Evert Veldhuizen is back at Avanade – and in the Financial Services domain – after two years working for another employer. He thrives in a corporate environment in which he can collaborate with people and further develop his skills.

In “Homecoming” we tell the stories of Avanade “boomerangs”: employees who left the company for other opportunities before returning. Career paths are long and winding, and personal and professional aspirations vary from person to person. It’s natural for people to want to branch out, but wherever you go and whatever you do, there is always a home for you at Avanade.

Realizing results in the digital world

Before he joined Avanade, Evert was an executive in financial services at Microsoft. Until 2015, he was responsible for selling knowledge-intensive services, projects, and service management agreements and driving the consumption of software. Working with partners and actively developing relationships is still one of his passions.

After almost three years working at Microsoft, Evert encountered Avanade. “I applied for the position of Business Developer and got the job,” he says. “Due to my broad portfolio and experience with Microsoft solutions, I could successfully leverage the Microsoft platform to redesign customer and employee experiences. Working in the financial services domain at Avanade I also represented the Accenture portfolio. Which provides solutions for banks, insurers and capital markets firms to achieve high performance.”

Taking on challenges headfirst

After two and half years, Evert left Avanade when he landed a position at Sigmax as a Business Unit Manager Public Transport. “I had the opportunity to lead and further develop one of the five units in the company focused on public transport software.”

Two years passed and Evert started missing the corporate environment he was used to at Avanade. “I love to make a difference in unexpected ways, and I was ready for another challenge. Avanade was just a phone call away and I made a call to check for vacancies. In November 2019 I was welcomed back at Avanade,” says Evert. “The first thing on the list was to partake in the onboarding. I am still close to the colleagues I met during this time. All I needed was a laptop and I was back on track – plug and play. I began working in business development again.”

“If I learned one thing in my career it's that I am a team player.”

Coaching others along the way

In the last two years of his career, Evert went from Business Development Executive to Industry Lead in Financial Services. “Although I am an Industry Lead now, I still am very involved in Business Development,” he says. “I work closely with my team and the clients in my portfolio. I initiate business meetings where I can share my strategic thinking skills. Adding value to clients is always the end goal. I have learned that I am a team player. I like creating together and striving towards success as a team. In a way, I am also a coach for my team. I challenge them to also think from a client’s perspective. Working at Avanade I have the freedom to do the things that inspire me.”

Also interested in a career at Avanade? See our open roles here