With new board member Myrthe van der Plas, Social Finance NL is ready for the next phase

As of July 1st, Social Finance NL welcomes a new face to its board: Myrthe van der Plas. Alongside Bernard ter Haar (Chairman) and Jeroen Rijpkema (Treasurer), she forms the three-person board overseeing SFNL’s mission and guiding the organization forward. Myrthe specializes in helping organizations and individuals increase their impact through data, strategy, and innovation. Currently, she serves as a Social Innovator at the Tax and Customs Administration in the Data Foundations and Analytics department, and manages her own foundation, Lakisama, providing education to children in Kenya. In her spare time, she practices karate and running, and occasionally enjoys knitting or crocheting her own clothing pieces. We asked her about her career journey so far and her new role at SFNL.

Can you tell us something about yourself?

I was born 41 years ago in The Netherlands (Kerkrade), and spent my entire childhood there until I moved to Nijmegen to study International Business Communication after a gap year in Barcelona. Missing the quantitative aspect, I subsequently pursued Econometrics in Amsterdam and Maastricht. During my studies, I worked part-time at ABN AMRO in Asset Liability Management as a quantitative analyst. Upon completing both degrees, I sought a combination of communication and econometrics, leading me to become a Data Analytics advisor at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). In recent years, I have been responsible for the Data Analysis team in the public sector.

PwC is known for its commercial focus; how did you transition into the public sector?

In 2017, I took a sabbatical to Guatemala to volunteer, seeking purpose, which I continued upon returning by dedicating one day a week to volunteering at War Child. Subsequently, PwC offered me an opportunity to spend six months in Kenya training colleagues in Data Analytics and gaining insights into international development. It was a remarkable period where I explored more structured ways to contribute to society. Ultimately, this led to the establishment of my foundation, Lakisama, with a focus on education, as I firmly believe it is key to advancing people’s prospects there

In the meantime, you work at the Tax and Customs Administration. How did you end up there and what is your role?

Could you tell us more about the Responsible Business Simulator?

Sure! The Responsible Business Simulator is an approach that helps support decision-making. Take, for example, the question of how to sustainably deploy employees. First, you determine which elements are important, such as employee satisfaction, health, productivity, engagement, etc. Then, you consider where you could invest, such as in access to sports/physiotherapy, coaching, workplace fruit, self-determined schedules, etc. Next, you investigate the effects these interventions have on the elements you deem important. This way, you can quantify, substantiate, and engage in dialogue about the best choices. It allows decisions to be based on facts rather than gut feelings and promotes transparency about the choices made. The approach is also used for one-time calculations of decisions requiring broad support, demonstrating the effects of specific choices, like the roof renovation at Nemo and the procurement of a weapons system at the Ministry of Defense. Additionally, we quantified the societal value of football for the KNVB (Royal Dutch Football Association). Currently, at the Tax Authority, I’m exploring ways to make decision-making more transparent and easier for various issues.

Quantifying social value sounds familiar to us, of course! How did you come to know about Social Finance NL?

Even before the establishment of SFNL, Annemieke Roobeek had already introduced me to Ruben, and since then we have always kept in touch to exchange ideas on various topics. I’ve known Annemieke since we developed the Responsible Business Simulator together, executed projects with it, and co-authored related books. Our communication has always been ongoing, and with SFNL’s ambition to focus more on Data & Digital, Annemieke asked if I would be interested in a role on the board. A position was becoming available due to her departure. We discussed it together, and now it’s official!

What appeals to you about SFNL?

I find it very impressive what Ruben and Björn have achieved in five years. Not only have they attracted the right people, but the impact that Social Finance NL is making now, for example with impact bonds, demonstrates that gut feelings aren’t always accurate and that decision-making and financing can be approached differently. Moreover, SFNL contributes to a society where everyone gets a chance they might not have otherwise had. I see a connection with my own foundation and personal ambitions there. SFNL does this in a unique way. It’s impressive how much they’ve accomplished in such a short time!

My contribution lies in the areas where I have developed expertise over the past years: data, innovation, and strategy. These are the areas where I bring relevant experience and complement the other board members. Having worked extensively in advisory roles, I understand the challenges organizations face and can effectively collaborate with the management team. This aligns well with the current phase of SFNL: I feel comfortable and enthusiastic about my role. Fortunately, I immediately clicked with Bernard and Jeroen, as well as with the team, so I am eager to collaborate in building Social Finance NL further and creating even greater impact!