"I am a good listener and I like to bring interests together." These words perhaps best sum up Suzanne Caspers herself. She recently joined The Economic Board in the role of programme director. She works on the Human Capital Accord and Energy Talent Plan projects, among others. Caspers is a professional who has enjoyed working in business for many years and is now consciously committed to making an impact in the region where she grew up.
From Animals to the region and back again
Suzanne is married and mother of two sons aged 12 and 6. Most of her life takes place in the same region where she is now making an impact professionally. She was born and grew up in Dieren and after wanderings via Arnhem and Nijmegen, she now lives there again. "It's just a nice area. And I think we can be quite proud of that."
This connection with the region is not a coincidence, but a common thread. It is also exactly why she chose a role at The Economic Board. "I enjoy making an impact in the region where I live myself. You really see here that you can get things done on this scale, which makes it tangible."
Communication as a foundation
Suzanne studied at Radboud University in Nijmegen. Her course in communication and information sciences, with a focus on business communication, was at the intersection of language, organisation and human behaviour.
"It was not only about communication, but also about internal processes, culture and a bit of business administration. That has always appealed to me."
Remarkably, her interest early on was towards the HR and organisational side. An interest that comes back increasingly strongly later in her career: connecting people, organisations and interests.
Learning to switch gears in a hectic world
After her studies, Suzanne found herself in a challenging job market in the midst of the economic crisis around 2008. A job as a communications specialist proved difficult, but at a temporary employment agency she rolled into the world of recruitment. She still calls that period incredibly instructive. "You learn to prioritise, you learn to deal with pressure and emotions."
It also turned out to be the beginning of a long-term career in the temping and secondment world.
From recruiter to strategic liaison
What started on the candidate side soon shifted towards the commercial and strategic side of the profession. Suzanne discovered that her strength lay mainly in customer relations and the bigger picture.
At YoungCapital, she started as a national account manager for banks and insurers.
"That's where everything came together: working with customers, with recruiters, thinking about talent inflow. And above all: looking at how to create solutions together."
She sat at the table at strategic level and advised clients on labour market developments and recruitment issues.
"You were constantly working on: what do we see happening, how do you respond to that? The corporate culture at YoungCapital was very entrepreneurial, just trying things out."
The common thread: connecting
When she has to sum up her career, one word keeps coming up: connecting.
"I always feel most comfortable in a role where you bring different interests together. Looking at who needs to work with whom and how you organise that."
That quality fits seamlessly with her current role as a director within The Economic Board.
"A director keeps an overview, brings parties together and makes things happen, in cooperation with the programme manager."
Working on Energy Talent Plan and Human Capital Agreement
At The Economic Board, Suzanne is working on, amongst other things, the Energy Talent Plan, which examines how the region can attract, connect and retain sufficient talent for the energy transition.
“There’s already a great deal happening in this region: from student tours to events and programmes for education and career changers. The trick is to bring more coherence to all this and present it as a single, compelling narrative.”
That means taking stock, connecting and structuring. Work which, in her view, fits perfectly with a coordinating role. “You look at: who is doing what, where are the overlaps or opportunities, and how can we strengthen each other?”
Ecosystem as a puzzle
Moving from business to a public-private network like The Economic Board took some getting used to. "It's a complex ecosystem. You have to deal with education, government and business, all with their own angle and pace." But it is precisely this complexity that appeals to her.
"I do like complexity. And I think my background in business helps to bring a different perspective."
Doer with a feeling for results
Suzanne describes herself as someone who likes to move forward.
"I am result-oriented, though. I don't like endless deliberation, at some point you just have to do something." Sometimes that means picking up the gauntlet herself.
"Sometimes I think: I'll just finish it. That has advantages and disadvantages, but it's in me."
At the same time, she stresses that listening is just as important.
"You first have to understand what is going on with different parties. Only then can you connect."
Besides substantive work, Suzanne also gets a lot of pleasure from her networking role. For example, she will soon be on a bus full of students to tell them about Lifeport and the region.
"That's what I like: conveying a story, getting people excited," she says.
