It needs to come from the heart

What brought you to ING Germany and what is your current position?

I’ve been with ING since April 2021, initially in Amsterdam for two years. Since April 2023, I’ve been working for ING Germany, where I am the Lead Run Excellence Home, responsible for optimizing processes in residential mortgages.

How would summarize your current tasks at ING?

I work to make things as easy and as digital as possible for our customers – but also for our employees – to finance real estate with ING.

In addition to your work at ING, you are also involved in Team Rynkeby Rhein-Ruhr. Tell us about that. What is Team Rynkeby and how did this involvement come about?

Team Rynkeby is a cause close to my heart. Founded over 20 years ago in Denmark by a small group of friends to raise money for a seriously ill child, Rynkeby has grown over the last two decades to become Europe's largest cycling charity. We’re a team of around 2,500 cyclists and many hundreds of helpers from 65 teams in nine countries who organize a major week-long rally from their home countries to Paris once a year. This year, for example, we’re cycling almost 1,000 kilometers from Essen to Paris with our RheinRuhr team. To what end? To collect sponsorship and donations for the treatment of seriously ill children, which we then pass on to national charities. In Germany, we do this for the German Children’s Cancer Foundation. The focus is always on the children. After all, if you save a child’s life, you’re hopefully saving a person with a long life ahead of them. Across all our teams, we raise around nine million euros every year for a good cause. And since the start of Rynkeby more than 20 years ago, almost 100 million euros have been donated to these charities. I got involved in 2019 after the death of a cousin of mine, who had lived with a heart defect since birth. I began looking for a way to combine my passion for cycling with doing something good. Rynkeby was the perfect solution.

Taking on such a big commitment on top of your career takes time and motivation. Have you developed strategies to balance your work and volunteering? And how does ING support you in your efforts?

It wasn’t easy at first. When I joined the Rynkeby 2020 team, I had only been a cyclist for two years. And the 1,000 km to Paris in July requires a lot of training. For me, it’s usually five to ten hours a week throughout the year, which adds up to more than 5,000 kilometers a year. I do most of my cycling on the weekends, but that’s not always possible. That’s where ING’s flexible working hours really come into play. I can also get on my bike in the afternoons during the week and combine it with training at a local sports club. I’ve also learned a lot from friends about their training strategies and commitment.

How your job influences your chartable work is one thing. But has your participation in Rynkeby also changed your perspective on your everyday (working) life?

Firstly, I've had many conversations with people affected by cancer over the past few years. For example, the daughter of a Team Rynkeby colleague was diagnosed with cancer when she was two years old. He told me a little bit about what she and her family had to go through and endure for months. It made me realize that the challenges in my day-to-day work can usually be overcome quite quickly. Secondly, meeting so many people and team members from all over Europe has taught me how to focus on the important things in life.

What advice would you give to colleagues who want to combine charitable work with their job, but haven't found the right thing yet or feel they don't have the time?

The most important thing is to take the time to think about what is right for you. This includes thinking about what you would personally enjoy doing even without any charitable aspect. For me, it’s cycling. Consider also how much time you can devote to a cause now and in the future. Don’t worry: there are opportunities even if you don’t have much time. It’s just important to assess how much time is needed for a successful and fulfilling commitment. And most importantly: what kind of commitment do you personally put your heart and soul into? It has to come from the heart, because then you’ll see it as a joy and never as a burden.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

I’m very grateful to ING for the great support I’ve already received and continue receiving, both in terms of the timing of my involvement and the sponsorship that ING is providing for Team Rynkeby this year. Without such joint commitments, sponsorship and personal involvement, we wouldn’t be able to make such great progress in helping seriously ill children.