Carsten’s Corner

Welcome everyone! 

 

Ten years ago we began connecting as many of us as we could find and searching for others. There is still more searching to do as we have not found everyone. In 2005, we had our second official reunion.

The first was 1986 in Lake Tahoe. Then Scottsdale and then Vegas and then Holland.

Our next reunion is being planned now for Palm Springs in 2015. 

This website is the beginning of a central place for us to meet – a virtual center between reunions and for those who can’t make it to a reunion. I invite you to bring your stories and your photos alive here – of course we are being somewhat cautious about the nature of some of the stories and photos that should remain out of the public domain… And I would like to send a big thank you to Karim since this website is his vision – a vision that he has initiated and one that all of us can make our own.   

here are stage reflections from our Nyenrode alumni group

 

Tom’s Inspiring Mentor

You all may remember that Bert Twaalfhoven gave a speech to us at Nyenrode about entrepreneurs.

I wrote him a letter that night, and was hired to be his first employee at for North Atlantic Associates in Amsterdam and Boston, a part of the Indivers group.

Bert had started more than 50 companies and needed strategy consulting, so working with HBS summer associates we built NAA with 15 consultants in six months. I loved riding my bike through the Rijksmuseum every morning on my way to the Herengracht. At the same time, we also started the European Forum for Entrepreneurship Research, now involving 200 B-schools in 46 countries.

I loved riding my bike through the Rijksmuseum every morning.

His daughter worked for me and his son Felix helped me slip in the back door of the McKinsey Amsterdam office to use the database to improve our client research efforts.

We all became lifelong friends. A year later we were sharing an apartment with his college roommate in Boston, working in their Boston office. The roommate, Jamey Rosenfield and I founded Cambridge Energy Research Associates together. Felix’s daughter Emilie is now our god daughter.

I have done things off and on with Bert for 33 years, organizing events, attending conferences, recommending people for projects, or just skiing and sailing.

At 85 he still rides his bike to the swimming hall in Hilversum every morning. As a mentor he has taught me the importance of setting big goals, working hard then taking time for yourself.

Marisa & Marisa

 

I had a dream stage with Mexican Marisa.

It was based out of the Amsterdam office of Addison-Wesley Publishers.

We were tasked with interviewing upper management about their training needs so Addison-Wesley could prepare appropriate education materials.

Every day we had an appointment at one or two companies in The Netherlands or Belgium.

We were Thelma and Louise before Thelma and Louise.

Essentially, we were two Marisas tooling around the country in her sporty roadster with behind-the-scenes tours of a wide-range of corporations and enormous networking opps.

We were Thelma and Louise before Thelma and Louise – with a more professional slant and a much happier ending!

…

Karim’s African Stage

I did my stage with the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi

My stage supervisor was anthropologist Dr. Richard Leakey and we worked on wildlife conservation educational programs to prevent the poaching of rhino horn and elephant tusks. I am in touch with Richard Leakey to this day. Recently, he helped me conceive and found the African Peace Journal.

…

Karen’s Analog Stage 

My stage was with General Electric Information Services in Rotterdam.

I wrote a report entitled “Qualitative Analysis of the Dutch Shipping Industry”.

It was really my introduction to when companies wait too long with modern technology!

Having reread it, I basically told them they were too late to develop a computer program for the Shipping Industry. Wish I could add more, but it was really my introduction to when companies wait too long with modern technology!  I do remember my boss was quite nice and out with the sniffles every other day!

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Carsten’s Life Changing Stage

My stage was life changing.

I became life-long friends with my two managers at the BBC.

They married and over the years we have visited many times on their USA trips and my UK trips.

Their son and my girls are close in age and have played together on these visits.

The BBC experience launched my career in radio which was my day job until I got my investment business off the ground.

The BBC experience launched my career in radio back in the states which was my day job until I got my investment business off the ground. The greatest full-circle event happened a couple years ago when their son lived with my family and did his stage with me! We are all quite close and just skyped the other day.

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Jack’s Path to Wall Street

My stage story is pretty straight forward.

I rode my bike, those old black heavy things, to work every day.

I lived in Amsterdam near the Oosterpark sharing a flat with Mike Haney. We played a lot of frisbee in those days and the park was our home away from home. I worked for JP Morgan or rather Bank Morgan Labouchere N.V., their joint venture in Holland. I rode my bike, those old black incredibly heavy things we bought in a police auction, to work every day and worked on a marketing study. The job was fun and the people incredibly supportive and friendly. After returning to the US, JP Morgan got in touch asking me to come in for an interview and, long story short, they hired me to work on Wall Street. I started in October 1982 after graduation and traveling around Europe for a couple of months and worked there for 10 years.   I guess the Stage started me on my way….

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Ty’s British Immersion

 I worked in London for Kitcat & Aitken, a market maker or “jobber” on the London Stock Exchange.  

There I was witness to long liquid lunches; no one seemed to do any ‘work’ but they spent as much time as possible with their clients and a drink in between them…

I received further insights into the British way when my host family’s eldest son advised me: “No one will remember what you did on your internship, they will remember if you had fun.”  And so I did… dinner parties were the norm back then, and my conversational skills were under assault as “The American.”  

I was witness to long liquid lunches… no one seemed to do any ‘work’ … but they spent time with their clients and a drink.

I did make lifelong friends there and my biggest take away was learning to relax, build relationships

… and have fun! 

…

Lisa’s British Immersion

Mine was working for Wells Fargo Bank in London.  

They had me work on a commodities exchange project, so I remember visiting a number of foreign embassies in London trying to getting data about a variety of countries… way before the age of just getting on the internet!  

In true British fashion, they seemed concerned that I learn about starting lunch at a pub and not being too productive!

But, of course, in true British fashion, they seemed most concerned that I learn about starting lunch at a pub and not being too productive later in the day!  

I’m still in banking…

Went to San Francisco after college to work for Bank of America and then had an opportunity to work with my Dad at a community bank he and other local investors started. A few mergers later I now work for a bank headquartered in Tacoma (home of our alma mater, University of Puget Sound).

In true full circle…

We leave tomorrow for a trip to Ireland and then a stop in London where we will leave our son.

So, my kids are in two places where I have terrific memories… some of which was truly inspired by my time at Nijenrode.

He is going to spend 6 weeks in London for a Finance program put on by one of his professors at University of Colorado at Boulder. He’s fully capable of making the trip alone, but we are always looking for an excuse to get back to Europe. Our daughter just moved to San Francisco and she is going to join us for part of the trip. So, my kids are in two places where I have terrific memories… some of which was truly inspired by my time at Nijenrode.

 

Tesa’s British – and Russian – Immersion

My stage also found me in London, although I worked for Bank of America.

I was in the Europe, Middle East and Africa group and was assigned to study the European investment climate for technology companies.

With B of A in the heart of the financial district, it was great fun spending the lunch hour in wine bars.

I remember the city was abuzz with preparations for the Royal Wedding taking place that summer.

With Bank of America in the heart of the London financial district, it was fun spending the lunch hour in wine bars.

Back to the faint memories, I do recall getting together with Lisa and others – might there have been a concert or two? One wonderful weekend was spent with Carsten showing me around his BBC digs and hiking in the country side. Carsten took me to my first first “natural foods” restaurant.

A highlight of my time in London was getting to know one of my “flat” neighbors  – a soviet physicist named, of course, Vladimir.

He was spending the spring in London attending an international hologram conference. Various countries were presenting their uses for holography. Vladimir used the technology in the Soviet space program.

He had a grade school daughter who would write letters in English that I would correct for her.

Vladimir returned to Leningrad so by the time we went to the Soviet Union on the amazing adventure, he was able to host Cindy-Red, Johnny Strong and I in a day-long tour of the countryside.

Stuart’s Two Mini-Stages

I had the distinction of two ‘mini stages.’

I was supposed to go to northern England textile region to observe and report on sourcing and production procedures for Brittania Sportswear, a Seattle blue jean manufacturer.

That project was delayed.

Funny thing though, expats in England from Seattle tended to be a close knit group and turns out that Seattle First National bank did all the financing for Brittania (yes that’s how they spelled it) and SeaFirst had a four week training program that I could slip into the day it started.

This was perfect.

A great 3^rd floor walkup — let’s call it the shoe box — next to Paddington Station — for 49 pounds a week was just the thing.

Several of us were in London and it gave me a chance to spend time in the City before hitting the rails to nowhere. I arrived in London without a clue and dragging a years’ worth of  clothing, etc. around like a street person. A great 3^rd floor walkup — let’s call it the shoe box — next to Paddington Station —  for 49 pounds a week was just the thing.

All I can say is that banking is fun when it doesn’t count.

They had me on the LIBOR desk for a week. Learned the linguistics just in time to move over to accounting desk. Yikes! I hadn’t had accounting and was exposed. So much for finishing the training program. Back to LIBOR desk for remaining 3 weeks. Bankers hours were 8:30-12:00. I don’t remember anybody doing anything of value after the 2 ½ hour lunches (lushes?), particularly me.

I do remember so many great times in London:

I don’t remember much about the banking, but I do remember so many great times in London: Carsten, Lisa, Tesa, Ty … going to see Gordon Lightfoot at the Albert Hall …

Carsten, Lisa, Tesa, Ty, going to see Gordon Lightfoot at the Albert Hall, Cristopher Cross (remember him?), several plays in the West End, Trader Vics (Stone?), group dinners.

It went too fast.