During her studies, 24-year-old Pomme Weijerman held several side jobs, as well as a number of different internships. “You only know what you really like and what you’re good at after you’ve actually experienced it. I view my International Finance Traineeship at Ahold Delhaize in much the same way – it’s a valuable experience. It’s the ultimate opportunity to broaden my finance skills and knowledge, and it’s a chance for me to map out my career path.”
Pomme’s father is a pediatrician and her mother, a physiotherapist. So when she announced she was going to study law, there were a few frowns all round. “I was learning legalese by heart and missed working with numbers – I needed a broader perspective. So after four months, I switched to business administration. It was a very wise choice. The three years that followed were a blast: I enjoyed every single subject, particularly the finance related topics. After obtaining my bachelor’s in Business Administration, I went on to pursue my master’s degree in Financial Management.”
With graduation in sight, it was time for Pomme to pay attention to what was next. Although she’d been getting some work experience as a financial accountant at a legal service provider, she also wished to further her education and training. “I had looked into Albert Heijn’s Retail Management Traineeship, and it certainly appealed to me. In that program, a year is spent working at one of Albert Heijn’s supermarkets. Although I think it’s extremely valuable to get to know a company from the ground up, for a finance professional, it’s somewhat less relevant. Nevertheless, I kept close tabs on Ahold Delhaize’s website for any new opportunities. Seriously, I think I read about the International Finance Traineeship on the very first day it hit the website! When I learned that this program replaced the supermarket year with a year abroad, I knew I’d found my next calling.” 
‘When I learned that this program replaced the supermarket year with a year abroad, I knew I’d found my next calling.’
Nearest and dearest
To say that Pomme is nothing but excited about the upcoming year abroad would not be entirely true. “I’ve never worked or studied abroad – and not without reason. I tend to get homesick; I prefer being close to family and friends. Prior to moving to Amsterdam, where I live with three dear friends, I stayed in Utrecht with 14 girls. I’m dreading the feeling of being alone or, even worse, lonely. The idea of being away for a year and missing my support circle can be a little disheartening. Nevertheless, I’ve put the United States on top of my go-to list: I decided that to get the most out of the experience, I need to go all in!. Now, I’m actually looking forward to being thrown in at the deep end. As long as I get regular visits by friends and family, I’ll be fine.”
Actually, she’s sure she’ll be more than just ‘fine’. “These past six months have been incredibly interesting. I work at the Finance department, which falls under European Business Services. I’m a member of three different teams, each of which has different responsibilities, tasks and challenges. One of those teams is overseeing the integration of 40 stores that belong to a supermarket chain which Albert Heijn, part of Ahold Delhaize, recently acquired. The second creates dashboards in Power BI for various departments, and the third is the Real Estate & Construction team. The work I do for them is mainly in a supportive capacity. I love the broad diversity that these different teams offer me. I get a 360-degree view of the business that enables me to see the bigger picture.”
‘I love the broad diversity that these different teams offer me. I get a 360-degree view of the business that enables me to see the bigger picture.’
Trial and error
Pomme is looking forward to the steep learning curve ahead. “One of the most valuable lessons so far has been that making mistakes is important. It’s effectively the only way to learn. Only when I discover that I’ve slipped up somewhere can I avoid something similar happening a second time. In the beginning, because I wanted to work as quickly as possible, I neglected to examine a document twice before sending it on. I ended up forwarding a file with incorrect numbers. If I’d taken the time to be more thorough, that wouldn’t have happened. Today, I send nothing on without at least a double or triple check. Accepting that making mistakes is not only okay, but also necessary, has been a real eye-opener. And that doesn’t just hold for beginners; it holds for people who’ve worked here a decade, too.”
‘One of the most valuable lessons so far has been that making mistakes is important. It’s effectively the only way to learn.’
Pomme Weijerman (1997)
Studied: MA Financial Management, Free University of Amsterdam (2021)
Living with: Three friends in Amsterdam
Best book ever read: Becoming by Michelle Obama
Favorite series on Netflix or TV: Mocro Maffia, Klem, Undercover, Penoza: I love Dutch crime series
Most inspiring person: My mother
Can be woken up in the middle of the night for: puppies or a holiday
Three items to take to a desert island: My friends, music and food
Life-changing event: Sharing a space in Utrecht with 14 friends, with one living room, one kitchen and two bathrooms. That did wonders for my social skills!
Biggest accomplishment in life so far: Graduating with my bachelor’s and my master’s degrees, and getting selected for this program. And realizing that I can achieve any goal I set my mind to, as long as I work hard for it
