Blog – How to become an international expert on sustainability?

CFP employs all kinds of people from different backgrounds; from engineers and architects to software developers and business experts. In this blog, Nanda Verschoor, Account Executive at CFP, talks about her studies, the start of her career and how she has developed into an international expert in the field of sustainability.

How it began

During my studies in Amsterdam, I learned a lot about sustainable energy, both the technical and the business side of the story. It was therefore a logical choice to start my career with making homes more sustainable, using technologies such as solar panels and heat pumps. After several years, I felt the urge to pursue my learning curve and I decided to look for a follow-up study. During my bachelor at VU University in Amsterdam, I took a number of courses at the TU in Delft, where my interest in sustainable buildings was further stimulated. The subject of my follow-up study was clear; I wanted to learn more about the built environment and the role of sustainability.

“The subject of my follow-up study was clear; I wanted to learn more about the built environment and the role of sustainability.“

– Nanda Verschoor, Account Executive at CFP

Back to school

Ever since I was a child, I have been interested in travel, faraway countries and the English language. It was therefore no surprise that my shortlist consisted mainly of foreign universities, although the Dutch possibilities are certainly highly rated too. Despite the stricter admission requirements abroad, I decided to take the chance. In January 2018 the good news arrived, I was accepted at University College London (UCL) for the MSc Built Environment: Environmental Design and Engineering.

An adventure overseas

After months of preparation and the necessary (familiar?) relocation frustrations, the boat left for London in the summer of 2018 with me and all my belongings. In the months that followed, I learned a lot about the UK property market and the legislation surrounding sustainable buildings. The UK regulations are largely comparable with those in the Netherlands. However, what the UK excels at is the ambitious target they have set themselves: a statutory obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 compared with 1990. From a constructional point of view there are also differences. In the UK there are still many old Victorian buildings with poor insulation and without a cavity wall. The insulation of such properties involves additional challenges.
After my master’s, I couldn’t wait to do my part in making the built environment more sustainable. Although I had a great time in London, I also started to feel homesick for the Netherlands. That’s why I decided to put my knowledge into practice in the Netherlands.

And then?

Once I had returned to the Netherlands, it was time to look for a new job. It soon became clear to me that I would fit best in a versatile company with a progressive mission and ambition and a position with development opportunities, responsibilities and flexibility. When I encountered CFP Green Buildings, it was immediately clear: the position of Account Executive was tailor-made for me. The combination of online and offline advice gives me the opportunity to deal with the technical details of a sustainable building. At the same time, the scalability of the online approach enables me to have a major impact on the climate targets. In addition, I can apply both my analytical and acquisition skills to the position and CFP operates throughout the Netherlands and abroad. An ‘open hiring’ application procedure worked out well for me and at the end of 2019 I started as an Account Executive at CFP.

Back to London

In the meantime, a potential UK customer had approached CFP. The question of whether I wanted to serve the UK market was soon answered. I could immediately use my knowledge of the UK market and this was a fantastic challenge. The fact that I know London like the back of my hand and have a social and professional network there was a nice extra. More than six months have now passed and Lloyds Banking Group is our first official customer in the UK. And I hope there will be many more UK customers in the future.

Written by Nanda Verschoor, Account Executive at CFP.