L-R: Jochanan van der Lek, Annemieke van Vliet, Joyce de Koning, Carolijn Elion, Gerard van der Star (Coach)
About the Team
Jochanan was born near Rotterdam, but lives in Dordrecht. He spent several years in aviation, roaming the world, but returned to school to pursue a different career. He is currently in his fourth year studying Industrial Engineering and Management. Jochanan’s strengths lie in business optimization and sustainability—skills he developed further during his internship in Manchester, UK last year. In his spare time, he is an avid cook with an obsession for nutrition. On weekends, he enjoys socializing with friends.
Annemieke was born and raised in a small town near Rotterdam. Currently, she is in her final year of studies, with a focus on international marketing and sustainability. Annemieke recently completed an internship as a press officer at the City of Rotterdam and, in October, she participated in the Lazaridis International Case Competition in Waterloo, Canada. In her spare time, she likes to go for a run, hop on her bike, or hang out with friends.
Joyce was born and raised in the Netherlands. She is a fourth-year Honours Business Administration student. Two years ago, she completed an internship with multinational logistics company GEODIS in Sydney, Australia. More recently, she participated in the International Business Plan Competition in South Korea, where she solved a case for Samsung Electronics. Her international experience has equipped her with a broad business perspective. Joyce likes to go for runs, read business books, and spend time with friends. She plans to pursue an international career in consulting.
Carolijn Elion
Carolijn is from Amsterdam, and is currently a fourth-year student in facilities management. After living in New Zealand for a year, she interned at a company in Stockholm, Sweden. Carolijn enjoys meeting new people and going for long nature hikes. She has fond memories of her last case competition in Guadalajara, Mexico., and looks forward to meeting new people from different cultures and nationalities in Heilbronn. In her spare time, she likes to hang out with friends, listen to music, and go out with friends.
Gerard van der Star (Coach)
Gerard enjoys contributing to the success of others using an action learning approach: making mistakes and learning how to learn. He is the co-developer of a range of academic programs, including Silicon Venturing Rotterdam, the Business Pressure Cooker and, more recently, All Stars Rotterdam. As researcher, Gerard is interested in the relationship between ethical leadership and strategic decision-making, and the connection between value frameworks (i.e. keeping promises) and the triple bottom line. He is currently focused on developing cases.
Daan Gijsbertse (Coach, not pictured)
Daan is a principal lecturer in the Industrial Management & Engineering programme at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, where he specializes in strategy and change management. He is also a senior policy advisor in the university’s strategy department. Until recently, he coordinated the university’s International Management & Consultancy minor programme.