Crisis Management alumni: Insights and career tips
Six alumni of the Crisis and Security Management – Governance of Crisis master’s programme shared their experiences and career advice with students on 15 October, during a panel discussion.
They shared their experiences while offering advice to current students. The panel included Max Geerlings (Deloitte), Annemieke Teuben (Shell), Gritte van Schooten (Ministry of Justice and Security), Tara K. Juarros Lukic (World Bank), Max Mutsaers (IND), and Laura Uyterlinde (Red Cross). During the session, they discussed which skills truly matter, the daily realities of crisis-related roles, and offered practical career advice to current students.
The appeal of applied, client-facing work
A dominant theme was the value of hands-on, client-facing experience. Alumni argued that simulations, client meetings, and real-world exercises give students a clear advantage when transitioning to professional roles. They also noted that the relatively short word count for papers and frequent deadlines reflect the fast-paced nature of client work, where concise advice is often required.
Max Geerlings (Deloitte) recommended increasing opportunities for client conversations and presentations within the curriculum so that students can practise the exact interactions they will be expected to lead.
Which skills matter most
Panelists agreed that a handful of transferable skills consistently recur in crisis-related roles. Conciseness and the ability to advise succinctly were emphasised by Gritte and others, while Tara highlighted problem-solving as the programme’s core asset. Max Geerlings stressed client interaction and presentation skills, and Annemieke underscored the importance of negotiation, coaching, and people management.
They also suggested adding more ungraded presentation practice, diverse role-play assignments, and modules that link policy writing directly to real-world advisory work.
A day in the life
Although daily routines differ by job, all alumni agreed that their work involves intense brainstorming, structured deliverables, stakeholder mapping, policy reading, and active networking to identify and address problems.
Laura described her on-call information coordination duties (every eight weeks) and hands-on operational work during activations. At Shell, Annemieke explained, the focus lies on reducing unnecessary meetings and maintaining strict deadline discipline.
Crisis moments that teach
Examples from the panel ranged from Red Cross humanitarian responses and IND’s high-impact decisions to Shell’s COVID-era supply chain and geopolitical challenges. In each case, alumni emphasised preparation, rapid coordination, clear communication, and continuous learning from operational experience.
Key takeaways for students: focus your coursework on your desired roles, practise client conversations and concise advising, volunteer for operational experience, and build resilient networks.
Career entry, resilience, and networking
Alumni were candid: luck plays a role, but deliberate networking—at events, on LinkedIn, or even while travelling—creates opportunities. They encouraged students to apply widely, treat rejections as learning experiences, and shape academic assignments into a defendable professional portfolio. Volunteering, particularly in operational roles, was recommended as an effective pathway into NGO and crisis work.
Key takeaways for students: focus your coursework on your desired roles, practise client conversations and concise advising, volunteer for operational experience, and build resilient networks. The alumni agreed that these steps matter far more than perfect credentials.
MSc Crisis and Security Management - Governance of Crisis
Governance of Crisis is one of six specialisations within the Crisis and Security Management master’s programme. This specialisation focuses on the strategic management of crises, such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and system failures. Students learn to identify political, organisational, and societal interests, make decisions under pressure, and analyse risk and resilience from multiple perspectives.