An interview with Sander Markiet, Senior Career Development Manager

A mini-blog series, by Daniel Cade

When we met, Sander appeared to be cool, calm, and, evidently, very collected. It came as no surprise to me when he told me that one of his non-negotiables is 8-9 hours of quality sleep.

“Without sleep,” he explained, “we just don’t have the energy to process the day.”

“And, erm, do you drink coffee?” I asked, not really wanting to know the answer…

“Yes, I do.”

“Cool!”

“I drink it strategically, though, not habitually…”

The most important thing to know about Sander, as I quickly came to realise, is not his appearance, how much he sleeps, how he takes his coffee, or even his three recommendations on daily habits – connect with loved ones, do something you enjoy, create something (you’re welcome) – it’s that, for him, it’s not about Sander, it’s about the contribution that he can make.

So how does having a Sander Markiet on the team impact the new full-time MBA programme? To start with, mountains and lakes (and more) will provide the backdrop to the personal and career development courses that Sander will be coordinating. Sander intends to move students from being specialists to becoming managers; from looking solely at their own performance to considering that as part of an entire team. He’ll take a “strengths-based” approach, opting to sharpen existing skills over attempting to mitigate deficiencies. Under Sander’s watch, everyone gets to flourish by becoming the best version of themselves.

On the expected outcome for students, Sander explained, “this part of the programme is focussed on providing students with skills and capabilities to climb the career ladder faster and to enjoy the ride while they’re doing it.”

At the end of our chat, I asked if there was anything else he wanted to say. “I’m excited and the students should be too!” he said.

I can tell you, Sander, the excitement is catching!