Pascal Boertje

'Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet.'

This famous quote by Stephen Hawking can be interpreted in many ways, yet I have always been of the opinion that it teaches us to be curious. Space has always fascinated me, because no matter how much we think we know, there is an almost infinite amount of things we don’t know. Yet that does not stop people from continuing to explore, because there is always more to learn. I apply this same mentality in my work at JBR: with curiosity, perseverance, and a focus on understanding the bigger picture.

 In February 2026, I started at JBR as a Corporate Finance Trainee. Before that, I completed both my bachelor’s degree in International Business Administration and my master’s degree in Corporate Finance at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Finishing my master’s cum laude taught me the importance of perseverance and focus, and that achieving meaningful goals often requires hard work and, above all, consistency.

 During my studies, I discovered that corporate finance is the perfect combination for me of analytical depth and an understanding of the human behavior behind financial decisions. The value of a company is never derived from the numbers alone; it is always shaped by a combination of many different factors. This intersection of analysis and human insight is what makes the field particularly interesting to me and closely aligns with the way I approach problems: with curiosity, structure, and attention to the broader context.

This combination of analytical rigor and personal engagement is also what drew me to JBR. From my first conversations, it quickly became clear that this is more than just a workplace, the interactions felt genuinely personal and collaborative. In addition, JBR’s international character appealed to me greatly. With two international degrees, I was looking for an environment where I could actively apply the soft skills I developed during my studies in my daily work, while continuing to learn and grow professionally.