Genesis of in Minds & Values

After graduating from Rotterdam School of Management with a master’s degree in finance almost 10 years ago, I started my career in investment banking in the City of London selling financial products. I particularly loved matching numbers to good storytelling because, yes, there is storytelling involved when Excel figures need to be turned into a deck and presented to clients. The learning curve was steep, but the most challenging part was probably not mastering Excel tabs and figures; it was making sense of market dynamics and the interplay between key stakeholders. Over time, this realisation pushed me to look beyond the numbers themselves and question what truly drives decisions behind them.

From the outset of my career in banking and asset management, I always believed that emotions and cognition were as valuable as numbers and strategy. What shocked me repeatedly was how often management teams or employees were unaware of their own strengths and those of others, but also of the significance of human factors and cognitive biases (if you are unfamiliar with the concept of biases, think about confirmation bias that quietly reinforces stereotypes, or about risk aversion that keeps people stockpiling cash in non-interest-bearing accounts long past what’s financially sensible or that pushes a trader to favour safe-haven assets). This lack of self-awareness and understanding of colleagues often hinders collaboration, decision-making, and overall performance.

My interest in sustainability and impact finance strengthened this perspective. Creating long-term value is not only about environmental or financial outcomes but also about caring for human capital. People are at the heart of every organisation, and fostering awareness, empathy, and resilience is essential for both ethical and effective leadership. Recognising and supporting human strengths is as important as analysing market trends or investment models.

My postgraduate studies in neuroscience and psychology of mental health with King's College London gave me a framework for exploring these dynamics more deeply. I learned how cognitive mechanisms influence decision-making, how emotions affect risk perception, and how mental processes shape both individual and collective behaviour in our daily lives.

This blog is a space to explore the intersection of finance, neuroscience, leadership and sustainability. Here, I will share reflections, research, and practical insights drawn from my work with leaders and organisations about how understanding the mind can lead to better decisions, stronger leadership along with meaningful impact. I hope to show that finance is not only about numbers but also about the people behind those numbers, the communities they serve, and the choices they make.

Future posts will cover topics such as the psychology of risk, behavioural patterns in financial markets, mental resilience in leadership, and the role of human insight in sustainable decision-making. I also want to create a space for reflection, discussion and curiosity for anyone interested in the human side of strategy, performance and value creation.

I'm inviting you to think about the unseen factors shaping our decisions and consider how a deeper understanding of the mind and of the value of human capital could make our choices wiser and help create more equitable, sustainable outcomes and practices – both in organisations and in society.