6 February 2023
2023 has got to a fantastic start here at Sparkoptimus, and not least because 9 new Sparkies are joining our Amsterdam office across several departments! A very warm welcome to all of you – we’re excited to have you on board!
If you’re also looking to join the change leaders of the future, check out our current international vacancies here.
Pieter Vriens
After finishing his Bachelor’s in Econometrics, Pieter earned his Master’s in Quantitative Finance in Rotterdam last June. In his spare time, Pieter enjoys cycling, tennis, and beers with friends – and of course, traveling! On his most recent adventure, he trekked through Peru and Ecuador.
Benedikt Lahninger
Benedikt recently completed his Master’s degree studies in Corporate Finance at the University of St. Gallen, with a focus on Finance and Digital Innovation. He grew up in Austria but lived in the Netherlands while he studied for his Bachelor’s degree in Economics & Business Economics at the University of Amsterdam, where he rowed competitively at ASR Nereus. During his studies, Benedikt also worked at Amberscript and Degiro as a Business Developer.
Kelly van Keijzerswaard
A graduate from Schoevers, Kelly previously worked as an assistant for DHL, Microsoft and most recently CBRE for over 20 years. Living in Nieuw-Vennep, she enjoys cooking and baking, drinks and dinners with friends or going to the gym. During the winter months you often find Kelly at the slopes in Hinterglemm.
Sarah Acton
Originally from South Africa, Sarah has a degree in Business Science from University of Cape Town, and a Master’s in International Development focused on Applied Development Economics at the London School of Economics. She has plenty of experience in management consulting from previous roles in Delta Partners, Merrill Lynch and the SweepSouth startup. In her free time Sarah enjoys cycling, reading The Economist and good food and wine.
Martine Uijland
Martine lives in Amsterdam, but started her studies in Groningen where she completed a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, following a Master’s degree in Business Information Management in Rotterdam. In her free time, Martine like sports such as cycling, skating and snowboarding, enjoys to catching up with friends over drinks and dinners, and traveling.
Kars-Jan Giesen
Originally from Rotterdam, Kars-Jan recently completed a MSc in Data Science and Marketing Analytics, and a LLM in International Business Law. In his spare time, Kars-Jan enjoys trying out recipes he finds on Instagram, running, playing squash and going to gym classes, and exploring his new home city Amsterdam.
Niki Boelens
Niki holds a BSc and MSc in Econometrics from the Erasmus University. In her spare time she likes to spend time with friends and family, work out, watch the newest series and try new cocktails. She also likes to exploring new cities and wakeboard during summer.
Kamiel Dankers
Kamiel graduated with a Physics Master’s with a focus on the quantum internet about a year ago, and worked with organizations like ASML and the European Commission, before now joining SparkOptimus. He is really passionate about football (he’s held a season ticket at Willem II since he was 5 years old) chess, painting and writing.
Amanda van der Meij de Bie
Having studied management economics and law, Amanda has worked in Finance since 2011. The last four years she worked as a Finance & HR Manager at Reesink Turfcare Retail, and has also worked for companies like i4talent, Bloominess and Armada Music. Her free time sonsist mostly of looking after and riding horses, as she and her sister own a horse stable.
