Portfolio
Community development and voluntary work in a township in South-Africa
Can a hotel's balance sheet tell you if it will survive the next crisis?
The Challenge:Many children at Ingubo, an after-school daycare supporting vulnerable children and young people up to the age of 18, had limited access to digital education due to the absence of a reliable internet connection.
My Approach:Volunteered for three months within the local community, supporting daily educational activities while leading fundraising initiatives together with the 3 other team members.
The Outcome:Raised over €4,000, enabling Ingubo to install Wi-Fi and provide children with access to computer education and digital learning opportunities that continue to benefit future generations.
Tags: Community Impact · Education · Fundraising · South Africa
Voluntary work for the Ouderenfonds in the Netherlands
The Challenge: As society becomes increasingly digital, many older adults struggle to keep up, making everyday tasks and staying connected with family more challenging.
My Approach: I wanted to give back to my own community by volunteering for the Nationaal Ouderenfonds. I facilitate digital workshops that help older adults gain confidence using smartphones, tablets and everyday digital applications. Beyond teaching, I hope to contribute to the organisation’s ambition to expand these workshops to more locations across the Netherlands.
The Outcome: Every workshop creates more than digital skills, it also creates independence and connection. Seeing participants send their first message, make a video call or navigate the digital world on their own reminds me how meaningful small acts of support can be.
Tags: Community Impact · Digital Inclusion · Education · Volunteering
Hotel Industry Financial & Operational Resilience Research
Can a hotel's balance sheet tell you if it will survive the next crisis?
The Challenge: ABN AMRO's Corporate Banking teams needed a sharper, sector-specific view of which hospitality operators can absorb financial and operational shocks - from occupancy swings to cost inflation.
My Approach: Combined financial statement analysis with hospitality-specific operational knowledge (occupancy, RevPAR, cost structures) to build a resilience framework tailored to hotels, rather than applying generic corporate credit metrics.
The Outcome: Feeds directly into sector expertise used across ABN AMRO's Corporate Banking teams, including Financing Solutions, when assessing hospitality clients.
Tags: Financial Analysis · Sector Research · Corporate Banking
Rethinking Hotel Performance Measurement Under CSRD: The Case for RevPAM
The hotel industry's most-used performance metric says nothing about sustainability. This research proposes one that does.
The Challenge: RevPAR has been hospitality's gold-standard metric for decades, just as EU sustainability reporting (CSRD) becomes mandatory — with no shared way to measure the two together.
My Approach: Analysed how CSRD requirements intersect with revenue-management practice and proposed RevPAM, a sustainability-adjusted alternative.
The Outcome: Accepted for publication in the Journal of Pricing and Revenue Management, an international peer-reviewed journal.
Tags: Sustainability · Finance · Academic Publication
EHL Rosewood Business Strategy Case Competition
What would it take to bring Rosewood to Amsterdam?
The Challenge: a major global event where EHL Hospitality Business School and Rosewood Hotel Group partnered to challenge participants to develop innovative, app-free digital/IT solutions to enhance ultra-luxury guest experiences and improve operating margins.
My Approach: Analysed global hospitality trends and local market conditions, translating brand strategy into a concrete operational and financial concept.
The Outcome: Delivered a full business case to faculty at École hôtelière de Lausanne.
Tags: Business Strategy · Market Analysis · Luxury Hospitality
EMCup: Reimagining the Hotel Star-Rating System
The star-rating system hasn't fundamentally changed in decades - we asked what should replace it.
The Challenge: Selected to be a representative of the largest International hospitality competition with more than 50 participating universities european wide. Represent NHL Stenden in the European Mise en Place Cup with a genuine alternative to the traditional star-rating system.
My Approach: Worked with four peers to identify the system's shortcomings and develop a new, more transparent concept, formalised in an academic white paper.
The Outcome: Presented and pitched live to a panel of European hospitality schools.
Tags: Innovation · Research & Writing · Public Speaking
Growing Together: Circular Economy Solutions for Tourism
Sustainable tourism can't just mean fewer flights - it has to work economically too.
The Challenge: Design a circular-economy solution for tourism in a South African context, balancing sustainability, socio-economic impact and realistic policy implementation.
My Approach: Worked in an international student team to translate circular-economy theory into a locally grounded, tourism-specific solution.
The Outcome: Presented a policy-aware concept as part of an international challenge in South Africa.
Tags: Sustainability · Policy · International Collaboration
Profielwerkstuk: Does Music Influence What We Buy?
My first research project asked a simple question with a surprisingly complex answer.
The Challenge: Investigate whether background music measurably affects revenue in retail environments.
My Approach: Designed and ran an independent research plan, including data collection and public presentation of findings.
The Outcome: Nominated for Profielwerkstuk of the Year 2019; graded 8.7/10.
Tags: Independent Research · Data Analysis