These accountants embrace an external perspective and thus build a movement with impact
In conversation with Wendy Groot, Hakan Koçak, and Arif Dursun
Three enthusiastic accountants found each other in their search for a programme that turned out not to exist. So, in 2022, they founded nest accountants academy. Through this academy, talented accountants acquire knowledge of important societal developments outside their bubble. The aim is to avoid becoming a perfect dinosaur and, instead, to become an accountant of the future.
Author: Aafke Jochems
Arif Dursun, Hakan Koçak and Wendy Groot met during the COVID-19 pandemic on the digital platform Clubhouse. They discovered that they shared a passion for their profession and that they were all missing the same thing: an outside perspective. Together they explored various programmes, but it led to nothing.
Why they founded that programme themselves
‘Set up the programme yourself,’ said VU professors who were keen to support them. This is how Arif, Hakan and Wendy became the founders of nest accountants academy. Their starting point was the belief that more accountants with vision are needed – accountants who speak out publicly and are socially engaged. Accountants who recognise social developments and needs and respond proactively in their professional role.
What is really going on?
'We started in accountancy at a young age, and that shapes you,' says Wendy. 'Accountancy is inward-focused and that determines the lens through which we view the world. I have been in the profession for almost twenty years now and have seen the focus shift to audit quality. We’re very good at that. But what’s really going on, and what’s truly important in society, we have less insight into.’ All three of us wondered, ‘How can we develop further by bringing the outside world in? And are there others in our profession looking for this? When we discovered that there were, we made it happen.’
'We started in accountancy at a young age, and that shapes you.'
Knowledge from science and business
The eight-day course is spread over a year, with entrepreneurship, personal development and public leadership as its core pillars. Hakan: 'We bring the outside world in with the latest insights from science, such as the best that VU Amsterdam has to offer in the fields of humanistics, business administration, economics and other disciplines. Plus up-to-date knowledge from the business world.' Wendy: 'Preferably no accountants, as we primarily aim to showcase different perspectives.'
Scientist, strategist, connector
The founders each studied at the VU in different years. Wendy is currently an accountant at PwC, a role she combines with PhD research at VU Amsterdam. Hakan previously worked as Senior Manager Digital Trust at PwC and, together with Arif and Wendy, hosts the podcast BusySeasonTalks for accountants. Arif worked at KPMG and was a lecturer at the VU before he and Hakan became entrepreneurs with PathBreakers. They complement each other nicely within the nest: Wendy is the scientific conscience, Hakan the strategist and Arif the connector.
'All three of us wondered, ‘How can we develop further by bringing the outside world in? And are there others in our profession looking for this? When we discovered that there were, we made it happen.'
Impact of the swamp
When the nest accountants academy started, Arif, Hakan and Wendy also took part in the programme themselves that first year. It resulted in some eye-openers. Hakan: 'For months, participants were still talking about the lecture on the ecosystem. How we need to be more aware of what is happening around us because everything is connected. Using a swamp as a metaphor, the professor showed that everything you do affects your surroundings. This swamp had an impact; the participants started to think differently.'
The session on macroeconomics stayed with Arif: 'For example, how water quality and water scarcity are becoming major global issues. As an accountant, I was never involved with that.' Wendy mentions the preservation of values: 'It was about willingness to sacrifice. How to stay true to your own norms and values, even if it could cost you everything.'
Perfect, but completely irrelevant
One of the most influential CFOs in the Netherlands and VU professor, Roger Dassen, sparked a reaction from the participants with his statement that accountants were only 5% relevant to him. Arif: 'He used to be an accountant himself! Why only 5 percent? Because, according to him, accountants only deal with files. He would like to have discussions with accountants about things like geopolitics, because that affects his multinational.' Wendy adds: 'He used the term perfect dinosaurs for accountants. Perfect, but completely irrelevant.'
Reasoning from adding value
The participants at the nest accountants academy are curious and talented individuals from organisations such as the Big Four and SME accounting firms, the Dutch Tax Authority, the Court of Audit, DataSnipper, ADR and AFM. In addition to gaining an external perspective, participants also learn about entrepreneurship and personal development. Hakan: 'Some participants took steps after the programme that they likely wouldn't have taken otherwise, enabling them to align more closely with their authentic selves.' Wendy: 'Participants shared that they have started to reason with a focus of adding value.'
'We are planting 150 seeds. If ten large trees grow from that, bearing a lot of fruit, then our mission will have been accomplished.'
Movement with a big impact
The founders of Nest envision a movement of future leaders in accountancy. In addition to the programme, they organise peer review and follow-up days for Nest alumni. They also ask alumni to co-organise a day and share experiences with current participants, for which there’s also a great deal of enthusiasm.
Each year, the founders renew at least 20 percent of the programme. Arif: 'We want to stay ahead, experiment. We come up with something new and apply it. We draw inspiration from our networks and speakers from our podcast BusySeasonTalks. We also respond to current events. CSRD and IT (change) are a hot topic at the moment, so we’re focusing on those and searching for the best speakers in the field. We’ve promised each other that there will be 150 Nest alumni in five years' time.' Hakan: 'We are steadily building a movement with great impact. We are planting 150 seeds. If ten large trees grow from that, bearing a lot of fruit, then our mission will have been accomplished.'
SHARE THIS PAGE
