Having obtained a Master’s degree in International Business and Financial Management, Bastiaan joined General Electric’s (GE) Financial Management Programme (FMP) with GE Real Estate in 2002. He developed strong financial skills through a wide range of challenging assignments in fields of controllership, treasury, financial planning & analysis and sourcing. Upon graduating from the FMP programme, Bastiaan joined the company’s prestigious Corporate Audit Staff (CAS) where he gained extensive international experience in Europe, Asia and North America, working with multicultural, cross-functional teams. He obtained his six-sigma® Black-Belt certification by leading various projects as Operational/Compliance Auditor, turning audit results into measurable controllership metrics and tangible recommendations to GE’s senior leadership team. His performance was recognized by being awarded the ‘Chairman’s Leadership Award’ in 2005.

In 2006 Bastiaan moved back to his native country, the Netherlands, taking on a role as Manager Planning & Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) within the Asset Management department of TIP, GE’s Equipment Services business in Europe. In this role Bastiaan was a key member of the CAPEX approval board where he liaised closely with Commercial, Risk, Pricing and Sourcing departments to evaluate the economic and strategic implications of regional investment opportunities. He established himself as a strong business specialist, providing knowledge on topics such as Pricing (break-, and purchase options, Sale & Lease Back transactions and the dynamics of financial leverage) and Risk Management (collateral gap and loss given default analysis).

For several years flexible work arrangements have enabled him to effectively combine his responsibilities with GE and his role with Huttenbelt B.V., managing a private equity Real Estate fund.

In 2009 Bastiaan decided to pursue a career outside GE. Following his entrepreneurial instincts and ambition to develop his career towards general management he founded ‘Grand Estate’ and set out to obtain a Master’s degree in Real Estate at the esteemed Amsterdam School of Real Estate.