We continue our summer proPRIDE series in which we are spotlighting various members of Protiviti’s internal proPRIDE employee networking group and their diverse perspectives. Next up in the series is our Country Market Leader for the Netherlands, Anneke Wieling!
- What is your background and path to Protiviti? “I started my career in 1991 as a financial auditor in Arthur Andersen, and after 5 years left to become a controller in a processed cheese factory. I became plant manager of that factory, worked at Shell, and then started as a business consultant in Business Performance Improvement and Restructuring for KPMG. We then started Protiviti in the Netherlands, in 2005, with a group of 8 people, and in 2011 I became the Country Market Lead for the Netherlands.”
- What inspired you to support diversity and LGBTQIA+ initiatives? “Ever since I was a child I supported Amnesty International, and I am a strong believer in equal rights to everyone. Living in and around Amsterdam, you meet all types of people, and they all add to the beauty of life in their own way, and that should be the starting point for everything. As a woman, I know how it feels to be the minority in business, and I believe that we should be a company which stimulates all individuals to be who they want to be, as society should. Lately there have been some incidents in our country which were the result of less tolerance towards gay people, and that made me decide to become a sponsor of the initiative within Protiviti.”
- What advice would you give to individuals at Protiviti who may not feel that same confidence in their professional lives? “Be open on your doubts, and ask for advice and coaching. All our managers and directors are willing to help. I think the Protiviti culture is one of support and inclusion, and I really believe in that as a key factor for our success.”
Continue following along and join the conversation using the hashtag #proPRIDE. Stay tuned as we continue spotlighting additional #proPRIDE members and some of the dynamic things this group is doing!
