“The sense of community is what makes me most proud of APG”

Who are the people who consciously choose to work in the pension sector? What do they do all day for your pension? And what do they enjoy about their work? In the series “The person behind your pension” for apg.nl, we take readers behind the scenes. Farah Huisman (26) is a communications consultant at APG. “We have 600 colleagues worldwide, with 35 nationalities, and my role is to connect them.”

What kind of work do you do at APG?

“I work as a communications consultant for the Chief Operating Officer (COO) department within APG Asset Management, a dynamic environment with around 600 colleagues worldwide, with 35 nationalities. My role is to connect and inform our diverse teams about everything we do, from collaborations to successful projects, data, digitalization and IT.

I started at APG in 2021, during the pandemic. My goal was to reconnect the people working in Operations. What started as a temporary project has grown into an exciting role within COO in which I help communicate about our new strategy and restructuring and make it comprehensible. I write about successes and learning moments and I bring colleagues together through personal stories and business updates on our intranet.

In addition to my writing work, I organize events with colleagues such as roadshows, Q&A sessions and more informal gatherings to give people the opportunity to ask questions about particular topics. Our semi-annual magazine is a highlight, where we not only share business achievements, but also show the human side of our teams. This summer, for example, I linked digital innovations to colleagues' favorite vacation destinations, to present the information in a fun and accessible way.”

Wat do you like best about your work?
“Wat appeals to me is the variety and challenge involved. I work with a wide range of people, and although I don’t know all 600 colleagues personally, I have contact with many of them. I actively seek out news, and people are increasingly approaching me themselves to share their stories or when they need advice on communications. This versatility keeps my work exciting and I enjoy the challenge of finding the right balance between business relevance and personal connection.”

Do you enjoy every day?
“There are days that are less exciting, of course. I get less satisfaction from my workday when my schedule is full of appointments and consultations. My concentration disappears quickly when I am constantly in meetings, which does not help my productivity. I thrive best when I can get straight to the point and get to work. Constant deliberation, listening to different opinions and endless discussion takes up a lot of my energy.”

What is your biggest challenge right now?
“Building a stronger connection with our foreign offices and the other departments within AM. The physical distance and time differences make this particularly difficult. When New York is starting its work day, Hong Kong is just going to sleep. This hinders effective communication and collaboration. Cultural differences also play a role: whereas we like to exchange personal information, colleagues in foreign offices often have less need for this.”

What do you appreciate about APG and what could be better?
“What I love about APG is the sense of community. I have wonderful colleagues that I have become very close to, both in Heerlen and in Amsterdam. That makes work even more fun, and I always enjoy going to the office. After work, we sometimes meet up to play a game of padel or go out for dinner in town. This is where all the B&B vol liefde (TV show) news is then exuberantly discussed.”

On the other hand, I notice that sometimes there is a lot of complaining, which kind of bothers me. I feel that in some ways we are quite spoiled. I wish we would emphasize the positive things more. APG is a great employer, we all have good working conditions and opportunities for advancement, among other things. And yes, you may not love those new coffee mugs right now, but hey, there are worse things.”

What do you do in your everyday life?
“I live with my boyfriend and our two cats, who are generous enough to let us live in their house. They demand quite a bit of attention, but we don’t mind that at all. I also love eating out, meeting up with friends or just sitting in a sidewalk café. Traveling is a big passion of mine, as is my creative hobby: designing suncatchers. Suncatchers are like dream catchers, but made with gemstones and crystals. When the sun shines through those crystals, the most beautiful rainbow colors and patterns are created on the wall. I have always been interested in interior decoration and the spiritual power of gemstones, and suncatchers combine the two perfectly. I design them myself, draw them out completely, and have them manufactured. Then I sell them to various stores throughout the Netherlands.

I work at APG four days a week and have Fridays off to concentrate on the suncatchers. On that day, for example, I design new models, prepare the stock and website and look for new points of sale. This combination of my work at APG and designing the suncatchers is ideal for me, and I’m glad APG gives me that flexibility. This way I can give my creativity free rein and continue to challenge myself, which is extremely important to me.”

Do you see that entrepreneurial, creative part of yourself in your work at APG too?
“Yes, actually I do. At APG, I get a lot of freedom to develop new initiatives and take on projects independently. A good example of this is the Asset Walk, an initiative I helped set up. This involves pairing people from different teams to go for a walk together during their lunch break, so that they can connect in an informal way. Projects like this give me the space to express my love of connecting and innovating. Hopefully I’ll be able to continue to do that for a long time to come!”