Francesca Messina
Rabobank

“Young leaders have something to say! And the program of UN Global Compact allowed us young professionals to contribute in a concrete way on the SDGs in only one year, which has proven challenging but most rewarding. To be part of a group of like-minded individuals who came together and made a real impact supported my growth as a leader with strong values. I would do it all over again! ”

Yorick Schut
Philips

“Being part of the Young Professionals Program was a great experience and something I would do again in a heartbeat. This is the decade of action and being able to contribute to the Sustainability Development Goals was inspiring. Despite the challenges of COVID our group was able to deliver an exciting event to inspire other Young Professionals to take action. Next to that, being part of a very driven group helped me to grow personally and professionally. I would recommend the Young Professional Program to everyone.“

Koen Kiers
Remeha / BDR Thermea

“As part of the first team after the COVID-19 crisis, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with 10 enthusiastic professionals from different sectors during the Young Professional Program. This group of talented individuals were different on many levels but came together on one important subject; Wanting to leave this world better than we have found it.
The program gave me great insight in the SDG targets not only at my own employer, but also at other employers and Europe in general. Although sometimes a bumpy ride, the program has taught me how to work together as a team better and what needs to be done to reach a desired goal. My personal highlight? Presenting the final report of our YPP journey on stage at Rabobank Headquarters with a fully booked room.”

Silvia Pastore
NIBC

“Being part of the Young Professionals Program has been an inspiring, challenging and at the same time highly rewarding journey. I look back at a successful year during which I learned a lot about the SDGs and the UN agenda for 2030, while meeting many professionals with different backgrounds and personalities but with a unique common passion for making the world a better place to live. I am proud of the impact we achieved thanks to our project on food waste, and even more proud to acknowledge that this journey will continue as we will become stronger ambassadors for a more sustainable future within our personal and professional lives and network.”

Eleni Arsenopoulou
Heineken

“I have been honored to be part of the Young Professional Program of UN Global Compact Netherlands. This program has helped me grow both personally and professionally, as I joined a team of inspiring professionals from different companies and backgrounds with one common goal: to make a difference in the world for a more sustainable future. Starting as 10 ambitious individuals to evolving into a team where everyone is appreciated for who they truly are as well as where their voice and contribution matter has been at the core of this program, making it a valuable experience to be part of, in the journey to becoming a transformational leader who leads change!”

Sofie Teles
ING

“The Young Professionals Program made me really deep dive into the Sustainable Development Goals. I’ve learnt so much about the SDGs and about myself, while as well expanding my sustainability network. I feel so driven and motivated to seek the achievement of the SDGs, as a result of being part of the Program. I wouldn’t know what I was missing if I wouldn’t have joined the YPP. I feel hopeful that in this decade of action, all the young professionals participating on the YPP are going to feel as inspired as I am to make it happen!”

Richard Bloemheuvel
Heineken

“The journey we started together as a team within the YPP of Global Compact Network Netherlands was a bumpy and exciting ride. It was an enjoyable experience to work with other young professionals from various Dutch companies and from a large variety of working disciplines. This made the internal discussions much more interesting and fruitful. I was amazed with the end result in which hundreds of youngsters around the globe, from South-America to Asia and from Africa to Europe, spent time together in an online event to inspire and to get inspired on the subject of the SDGs. If you have the opportunity, I would highly advice to participate in any future programs starting.”

Evy Eijsermans
PostNL

“During my YPP-journey I have closely worked together with a diverse group of young professionals from different organizations. The team existed of young talented people with a wide range of professional backgrounds, coming from a variety of cultures and companies. Although we differed, we all had the same passion and ambition: to make the world a little better and to positively contribute to the SDGs. If you share the same ambition and passion it is rather easy to create a bond, to get in touch with each other and to work as a team on a common goal. Not only did I learn about the SDGs and sustainable development, but I also learned a lot of team dynamics and of my fellow team members. I trust that we inspired many young professionals with our SDG Ambition event and that this hopefully will result in dedicated action to make the world a little better!”

Matthijs Pluimers
PostNL

“The program gives you an excellent opportunity to learn about the SDGs and work together in a self steering team of like-minded people without any vertical hierarchy. As a group, we managed to organize an inspiring digital event called SDG Ambition For Young Professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our aim was to help and inspire young professionals to draw up their personal SDG Ambition. We wanted to enable young professionals like us to learn more about the SDGs, understand how they can contribute best to the goal of their choice and translate their ambition into daily work and projects, involving their colleagues and management. Over 700 young professionals subscribed for the event. I would like to thank GCNL and our team coach for this valuable experience and will bring lessons learned back to my company as my own SDG ambition.”

Felicitas van Alphen
Shell

“Joining the Young Professionals Program of UN Global Compact Netherlands was such a valuable experience. I thoroughly enjoyed taking a deep dive into and taking action on the SDGs, and being inspired by young professionals from other organizations. I would recommend the program to anyone interested in learning more about the SDGs, playing a role in furthering these goals, and developing collaborative and personal leadership skills. Truly a great opportunity!”

Joost Stenfert
HKV Consultants

“The young professional program was a first and very inspiring introduction to the SDGs for me. The program gives you the opportunity to learn about SDGs, to collaborate with and learn from very enthusiastic peers and to work on great initiatives that contribute to the sustainable development goals. A great way to act! To inspire yourself, your teammates and the people around you. I would like to thank Global Compact Network Netherlands for this wonderful opportunity.”

Borja Arino
Unilever

“Just as the best way to learn the nuances of real leadership is to get out of your comfort zone and learn to collaborate with professionals from other companies, where you exert no vertical authority, real sustainability is about harnessing people’s ambition and drive towards a win-win situation for business and the environment we operate in, human and environmental. These two values are uniquely connected by one thing: your capacity to understand and inspire the people around you to do good for themselves and the world. If you aspire to become a transformational leader and make a positive impact, the YPP will take you one step further in that direction“

Lotte Jongstra
SNS Bank

“During the Young Professionals Program I closely collaborated with a group of “colleagues” with the same mindset and ambition but with other backgrounds. It was really valuable and fun to work with professionals from various companies and cultures. I have learned a lot from my team members and the team process. And of course it was amazing to see a few hundred of young professionals attending our online event in which we made the SDGs more accessible for them.”

Tijn Willems
EY

“In 2017 I joined the first Young Professional Program of Global Compact Netherlands. Together with a group of 20 other enthusiastic young professionals from different (multi)national organizations we were asked to create more awareness around the SDGs. It was a very nice experience in which I was able to work closely together with like-minded professionals from other organizations on a sustainability topic close to my heart. It was an insightful project in which I was able to expand my network and share and gain knowledge on the SDGs.”

Nanne van der Leer
Heineken

“The Young Professional Program of Global Compact Network brought me broad knowledge about the UN Global Sustainable Development Goals, a network of special people and a very nice experience at the Global Waste Diner that we organized in cooperation with HEINEKEN. With inspiring speakers like Ron Simpson of the Avocado Show and Maurits Groen van Kipster and a dinner made of food waste served on signs of Amsterdam rejected trees.”

Nigel Drenthe
Philips

“For me, the Young Professionals Program has opened an endless international network of fellow professionals with a heart for sustainability. Many of them have become good friends. On this stage I have been able to represent the Dutch business community and my own company, in order to share our unique experience in this field with others. This is exactly what I hope to see in the upcoming Young Leaders Network that we have created, and what now finds fertile ground within the UN Global Compact in 11 countries!”

Remona van der Zon
KLM

“I’d recommend all young professionals to be part of this valuable movement to accelerate achievement of the SDGs. Participating in the YPP was an inspiring, educational, challenging and fun experience, and moreover, it was amazing to see our group evolving into a close team of ambitious people striving towards the same ideals of a sustainable society!“

Zakir Karim
Unilever

“The YPP is a unique opportunity to work (and learn!) with people from different backgrounds & industries, that share the same passion to work for a more sustainable & fair planet. I look forward seeing the Global YPP take shape and contributing for the SDGs. It was a refreshing external perspective that helped me grow as a professional and as a person.”

Naomi Tronco
NN Group

“YYP is a great programme for creating action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with other young professionals. As we working for different companies, we can discuss subjects concerning the SDGs from several perspectives.  It’s inspiring to see everyone grow and feel more and more excited about the actual results we achieved during the programme.”

Mart Beune
KPMG

“During the Global Compact program, I worked with young professionals from other inspiring companies on the SDGs of the United Nations. SDG 12 Responsible Consumption & Production had our focus, by organizing a Food Waste dinner and in collaboration with BrightVibes to create online content to increase awareness!”

Yixiao Qiao
Philips

“Big dreams start small. Great action often starts with young and ambitious people. For the sake of a better life and a better world, for our own generation and for the prosperity of future generations, we have to take action now. We, the young professionals, no matter where we are from and no matter who we are, can never stop being the advocates for diversity, respect, equality, and sustainability. We are the SDG activists who believe that empowerment of the community, rather than charity, is the key to sustainability. The YPP empowers young leaders who encourage their peers, engage and motivate them to grow, and become a source of inspiration!”

Arian Hohmann
Tiny Giants

“As a young professional and creative mind in my company, my team and I always felt our potentials as daring but highly trained minds are not reached when it comes to having an actual positive impact on our world. But now having been fortunate enough to have worked and succeeded in the YPP of the GCNL I realized what I was missing were like-minded individuals who I now can call friends and with whom I became part of something bigger than my personal impact! I actively learned about how I can use my creativity and channel my company’s potential for sustainable and social purposes. With this knowledge, I returned to my UNGC member company Tiny Giants to work for ideas that will bring change!”