22/06/2026
Hello current, former and future MARUG members!
My name is Lyset de Groot, and I had the great pleasure of serving as Chairman in 2021/2022, also known as the 41st Board. To this day, every time I see that number, it makes me smile and takes me back to the year in which I, together with my fellow board members, was fully dedicated to leading MARUG.
Looking back, that year taught me so much, both professionally and personally. One of the most important things I learned was how to deal with change, remain flexible, and take responsibility for solving problems. These skills helped me in my career, first at PwC and now at an MBB firm.
At the same time, I truly got a taste of what it is like to run an organisation. Through board trainings and working closely together, I learned a lot about myself: what motivates me, what my strengths are, and where I still had room to improve. Open and direct communication within the board encouraged me to reflect on my behaviour and reasoning.
Moreover, I still remember advice from our Faculty Dean, which I continue to apply today: “Clearly define the problem statement and avoid ambiguity — what are we really trying to solve here?” I should probably still send her a message to thank her for those learnings after all these years, haha.
Besides the learning aspect, a board year is also simply a lot of fun. You meet many people, which makes the year amazing and proves valuable afterwards. It helped me see many career paths after studying at RUG/FEB.
On a personal note, one of my biggest highlights is that my fellow board members and I are still very close friends. Even now, I still run into people I met through MARUG when I cycle through Amsterdam.
Although I might be slightly biased, I would highly recommend a MARUG board position. I genuinely believe that being involved in MARUG in any way already brings many of these benefits. Whether it is PAC, the Conference, DO, Mind over Marketing, IME or the MSc Events, these events are great fun to work on, surrounded by great people, and provide an amazing learning experience.
In the end, being part of MARUG has given me so much, and I will always look back on it with a big smile.
