Jasper Schakel, IMD’s MBA Class of 2023
Jasper Schakel, IMD’s MBA Class of 2023Age: 30
Hometown: Schoonhoven, Netherlands
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Technical University of Delft. Bachelor Mechanical Engineering, Master Environmental Engineering
Pre-MBA Work Experience (role, company, years): 4+ years, Witteveen+Bos Consulting Engineering, Project Engineering in Water, Energy and Environment, Project Manager for the office in Ghana. Located 1.5 years Netherlands. 2.5 years in Ghana
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I started my career as an engineer, delving deep into how to create technical solutions. However, during my time in Ghana, I was confronted by a multitude of water systems that had been abandoned, from malfunctioning setups to deserted pumps. It dawned on me that the problem wasn’t just about constructing these solutions but ensuring their longevity and self-sufficiency. Too often, these projects were financed on a short-term basis, leaving them high and dry once the funds depleted, with no one to oversee their maintenance.
To me, genuine sustainability is those that can create a revenue stream to maintain themselves. I soon recognized a gap in my expertise. While I knew how to build, I needed the knowledge to ensure these systems were economically viable and self-sustaining. And that’s when I realized the need to merge my engineering background with the principles of business. My duration in Ghana was almost up, so it was the perfect time to start a new chapter.
Why did you choose IMD? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
The most prominent element was the small class size. During my time in Ghana, I worked mostly by myself. I longed, therefore, to have more personal experience. I had warm memories of my master’s in environmental engineering (back in those days, it was still Water Management). It was a small class size with good personal connections. Friendships that last. I guess I wanted to recreate the experience. I preferred the idea that you also had a more personal connection with the professors. I wanted to be in the best environment to learn from other people. IMD seemed to be that place for me.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2023?
I would like to think that it was my saxophone solo during the “Battle of the Bands” during the MBAT in Paris, but if you ask my classmates, they will probably say it is my passion for water and the environment. My greatest achievement is that this passion helped me to win the IMD Venture Award. I hope it can inspire people that if you have passion for a subject, it can drive you to new levels.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I started a beer brand with my fellow students at the TU Delft. It was called Wasted. We brewed beer out of treated wastewater. The purpose of the beer was to start a conversation about water scarcity and the amazing tools we have to find clean water from other sources, like wastewater.
Post-MBA career interests:
I will start the company CIWI with my co-founder Erik Kraaijeveld. We want to produce chemicals for the water sector with a lower carbon footprint. The goal is to ensure that everyone has access to clean water and a clean environment.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
It sounds crazy, but I loved doing the GMAT. I envisioned it not as this dreadful test that you had to take, but as a great learning exercise. It really helped me to sharpen my tools, relearn the math I had forgotten about, and learn to better understand the English language. See it as an exercise to learn new things, not as a barrier.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
During my preparation for the test, I woke up at 4 AM in the morning to study, started my workday at 8 AM, and kept on working to 6 PM. I was trying to do too many things at the same time. I tried to excel at work because I thought it would help with my application process. If I could show all the things that I had achieved, they had to let me in. Be realistic to yourself. It’s okay if you slow down a bit.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
One thing I found difficult was the admission session. You are put together with 20 potential applicants. I found it difficult because you are directly competing with the others in a short time span. It made me real nervous. However, IMD does not choose how well you are solving the assignment. They are looking at how you are treating other people. How well you can work with other people.
What is your initial impression of the IMD students/culture/community?
It is a highly diverse group of people. We have all different backgrounds in profession and nationalities. I loved it. It gives you the impression that you can learn from the whole world.
What is one thing you have learned about IMD that has surprised you?
The high focus on sustainability and how they try to combine it with good business practices. Their vision is that this will be important in the future and therefore we need to be educated in these topics.
What is one thing you were most anxious about in your first year?
You fear the most what you don’t know. I remember mostly being anxious in the beginning of the year because I did know what to expect. Later in the year, this went down because I knew what to expect from the classes and assignments.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
That was winning the IMD Venture Award. Erik and I had been working for six months on creating the business case using the tools they had taught us at IMD. It was great to get that recognition.
