind the scenes at other companies. For these reasons, I returned to consultancy and to PwC after two years.”
Data are the future
In addition, the way of working with data attracted Gijs back to FDD: “Here I have a very analytical role. We delve into the figures until we discover their background. You do that less as a controller, for example; you’re often more concerned with reporting and the way in which the figures were compiled.” “That was also an important reason for me to make the switch”, adds James. “I wanted to go deeper into data processing for my own development. For example, you can put all the data into an Excel, but that's hardly convenient. This is where you learn how to process and apply the data efficiently, which is where the future lies, in my opinion. My goal is to learn everything about it here.”
The onboarding phase at PwC is the first step. “The onboarding is properly organised”, James continues. “You are immediately assigned a buddy who helps you with everything from minor practical matters to substantive issues. In addition, you have a whole range of e-learning courses at your disposal and PwC regularly organises knowledge sessions. In these sessions we discuss the trends in various industries, for example, or go deeper into the theory with real-life examples. As a result, you learn a lot about the details of the profession.” As an experiential expert, Gijs also has good advice for James. “Always ask questions and don't feel afraid to do so”, Gijs advises. “You are here to learn. I am convinced that everyone will be happy to help you.”
Not just a number
It was this willingness to help that James noticed immediately: “The collaboration is very good, there’s no cockiness at all and I can in fact ask all my questions. You notice that the team are really there for each other and that’s great to see. In addition, you are not just a number and they are constantly looking at what PwC can do for you. Consequently, it feels like a warm and human organisation from the very beginning.” The focus on work-life balance helps. “Nobody will say that you have a nine-to-five job in this sector”, says Gijs laughing. “But we think it is important to alternate the ups and downs. If you want to exercise, walk the dog or just read a book, you should be able to. In the end, everyone creates a good balance in their own way, and there is space for that.”
Who dares wins
The switch to a new job, and perhaps even a whole new field of work, is always fraught with uncertainty. Gijs and James know about that from experience, but they advise everyone not to let it hold you back. “Who dares wins”, Gijs concludes. “Staying in the same job is always the safe choice. But I am convinced that it is good to look further every now and then, even if – like me – you may find that it doesn’t suit you after all. And maybe you'll find what you've always been missing.” “I fully agree”, James nods in agreement. “Just make the move. That sounds very easy, but you won’t discover if it was the right move until you do it. If you ever have doubts, you can always call me to talk about it!”
