Boomerang Interview with Anne Facee Schaeffer – van der Ster
Written by: Els Oosthoek, September 2025
They left, grew, and came back: these are the stories of our boomerangs.
Anne Facee Schaeffer first joined the Rvdb in 2017 through a remarkable coincidence. “At the time, I was working as an HR professional at a law firm when I attended the funeral of a boyfriend’s father. His mother, Evelien, worked at Rvdb and said to me, ‘You’re really an Rvdb type—come by for coffee sometime.’ I didn’t have enough experience back then, but the seed had been planted.”
Six months later, Anne applied again. “Things moved very quickly after that. I completed all the interviews in a single day and walked out of the office at 12:30 p.m. with an offer in hand. That’s how I ended up in the traineeship.”
That start felt right from the start. “The guidance from the sidelines was incredibly valuable. You face a steep learning curve with many assignments one after another, but there’s always a sense of engagement. During peer review sessions, you could share experiences and catch your breath for a moment. It felt like a community—warm and supportive. You soak up everything like a sponge as you move through all kinds of organizations. At first, it’s a bit of a trial-and-error process, but once you have more to compare things to, it becomes more and more enjoyable and educational.”
In less than three years, Anne completed seven assignments at a variety of organizations. “What’s so special about the Traineeship is that you get to work at a wide range of companies in a short period of time. That allows you to learn incredibly quickly and really build up your experience. Through Rvdb, you also get to work at big-name companies—for example, I’ve worked at Heineken, PwC, and the Amsterdam Police Department. That gives you the chance to make a big impact at a young age.”
After those intense years, I took the next step. “At that time, there wasn’t a natural next step within the Rvdb, so I was exploring my options. I decided to return to the legal profession. I enjoyed working at a large law firm for 2.5 years, and after that I made the switch to another law firm in the Zuidas business district. Both were wonderful experiences, but I still felt like something was missing.”
During Anne’s second maternity leave, her path crossed with Rvdb’s once again: she ran into Talent Manager Maaike Westland at the pool. “She said, ‘Come have some coffee.’ So there I was, stroller and all, back for an interview at Rvdb. As soon as I walked in, it smelled the same, and I saw some familiar faces. It felt like a warm blanket, and I knew right away: this is the right place.”
Her return in 2023 felt like coming home. “What I really appreciate about the role of Senior HX Professional now is that I get to set my own pace. With a young family, that’s important. I completed a major project that took a year and a half, and now I can be more selective about which assignments I take on and which I don’t. There’s never any pressure—not even if I skip a get-together once in a while. Everyone respects you. The sense of inclusion at Rvdb is just there. I’m proud to be part of a group of people with such strong intuition. I don’t see myself leaving here anytime soon.”
