Alumni Volunteering Award 2023

Fostering strong connection and disseminate innovative knowledge on a high level in Spain

Full-time MBA, 2012

Ever since graduating, José has actively volunteered for RSM’s alumni network. He shows eagerness to assist and engage with the school in a myriad of ways and demonstrates continuous commitment to offer support. He was a power force for the founding and establishment of the RSM Club of Spain. His participation in curating the exchange program between RSM and ICADE has been remarkable. This initiative has allowed the growth of the RSM community within Spain and poses as a wonderful opportunity for the students at both universities. 

Studying in RSM’s international learning environment, made José thrive in very cosmopolitan and varied communities. He says this level of internationalisation of RSM was very important to prosper in all of his prior and current jobs. Giving back to RSM makes José feel happy. “I have always been very corporatist and I believe that you always have to give back what you receive, especially if it is good for society and your environment.”

That’s why José founded the RSM Club of Spain, which organises exclusive formal and informal events for RSM’ers, and co-sponsors events with other clubs where important CEOs, entrepreneurs, teachers, diplomats, and politicians have participated. He consistently promotes and associates RSM with other Ivy League-like clubs of Spain to connect alumni for professional development and to advance the brand of RSM. The Club also belongs to the Ryder Club of Spain where the most prestigious universities and business schools are part of, giving RSM alumni in Spain the opportunity to connect with interesting alumni from other top educational institutions. José says: “Alumni have their responsibility in how your school is perceived and shown to the world.” He strives to maintain the cohesion of the Spanish community, promoting networking opportunities and reinforcing ties with RSM. 

Sharing knowledge to achieve more together 

MSc Business Information Management, 2016

Louise is the most active mentor of all times on the RSM MentorMe platform. Acting as an advisor and coach to aspiring business professionals isn’t a given. When she joined RSM as a first-generation student, Louise initially felt like an imposter, lacking the knowledge, background and confidence to build a successful career. But during her studies, RSM provided her with an enabling environment that allowed her to grow tremendously on both personal and professional levels.

She says empowering mentors played pivotal roles in her journey. Their inspiration and guidance helped her to embark on an international career in the tech industry. She then initially signed up to be a mentor because she missed the university after graduating. RSM MentorMe provided a great platform to stay connected with students while giving back the help she received during her studies.

As a matter of fact, Louise says it brings her immense joy. “It’s incredibly interesting to discover the innovative projects that RSM students are working on. I’m grateful for their thought-provoking questions. They inspire me to continue reflecting on my own experiences, and often, the advice I give to them is applicable to my own life today.”

Louise says that knowledge sharing is key for us to evolve. “Together, we can achieve so much more. I want to inspire others to become the best versions of themselves, to make them feel heard and connected, and to empower collective thinking. Then we can create a ripple effect of positive impact on people and society as a whole.” 

Keeping close with the CEMS community through alumni activities

CEMS, 2020

Thomas is an active volunteer in the CEMS community. He recently shared some insights into his professional experiences during an engaging presentation at a CEMS community event. He’s also a mentor, and keeps his class connected.

His RSM journey was both an academic adventure and a way to develop professionally. By getting in touch with inspiring alumni working for different companies, Thomas was able to find out for himself which topics are most important to him for the continuation of his own professional life. Now, as an alumnus himself, connecting with RSM students gives Thomas a wave of energy from the other end.

“The endless ambitions of RSM students with good analyses and thought-through questions make my brains work hard still, too. It also gives me motivation in my day-to-day life to coach, mentor and help wherever I can since the only reason I have ever gotten this far is because of help and trust of others.” Thomas adds that a little help has never hurt nobody. “We live in a very individualistic world. I hope that students see how synergetic relations work if I show them how helping, advising and mentoring can reach results. We are at the doorstep of the biggest global challenges in generations and we can only solve them if we go for it together.”

This eagerness to boost collaboration also shows in another professional as well as social setting. Thomas has been the driving force in reuniting his cohort by organising a reunion, a full weekend of festivities for his classmates to reconnect, and talk about business, life in general and positive impact.

Supporting education and research to tackle wicked problems

Master in Business Society Management, 2004

Wouter has repeatedly showed immense openness and willingness to support research and education at RSM. At first, he was a tutor for first-year students at RSM, where he developed important skills like presenting, teaching, managing. He co-ordinated the tutor programme, and had roles as student assistant for courses, teacher and lecturer. He received the 'Hero of Students Award' from the Student Representation body.

Graduating in business-society management taught Wouter how to think about big societal topics, leading to a career in healthcare strategy consultancy. He wanted to work on one of the most important topics of society with all the complexity of private organisations, for profit as well as non-profit, delivering a public good. He has been a thought and impact leader across Dutch healthcare for a decade at Gupta Strategists. He founded and leads Zivver, a successful Dutch tech scale-up, where he works on topics of great societal relevance: privacy protection and compliance.

Wouter co-created a teaching case for RSM’s curriculum, and generously volunteers his time to classroom participation. He gave a guest lecture to MSc students about scaling up and strategies for high growth. He listened to student presentations and engaged with them. He also invited the students to connect and visit Zivver so that they can present and pitch their ideas to the entire management team and get first-hand understanding of the organisational context within which the case content has emerged. He aims to maintain the connection between Zivver and RSM to facilitate important exchanges between practice, education and research.