Jeffrey de Haan

My name is Jeff de Haan and currently I’m working as Vice President and Head of Financial Adviser Services Benelux for Dimensional Fund Advisors.

When I was 11 years old I had a dream to become a Major League Baseball player. Although I was talented, worked really hard and had a clear focus, money was in the way of fulfilling my dream.

When playing “professional” baseball in The Netherlands, the next step to get drafted for the MLB was going to university in the United States.

Unfortunately we as a family didn’t had enough money to support university in The Netherlands, let alone in the US.

My parents sat me down and asked me to get a job and help out supporting my parents and three sisters.

Luckily I got offered a job as a trainee financial advisor, by one of our club sponsors.

Although at first I didn’t wanted anything to do with money, I quickly realized the impact a great financial advisor could have on the lives of his clients.

Honestly, we as a family could have definitely benefited a financial advisor ourselves.

So my focus on becoming the best baseball player, changed when I was 18 years old…

I now wanted to become the best financial advisor!

I want to help as many people possible to identify, achieve and maintain their ideal lifestyle!

By the age of twenty I quit my job and started my own business.

Ten years later I got offered to set-up a new venture for an established company called Dimensional and to help financial advisers deliver an outstanding investment experience to their clients.

The decision to sell my business and join this firm as an “intrapreneur”, was based on scalability… Helping financial advisers become better advisers will ultimately result in more people having the best chance on fulfilling their goals, aspirations and dreams.

Recently I’ve started questioning whether what I’m doing right now is actually the ultimate best I can do?

I hope THNK will help me refocus on my passions, my purpose and the things that are close to my heart.