Sjors Kalfsterman (25) started as a trainee in the Venturn Young Professional (VYP) program in September 2024. Nine months have now passed and he has completed his first assignment at Inland Terminals Group (ITG). In this blog, we look back on his experiences.
During his Bachelor of Business Administration, Sjors gained experience in the Port of Rotterdam, selling duty-free products aboard ships. His interest in the maritime industry led to a master’s degree in Supply Chain Management, followed by Strategic Management, where he encountered Venturn. The VYP program appealed to him because of the diversity of assignments within the sector.
“What immediately appealed to me was the opportunity to carry out various assignments within the maritime sector through the VYP program.”
Business Analyst at ITG
For the past eight months, Sjors has fulfilled the role of Business Analyst at ITG, the largest inland shipping transporter in Benelux. He collaborated on two key projects: drafting a five-year strategic plan and developing investment plans for a terminal. By collecting and connecting data, he supported the organization in a data-driven strategy.
For these projects, it was important to collect and connect data and data from both inside and outside the organization. In doing so, Sjors leveraged data and the expertise of C-level stakeholders.
“My findings were appreciated and contributed to a cultural shift in which decisions became more substantiated.”
Completion of assignment
A final presentation is given at the end of each VYP assignment. Sjors’ presentation was well received, recognizing his strategic and substantive contributions.
When asked about the results of his assignment, Sjors shares, “An important result is that I set processes in motion that can serve as a basis for future developments. This was achieved by connecting existing knowledge within ITG with internal and external data sources, creating new insights. To achieve this, I put strong emphasis on stakeholder management.”
“Actively involving and engaging relevant stakeholders proved to be crucial; without this collaboration, it would not have been possible to achieve the desired impact.”
Learning path
This assignment was Sjors’ first professional experience in the maritime and logistics industry. During his time at ITG, he learned a lot about the dynamics and complexity of the industry, especially the impact of data on decision-making.
The data-driven approach helped him support his analyses and recommendations with concrete figures, which increased his impact within the organization. The essential step in this is good stakeholder management: building trust and actively engaging decision makers.
In a short time, Sjors has developed significantly at ITG. How did he do that? “The way of working taught me to be less quick to make assumptions and to compare different perspectives more often. This contributed to more nuanced and informed decision-making.” Sjors emphasizes that he has made considerable growth in data visualization. Through the use of Excel and Power BI, he was able to present his findings to stakeholders in an orderly manner.
Future
After his first assignment at ITG, Sjors has a clear picture of his future within the maritime sector. “I started the VYP program with the ambition to develop broadly and get to know different parts of the sector. Over the past eight months I have gained valuable experience in container transport via inland shipping, but I want to discover even more of the sector.”
Sjors is interested in working at other maritime companies, such as a bulk terminal, shipping company or deep-sea container terminal. “I want to get different perspectives and further expand my experience,” he says. In the short term, Sjors is focusing on further developing leadership skills, stakeholder management and data analysis.
“The past few months at ITG have helped me sharpen these skills, but I want to deepen them further to make more of an impact within organizations.”
His goal is to further explore and leverage his strengths and interests within the maritime industry for future challenges.
