Meet Business Consultant Emiro.
In the spring 2023, we were pleased to welcome Emiro Goossen as our newest Business Consultant at Grexx.
With a background in econometrics, Emiro was keen to expand his expertise beyond numbers and models and dive into the world of business and also “something with software”. He succeeded! We are delighted to introduce him to you.
Impressive background.
Looking at Emiro's resume and there's no getting around it: this man is well-travelled. He spent his first year of life in the Netherlands, then lived in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia, and Florida. Emiro studied Business Administration and Statistics at the University of Florida, where he was a top athlete on the Varsity Swim Team. After completing his bachelor's degree, he came back to the Netherlands, where he pursued a master's degree in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics at Tilburg.
After completing his master's, Emiro held several positions as a Business Analyst at companies such as Euronext and ING. His current role as Business Consultant is quite a leap from his previous role as Business Analyst. As Emiro says: "Actually, it was already unusual for me to become a Business Analyst after econometrics. My fellow students opted for a job as a data scientist, or a PHD. I didn't want to go into the research side. I wanted to work and be involved with business. I enjoyed it for a few years, but then found it monotonous, the same datasets, with admittedly new data, but ultimately I felt I was still playing the same tune.
I wanted more. I wanted to help companies use that data and analytics better and really improve the business myself instead of just dealing with data. What I do now at Grexx is great fun. I have a lot of customer contact; I build applications and functionalities myself and I spar with colleagues and customers about the processes involved. It's cool to work with a team on one product and deliver great work."
Doing new things every day.
"It is important for me to keep doing new things. That's the reason I deliberately looked for an SME: I was looking for the freedom and flexibility to take on different tasks and do something different every day. I did find that mix now, where I continue to learn.
That's something we talked about extensively right away when we met. I don't come from or have formal training in IT. But I've always been interested in technology. In my first conversation with Maarten, there was an immediate click, and he could paint a positive picture of my first six months in this role. We set aside 4-6 months for me to get to know the platform thoroughly. I have been working here for about four months now and have learned so much.
It is also an advantage to enter IT with a fresh perspective. I can empathize with customers who are not yet familiar with our platform and I have plenty of ideas on how to approach conversations with potential clients. I really enjoy thinking about that, too."
Colleague Matthijs agrees: "Emiro has a great entrepreneurial spirit. For example, he has ensured that we have new business cards with an NFC chip that automatically links to our personal page on the website with all our contact details. It’s very cool."
Team Feeling.
"What I like about working at Grexx is the team. When I was looking for a new job, I came across a lot of jobs where they’d say, 'we are a family' and where there is a lot of emphasis on get-togethers, parties, and outings. This was a red flag, as far as I was concerned. At Grexx, that wasn't the case at all. I don't think anything was even said about the team. When I first came to the office, it felt right.
And that first feeling turned out to be true: I am surrounded by a lot of nice people who work well together and make beautiful things. There is a lot of energy and shared goals within the team and that works nicely - there is never any fuss. I found that really impressive in the beginning, how easy and relaxed it is to work with a nice team."
Private Life.
Emiro (28) has been living in Amsterdam with his fiancée for two years. In his free time, he likes to be active with friends and enjoys sports and sometimes a casual video game. He recently picked up swimming again and enjoys playing a game of soccer, touch rugby, or frisbee.
We also notice this competitive spirit in the office. Emiro has considerably upgraded his table tennis skills in recent months: "Well, there are a lot of games here, so of course I join in. We play during breaks and sometimes in between when you need to clear your head. The first month I sucked. But I'm a fanatic and I practiced a lot. By now I can even win now and then!"