Introduction:

I am a young, ambitious professional who likes to work hard in order to follow my dreams. After I finished my Bachelor’s degree (BSc) in Finance at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) in Amsterdam, I went to Rotterdam to further develop my specialization in financial economics. In addition to my academic career, I have worked as a manager at my parent’s restaurant in the centre of Amsterdam. Work experience at the restaurant provided me with the opportunity to develop useful skills for working in complex and stressful situations. Furthermore, I have given advice to KPMG in the role of integrity specialist in a project base integrity case. This is an example of my ability to combine my analytical, creative and cultural skills. Outside of work my hobbies are running, cycling, reading and travelling.

I graduated from my Master’s degree (MSc) in Financial Economics from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam. My Master’s thesis is entitled: “Women in the Boardroom”. I chose this topic because I felt it was important to examine a topic that is relevant for society, companies, researchers and employees. The issue of diversity in general, and gender diversity in particular, is not limited to one discipline. Both people with an economic and non-economic backgrounds have a valid opinion and may make insights into this subject. This comprehensive Master’s thesis examined the relationship between female board members and firm financial performance. This study is unique. It covers a research period of 12 years and combines quantitative and qualitative methods. The American Standard & Poors (S&P) 1500 companies’ index was examined from 1996 to 2008. As well as conducting quantitative research, I had one-on-one interviews with several significant Dutch male and female board members. The people who were interviewed are:  

 

  • Ms Els Swaab – former board member of the Dutch Central Bank (DNB)
  • Ms Carla Smits-Nusteling – Chief Financial Officer of KPN NV
  • Ms Yvonne van Oort – CEO Dutch National Lottery
  • Ms Els Ottenhof – CEO Cobra Museum
  • Mr Theo Bruijninckx – CEO Ballast Nedam NV
  • Mr Andre van Heemstra – Former board member Unilever NV

All interviewees responded very enthusiastically after the valuable face-to-face interviews. The summaries of all interviews are enclosed in my thesis.

 

Diversity Professor Martha Maznevski from IMD Business School in Lausanne Switzerland:

“The study is great; the quality of her work is excellent. I enjoyed learning more deeply about the economics methodologies on this topic, and I look forward to seeing the final thesis. And I do hope she'll continue your work, she has a lot to contribute in the field!” 

subjects: diversiteit, gender diversity, corporate governance, women, financial value, vrouwen in de top, expert, financieel.

Thesis Cover

Contact

Please email me at info@jessicaliem.com