Mick Beekhuizen studied Industrial Engineering and Management at the UT. The programme’s comprehensiveness appealed to him. Since his graduation in 1999, his career has been just as versatile: he has worked at an investment bank and a training institute and now works at Chobani, the US’s largest manufacturer of Greek yoghurt.
BY Hans van Eerden
Mick Beekhuizen grew up near Rotterdam and chose the University of Twente because of its campus and the Industrial Engineering and Management programme. “The campus, which is located outside the city proper, and its many sports facilities appealed to me. I loved my time as a student. I organised a ton of different activities, such as a convention for my study association and the first UT brush-up camp for high school students. I also worked as a student recruiter for a while.” With its selection of technical and business administration courses, the programme was quite comprehensive. “It prepared me for the wide range of technical, IT and financial issues I face in my work.”
Beekhuizen conducted his final thesis project at ABN AMRO in Frankfurt, Germany. He enjoyed the banking sector and accepted a job at the investment bank of Goldman Sachs, also in Frankfurt, in 2000. “They were the first to present their offer and they had a very international team.” In 2004, he moved to New York to spend six months at Goldman Sachs’ merchant bank. Those six months turned into 8.5 years, during which time he advanced to the position of managing director with a focus on investments with private assets. “I did not plan to stay there for so long, but I loved the work, the interaction with businesses and the investments in a wide range of organisations.” In 2013, the UT alumnus decided to explore other opportunities. He became the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the Education Management Corporation in Pittsburgh. “That was a challenging position, where I did more than just deal with the finances.”
Cool brand
Still, the Big Apple had not lost its appeal. In the spring of 2016, he got a new job as CFO at Chobani’s head office in Manhattan. “I wanted to acquire new experiences and work at a young, growth-oriented company.” Chobani, founded by the Turkish Kurd Hamdi Ulukaya, produces Greek yoghurt and other food and snack products. The company grew into a billion-dollar organisation over the course of a decade. “In this sector of industry, Chobani is one of the few fast-growing companies.” Beekhuizen calls it a “cool brand” with major market appeal. “We produce delicious yoghurt with exclusively natural ingredients.” Another cool factor is that the company takes its corporate social responsibility very seriously. One third of its 3,000 employees – Beekhuizen included – are immigrants. The company also focuses on sustainability and provides support to external start-ups with its own incubator programme.
Behind the numbers
“I love being part of this organisation. We produce affordable, high-quality food products.” Of course, working in a young, fast-growing company like this is challenging for a CFO. “I have to develop a strong financial team that is constantly connected to the rest of the organisation. As CFO, I want to have a voice in the boardroom and I tackle strategic and technical aspects such as the IT integration.” With that mindset, Beekhuizen regularly visits the company’s own production sites. “With my background in mechanical engineering, I love doing that. As I walk around a factory, I quickly understand how the process works. When I talk to people in finances, I get the story behind the numbers.” That takes him back to his time at the UT. “That comprehensive programme still helps me to anticipate the most diverse situations every day.”
This article appeared in the UT Alumni Magazine Summer 2018 Edition.
