Two consultants on EY's Supply Chain and Operations practice

Big Four firm EY is one of the globe’s leading firms for supply chain and operations consultancy. Erik Koningen and Femke van der Putten both work in the Dutch practice – they spoke to Consultancy.eu about how their time with EY has helped them find their feet in their careers. 

Due to her love for complex problem solving, conceptual and holistic thinking, improving processes, and data-driven analysis, Femke van der Putten had already made inroads into the consulting sector during her studies – during her master, she worked at PIP Advice; a student consulting firm run by graduates.

Following her graduation from University of Twente – where she picked up a Bachelor and Master in Industrial Engineering and Management – she quickly made the move to professional consulting. The ambitious Van der Putten joined EY in 2017, citing the steep learning curve and diverse workload which comes with graduate consulting roles as a key motivator. 

Over the four years since, she has worked on a wide range of engagements – including a supply chain redesign for a consumer brand and supporting an international operating model integration for a manufacturing client active across the EMEA region. She also contributed to a large smart factory (industry 4.0) program across various European manufacturing sites, and an operational excellence engagement for a financial services company. 

“At one of our clients, I experienced the power of EY’s alliance with Procter & Gamble. This is a disruptive way of working predicated on two primary principles: 1) A drive to zero losses and 2) 100% employee ownership. As I really support this philosophy, this was something I wanted to proceed with.”

Building on her experience, Van der Putten was offered the opportunity to work on a new offering grounded on the EY and P&G alliance, known as Supply Network Operations. “This offering provides an integrated approach to supply chain transformations. I’m very excited to work on this proposition, as it enhances the impact we make at our clients.” 

Van der Putten is now a Senior Consultant in EY’s Supply Chain and Operations practice. By contrast, Erik Koningen is still at the early stages of his journey with the Big Four giant. 

Graduating from Eindhoven University of Technology with a Master’s in Operations Management & Logistics, Koningen joined EY’s Supply Chain and Operations wing in February 2020. Since then, he has worked on several digital transformations to improve client’s business operations. 

“From my very first week, I joined a large digital transformation project for an international tire manufacturer,” Koningen explained. “We helped this client to collect and leverage data to increase business insights and enable smarter decision making.” 

“In addition to the valuable experience gained from client work, there have also been plenty of opportunities to learn within EY. The firm offers an extensive learning platform with online training programs to bolster skills and capabilities, or gain markets and industry expertise.” 

Exemplifying this, EY recently launched its first ever Tech MBA together with Hult University. “In addition, the firm organises bi-weekly training sessions on various topics. These feature regular guest speakers – but people within the team are also encouraged to give a workshop themselves.” 

Koningen: “One thing I really appreciate while working for EY is the guidance you receive as a new joiner, but also the support to shape your own career.”