Venus: DeLaMar Theatre

This first session of the Business Seminar focuses on the economics and strategies of independent media. Independent media are a fundamental condition for our democracy and the industry is facing serious political, economic and technological challenges globally. An extreme case is the Moscow Times that had to leave Russia for its safety and find a new business model to continue its broadcasting from a new home base in Amsterdam.

The first speaker, Jennifer Duin, is the business development manager. She will share the vision and strategy on developing the new business model the audience. Russia, and the Russian language, has been Jennifer’s passion for years, ever since her first encounters with it during her time in high-level figure skating. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in Dutch language and communication, she decided to take her passion for Russian further by enrolling in a bachelor’s program for Slavic Studies. Following the Russian invasion in Ukraine she launched a lecture series together with the University of Amsterdam called “Ukraine and Russia: The Imagination of a Region,” which saw experts on the region speak about their view of the war. From there, she was recruited to work as the personal assistant to media magnate Derk Sauer, the founder of several independent Russian media enterprises. Together, they established a media hub for Russian journalists in exile containing The Moscow Times, Meduza and TV Rain in The Netherlands, allowing them to continue their independent reporting after the Kremlin approved jail terms of up to 15 years for telling the truth about the war. She now works alongside the biggest exiled Russian independent media outlets as a Business Development Manager.

The seminar continues with an introduction from Mario Bersem, sector economist at ABN-AMRO Bank. He will share insights in the global economic and technological trends in the media market. 

Mario Bersem is an economist at ABN AMRO. Within the Expertise department, he focuses on the Business Services, Technology, Media & Telecom sectors. He does research on trends, developments, innovations and regulations, and translates these into opportunities and forecasts for the sector. Previously, Mario worked at the University of Amsterdam, Copenhagen Business School and Erasmus University Rotterdam. There he conducted research and teached Financial Markets and Corporate Finance. Mario graduated from the Tinbergen Institute and received his PhD in 2012 with a dissertation on capital market frictions. He also worked for three more years at a hedge fund where he gained experience as a trader, risk manager and chief economist.

This session will finish with a presentation by Philippe Remarque, Director Journalism of DPG Media, on the strategies of this leading media company in these turbulent times. Remarque: 'I studied Russian studies at the University of Amsterdam and became a Moscow correspondent at the age of 25. Upon returning five years later I joined De Volkskrant, the largest quality daily in the Netherlands. I worked at the foreign desk before I was sent to Berlin as a Germany correspondent, which I capped with a book about Berlin and the ghosts of the past. After that I was a political reporter in The Hague and went on to become the US correspondent, winning the Dutch journalism award for my reporting on the first Obama election. From there I was chosen to lead the newsroom of De Volkskrant as editor-in chief. After nine years I moved to the board of directors of the parent company. As a director of Journalism, I’m involved in editorial innovation and provide coaching and advice to the newsrooms of our 14 newspapers'.  

Venue: Royal Carré Theatre

In this second session of the business seminar, we will focus on how business can improve their societal impact, how businesses can collaborate with NGO’s and we will also get more insight in the strategic perspective of the NGO. We have invited Ernst Suur, the managing director of War Child, and Niki Schilling, Chief Impact Officer at Rituals.

Having visited Uganda as a teenager during an exchange programme, Ernst became fascinated with the strength and resilience of street children, inspiring him to pursue studies into the effects of sport and recreation on young people’s experiences with trauma. His research drew the attention of the international NGO War Child, resulting in a professional (and personal) journey of purpose, passion and trying to make an impact. For many year Ernst worked for War Child in war zones and refugee camps in countries like Sudan, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan, meeting children whose lives had been drastically impacted by conflict and giving them an opportunity to learn, play and discover their full potential, seemingly against all odds. Now Ernst continues those efforts as the Managing Director of War Child in the Netherlands leading an organisation that is focusing strongly on the psychological and emotional wellbeing of children affected by war.

As head of Rituals’ Impact department, Niki brings with her a uniquely multidisciplined background that combines product development, business acumen, and sustainability expertise with spirituality, wellbeing and meditation. She has always had a true passion for touching people’s hearts with intention and preserving the planet that grounds us. With leading Rituals’ mission to positively impact people and planet, she envisions the brand as a catalyst for transformative change and inspiring a deeper connection between humanity and the environment. She believes that by tapping into the conscience of industry peers, communities, and customers, we can transcend the realms of beauty into the collective consciousness of a mindful, interconnected world.

Venus: DeLaMar Theatre

In the third and last seminar of this semester we have invited 2 entrepreneurs that have successfully built digital businesses, competing with traditional, incumbent firms. Ali Niknam is the founder and CEO of Bunq, now the second-largest neobank in Europe. Customer centricity and a digital-only experience are cornerstones of Bunq’s strategy. The digital experience is also key in the positioning of FX Agency, founded by 2 alumni of our business school. Niels Janssen will share his entrepreneurial experiences in building this event company, and his vision on how to combine digital experiences with physical elements.

Ali Niknam (1981), born in Canada with Iranian descent, is recognized as a significant innovator in the financial sector, contributing to greater diversity in banking. Ali founded his first company at the age of 16. In his early twenties, he launched TransIP, now the third-largest domain name and web hosting provider globally. In 2012, he set out to revolutionize the banking industry by founding bunq.

Born in 1984, Niels Janssen grew up in a large family in Breda. He spent part of his youth in Washington, D.C., which broadened his view of the world. Niels Janssen studied Media Technology at the Hogeschool Utrecht and completed his Master's in Business Studies at the University of Amsterdam. Immediately after graduating in 2009, Niels Janssen and fellow student Peter ZijlstraLinks to an external site. decided to found the company FX AgencyLinks to an external site. together. This Digital Experience Agency grew into a successful business with a team of 40 people where Niels fulfils the role of Creative Director.