Meeting the challenges of corporate finance -Steven Voogd Boom

HEC Paris alumnus, Steven Voogd Boom is a finance professional with experience in FP&A, accounting and corporate finance. Having worked for Big 4 auditing (PwC), start-ups (DaVita Inc.’s international division) and private equity-owned companies (Lumileds, formerly Philips), he has an impressive network. He is currently VP Finance at Jab Investors, a leading international private investor in consumer goods and services.

It was when transitioning from an accounting role into a new, more interdisciplinary and corporate finance, M&A-orientated role at DaVita Inc. that he decided to follow the HEC Paris Executive MSc in Finance. Steven realized the importance of expanding his financial knowledge. If he wanted to make valuable contributions to financial discussions within DaVita and, later on within Lumileds, he would first need to complement his knowledge of accounting with a more comprehensive theoretical understanding of corporate finance. A degree in finance was the logical next step in his career.

Steven was drawn to HEC Paris for several reasons. The content of their Executive MSc in Finance met his professional needs and, given that he loves all things French, the opportunity to learn in Paris was a distinct advantage. Steven was aware of the school’s outstanding performance in the international rankings, particularly for finance and marketing programs. The program’s flexible approach to learning was also very attractive. He knew he would need to fit his studies around his professional commitments and was therefore looking for a part-time program. The modular approach of the degree program enabled him to organize his study time into clusters, which meant that he was not distracted from work during his ‘non-study’ days.

LIVING THE PROGRAM

Steven was impressed by the excellent standard of all the program’s components - from the professors and teaching to the course materials used, as no detail was overlooked. The fact that the teaching staff’s vast networks extend beyond HEC Paris to other universities and their direct links with private equity firms was a key benefit of the program.

When discussing his time at HEC Paris, Steven was very positive, particularly with regard to his classmates. He mentioned the intimate class setting - as one of only 18 classmates, he benefitted from a highly personalized training program. More importantly, however, was the diversity of his classmates’ professional and cultural backgrounds. Steven seized every opportunity to share experiences and expertise. This allowed him to acquire a much better understanding not only of a wide range of industries, but also of international cultures. Some classmates had backgrounds in banking whilst others had only ever occupied non-financial positions (for instance, in sales and operations). When a professor focused on a specific area that was outside Steven’s comfort zone, he could consult a classmate with the relevant specialization (and vice-versa). Steven affirmed that this mutual enrichment and support was a key feature of the program and that it played a significant role in the learning journey.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Steven is still benefitting from the program and considers it the perfect option for finance professionals looking to obtain an excellent and broad theoretical foundation in finance, but also for managers without a master’s degree or much experience in finance. Not only does he now have a wider network of finance professionals and permanent mentors with whom he can work in the finance world, he can also capitalize on the invaluable insights and know-how from world-class professors.

He found all the courses beneficial, particularly the mix between corporate finance-related courses with other courses, such as the negotiation and strategy seminars. He now feels comfortable in a wide range of areas in the field of corporate finance. Not only can he confidently value a range of companies, he can also discern the factors that drive these companies to adopt certain corporate strategies. He also has a more in-depth understanding of how companies attract finances when they go public or restructure. Moreover, having written his thesis on it, Steven is now an expert in corporate hedging! He now feels equipped to understand and manage different types of company – he knows what to do and what not to do as a finance professional.

Steven has no doubt that his time at HEC Paris will help him to make valuable contributions in any professional context. Looking to the future, Steven is convinced that applying the lessons he learned at HEC Paris and capitalizing on the connections he made, will help him to achieve his long-term goal of becoming CFO of an international company, private equity-owned company or start-up.

Steven Voogd Boom