Hi Simone! To kick-start this conversation, let's get into the student mindset: what and where did you study - and how did it get you to where you are today?

Hi! I’m Simone and I studied in Amsterdam at the UvA, first completing a Bachelor's in Psychology and later a Master's in Business Administration.

I’ve always been fascinated by people and behaviour. Initially, I wanted to become a child psychologist, but during my studies I became much more drawn to the business side of psychology: what drives people at work, how teams operate, motivation, empathy, leadership, culture… I still find all of that endlessly interesting.

At the same time, I realised I also really liked the business side behind organisations: how companies grow, expand, make decisions, and create environments where people can perform at a high level together.

That combination eventually brought me into People & Culture roles and later leadership positions where I could connect both worlds more directly. Before joining Studocu, I worked as an interim People leader via 7people, helping start-ups and scale-ups build stronger organisations, leadership teams, and people foundations while also making work more fun and human.

Today, as VP People at Studocu, that’s still what excites me most: helping create an environment where people can do their best work, grow, and genuinely enjoy the journey together. We spend such a huge part of our lives at work, so I really believe it should be impactful, developmental, and fun at the same time.

I’m also a certified StrengthsFinder coach and a huge believer in strengths and continuous learning, which honestly makes Studocu such a natural fit for me. A company built around learning, curiosity, and making impact.

What does a “typical” day in your life as VP People at Studocu look like?

No day is ever really the same, which I secretly love.

One moment I’m discussing organisational design, leadership challenges, or hiring strategy with managers and the next I’m coaching leaders, thinking about growth frameworks, employer branding, culture initiatives, or our new office move.

A big part of my role today is also connecting business priorities to people priorities. So not just: “What do people need?” but also: “What does the business need next, and how do we build the organisation around that?”

I also really enjoy working closely with our engineering and product teams. I’m definitely not technical myself... but I love learning from them and understanding how technology, AI, and product development are changing the way we work and build companies.

And in between all of that, there’s also a lot of laughing, celebrating together, and spontaneous conversations around our new barista coffee machine. That positive energy honestly makes a huge difference.

What gives you the most energy in your role day-to-day?

What gives me the most energy is seeing people grow and seeing the impact of the things we build together.

Whether that's someone stepping into leadership for the first time, hiring a great new colleague and seeing them thrive a year later, or helping teams work better together.

I also love building strong foundations: better leadership, clearer ways of working, and creating an environment where people can do their best work. And honestly, I'm incredibly proud of what we've built with the People team and how we're now taking that to the next level together with the broader leadership team.

I strongly believe you can have high standards while still keeping things human. Work hard, raise the bar, challenge each other, but also have empathy, trust, and focus on what really matters.

You recently refreshed Studocu’s company values - how did you land on the final three values, and how does each one connect to Studocu?

We approached the values project from multiple angles because we didn’t want values that only sounded good on paper — they really needed to reflect who we are as a company today and where we want to go.

We involved employees across the company, previous values ambassadors, and the management team, and then worked together to align and narrow it down to three values that genuinely fit Studocu.

The goal was to capture:

• Who we are at our best

• What kind of behaviours we want to recognise and reward

• The kind of company we want to keep building

What I really love is that the values are actually being lived every day now. People use the language internally, challenge each other with it through our new Studomere programme, and even use it in fun ways, like our "Be the Benchmark" bench!

We launched the values during our France company trip, ran workshops around them, and are now embedding them further into recruitment, leadership, and performance conversations as well.

For me, values should not be corporate posters on the wall. They should help people make decisions, collaborate better, and understand what great looks like at Studocu.

Studocu exists to help students succeed - how do you make sure that mission is reflected in the employee experience and culture internally?

I think it starts with creating a culture of learning internally too.

At Studocu, people get a lot of ownership, autonomy, and opportunities to develop themselves. We really encourage curiosity, experimentation, and continuous learning, which aligns very naturally with our mission around students and education.

Our colleagues regularly run workshops, Friday presentations, and other learning moments. People don’t hesitate to take the stage and share knowledge, teach others, or showcase something they’ve learned.

Another great example right now is AI and our ways of working. We actively encourage people to experiment, use tools like Claude, share best practices, and continuously learn from each other. That learner mindset is something we really value.

There’s also a very strong sense of community here. We work hard, but we also celebrate a lot together. The parties, company trips, team moments, and our new office all matter because they create energy and belonging.

And I think people genuinely feel that they can shape their own journey here instead of waiting for someone else to define it for them.

What excites you most about the future of Studocu?

Honestly, the combination of ambition, AI, and opportunity. We are in a moment where both education and technology are changing incredibly fast, and I think Studocu is in a really exciting position to help shape that future.

Internally, we’re also evolving a lot as an organisation — becoming more AI-native, embracing mission-based ways of working, scaling leadership, and building stronger foundations while still keeping the positive energy that makes Studocu special.

It feels like there’s still so much opportunity ahead, and that’s a very exciting environment to be part of.

If you could give Studocu an A+ in one area, what would it be and why?

The people and the energy. There’s a very special combination here of smart, ambitious, international, and genuinely kind people. People challenge each other, work hard, care deeply, but also don’t take themselves too seriously.

That combination of ambition, ownership, curiosity, and fun is honestly quite rare. It feels like there’s still so much opportunity ahead, and that’s a very exciting environment to be part of.

When hiring for Studocu (which we are!), what traits do you generally look for in someone joining the team?

Curiosity is probably number one. We look for people who are eager to learn, proactive, hands-on and excited by change. People who take ownership of their own journey and don’t wait for perfect instructions before moving.

I also really value people who combine drive with emotional intelligence — people who are smart and ambitious, but also collaborative, open, and interested in others.

And honestly: positive energy matters a lot. We work hard, move fast, and have high expectations, so it’s important that people also bring fun, ownership, and a good team spirit with them.

Finally, but importantly… which Studocu house are you part of?

Broewyn 💚