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The Marina van Damme Grant, a grant of 9000 euros for female alumni of technical universities in the Netherlands, offered Koot the opportunity to follow the supervisory board training at Erasmus University. "Winning the grant was much more than just financial support for me," says Koot. "It gave me extra credibility to overcome gender and age biases, and it served as an extra motivation to further shape my career."

Her interest in the supervisory position at a housing corporation already arose during her graduation in 2011 as an engineer at ¹û¶³´«Ã½. In her thesis, she investigated how a Supervisory Board can effectively supervise risks in investments. "With twelve years of work experience in the real estate sector, I have built up valuable knowledge and experience. Now I feel that the right time has come to take this step, not only to use my expertise, but also to further broaden my career."

Passion

As the daughter of an architect, Koot initially had the ambition to design buildings himself. But already in her first year at ¹û¶³´«Ã½, her interest in construction processes, urban planning and real estate development grew. "Although I enjoyed designing, I soon noticed that my strength lay more in the bigger picture: the process from concept to realization, in which I could integrate societal and social aspects. That's where my passion lies: contributing to sustainable and future-proof urban development."

Koot is currently using her passion as a project developer at Boelens de Gruyter in the Merwedekanaalzone, a unique sustainable and car-free Utrecht city district. A large-scale development project with 6,000 new homes in various forms of housing, combined with a wide range of amenities. A future-proof city district with ambitious goals in the field of mobility, energy, climate adaptation and affordable housing.

Campus

As a project developer, as a supervisory director or in another role, she will continue to work for a future-proof city or neighborhood. "In my new role as a supervisory director, I not only want to share my expertise and use it more broadly, but also offer a fresh perspective. I want to contribute to the realization of sufficient affordable housing and the creation of future-proof and sustainable neighborhoods," she explains.

She recently visited ¹û¶³´«Ã½ again for a new project in Eindhoven and saw a completely different campus than when she graduated in 2011. "It's nice to see this development, all those new and renovated buildings, the lots of greenery, the student housing and also the large number of students." For her, it feels extra special to work on a project in Eindhoven, her study city. "It is great to contribute as a professional to the development of a city where I have learned and experienced so much as a student. Eindhoven has enormous dynamism, innovative power and growth ambitions. It is inspiring to contribute to this in my role as a project developer."

A fresh perspective

A Supervisory Board is traditionally characterized by experienced professionals, often with a long track record. Nevertheless, there is a growing recognition that diversity in age, background and perspectives is of great value. As a relatively young 37-year-old Supervisory Director, Koot brings a fresh perspective and practical experience from real estate development.

"During the application procedures, I competed with candidates with more work and supervisory experience. It was nice to see that there is more and more room for new perspectives and a broader composition of Supervisory Boards. I believe that my background, my practical experience and my vision of sustainable urban development can be valuable in this role."

Inspiration

She also sees her age as a strength. "My generation is strongly focused on cooperation and self-reflection. Within a Supervisory Board, it is crucial to ask open-minded questions and to reflect together on strategies and decision-making. I hope to bring in that fresh perspective and analytical skills – which I helped develop at ¹û¶³´«Ã½."

She sees the network she has built up through the Marina van Damme Grant as a valuable source of inspiration and support. "Female role models and sparring partners within the network help each other move forward," she experiences. "It's motivating to see how much impact we can make."