Colleague in the spotlight: Maurits Kool

While you can find our entire team on this website, we think those short biographies don’t do them justice. This month’s colleague in the spotlight: Maurits Kool!

What did you do before you joined Aexus?
“A lot! I studied hotel management, first in the Netherlands, then in the US. After my studies, I started as an in-house hospitality recruiter at the Jaarbeurs Utrecht. After three years, I started working as a key account manager for the Woudschoten conference center. I did this for five years, before I returned to the Jaarbeurs, again as a key account manager.”

Why did you decide to switch jobs again?
“Although I liked my job, I was looking for an even more dynamic environment, and for more innovation. I was hoping to work with international partners and had the ambition to further develop my capacities as a team leader. While switching from hospitality to IT may sound like a big step, my position at Aexus does not require me to be too technical: I also need to be able to see opportunities and focus on the problems my partners can solve for prospects. Because of my background in hospitality, I am equipped to put myself in their situation.”

Why did you choose Aexus?
“It is an international, fast growing company in an innovative sector, at the European forefront of technology. What I like about Aexus is that lines of communication are really short, and as a member of the team you get a lot of responsibility and freedom. And chances: within six months, I became a manager.”

What does a typical day at Aexus look like?
“As the manager of our team in Amsterdam, I want to make sure my team is able to perform the best they can. I always start the day by watering the plants and checking in with everyone: just to quickly hear if they are doing okay, or whether there is something I can help them with. I also have a weekly one-on-one meeting with all team members, so most days there are a two or three of those. And, in between strategic calls with my own and other people’s partners, I conduct one or two interviews with new applicants.”

What is the best thing about working at Aexus?
“I find it gratifying to facilitate the growth of the team and the company, and book concrete results for partners. I aim to enable my business development managers, to provide them with all the knowledge available within Aexus, and to coach and train them. I really love watching them succeed: recently, we were able to achieve an all-time company record in meetings planned on one day.”

Do you have any plans for the future?
“I would like to see Aexus Amsterdam become the tech and innovation gateway to Europe. Our office is situated perfectly, a hop skip and a jump away from Schiphol, and we have the right people to make it happen! Besides that, I am constantly working on creating a good working atmosphere. Of course, we focus on getting results, but I also believe work should be fun. I want Aexus to become the coolest employer in Amsterdam.”