Ever so often we ask someone to write about their experiences with Netherlands Business Academy (NLBA) and City Campus Dordrecht. This could be a staff member, student, professor or partner of NLBA. We ask them about their background, the link to our university and whatever they want to tell us! This time we asked Bert Leppers MSc / MPM to tell us something about himself.
Let us introduce you to: Bert Leppers
As an alumnus of Netherlands Business Academy, I have experienced that the strength of our professional university lies in the personal approach.
As an alumnus of Netherlands Business Academy, I have experienced that the strength of our professional university lies in the personal approach. In creating an involved and familiar environment. An environment in which students can grow to a higher level. The fact that I am now part of the NLBA-team is a logical consequence of that.
My name is Bert Leppers and I coach students during consultation meetings and in the graduation phase of their studies. After 25 years of working for the Royal Military Police, I switched to the National Police. There I lead teams of highly committed detectives and experts who want to make the difference for our society.
I also want to make such a difference within Netherlands Business Academy. From my passion for the exchange of knowledge I want to contribute to our future generation. Coaching professional master students is a way to make that happen. I am very proud of all the students I have successfully coached.
Sometimes people are confused that the orderly project leader one encounters during the day is the loose percussionist in the evenings or weekends.
I also have a passion for endurance sports, especially running, mountain biking and swimming. That swimming preferably in the Caribbean Sea. Because of my work I moved eleven times, twice I was allowed to work and live in the Caribbean for a number of years.
It will not surprise you that for this reason I also love Salsa dancing and am a member of two Brazilian samba bands. Sometimes people are confused that the orderly project leader one encounters during the day is the loose percussionist in the evenings or weekends. Partly because of my own studies at our professional university, I understand myself and others better and better. How unique we all are and together mostly even better!
When, in addition to my work with the police, I successfully mentored first a law student and then a law student, I discovered my dormant passion for exchange of knowledge. Therefore I contacted our rector Jan van Zwieten and shared this passion with him. The result is that for the second year I’m coaching students of our professional university in the creation of their papers, portfolio, and/or thesis.
Great moments for me are the Aha! Moments of our students.
Great moments for me are the Aha! Moments of our students. The moments when they understand a concept or theory and can apply it to their own work situation or paper. Sometimes the road to such a moment is difficult. It is precisely at these moments that I want to provide optimal support and coaching. It’s awesome when it together with the student succeeds.
One student compared this process to the movie Karate Kid, in which a young man was required by his coach to perform all useless actions. For example, painting (vertical movement) and polishing (rotational movement). The Aha! moment came afterwards here as well. Another student recently compared this process to the tentacles of the Octopus. According to this student the separate parts of our modules lead to a beautiful ensemble at the end of our mini-MBA.
At the mini-MBA at City Campus Dordrecht, students meet me during the consultation meetings. The passion I have for the exchange of knowledge Is a good match with the committed NLBA-team. I am grateful for that and I like to keep using that passion for new students. Students who will be the future backbone of our society. That is what it is all about as far as I am concerned, the student who has the future!