In the summer of 2023, Jurg van Dijk ended his 12-year tenure as Senior Tax Manager at FedEx Express to take on an exciting new role as EMEA Tax Lead for US #1 TV streaming company, Roku. Nearly a year in, we caught up with Jurg to reflect on some of his most memorable career moments and tap into his insights on professional development, leadership and the challenges of retaining talent in a seller’s market.

What excites you about working for Roku?

Roku is a really dynamic and diverse company. It’s not only a streaming platform – it’s TVs, it’s operating systems, it’s soundbars; and perhaps coolest of all, Roku Originals – our original movies and TV series. The company is very focused on growth and development – so although my remit when I joined was to grow the business in the EMEA region, I’m now also busy working on Latin America, India and China. The atmosphere is so friendly and team-focused, too – I felt welcomed, valued and part of something from day one. I’m working with people with different backgrounds from all over the world, too, which I love.

What are the key drivers to success in finance that you watch out for the most?

You need a strong technical background – which might sound a bit boring, but it’s a must. It’s also important that you’re solution-oriented, and able to see not just the answer to a tax problem, but the route to get to it. You need to be careful not to view things with blinders on – keep a broad focus and be mindful of how your decisions impact departments outside of Legal, HR to Marketing and Sales. And you have to be comfortable around change. Change is inevitable, especially in tax law and finance – so if you don’t like change or aren’t prepared to deal with it, you’re in the wrong job!

Finally, prioritisation – I remember learning about the prioritisation matrix years ago in a time-management course and it’s stuck with me ever since. When you’re busy, it’s a really useful tool for identifying what’s urgent, what’s important and what you can delegate or leave for another day.

What have been the biggest learning curves in your career?

I’ve always felt it’s better to have a job that’s constantly changing – because change can be exciting; you’re never bored. Early in my tax career working as a tax consultant, though, I’d prioritise work for the senior partner who shouted at me the loudest… then I’d find myself in trouble with another partner for dropping everything I was doing beforehand! Those years as a tax professional at the Big Four advisory firms taught me a lot – about workload and time management, dealing with stressful situations and having difficult conversations.

Have there been any unexpected lessons you’ve learned in your career so far?

When I was at university, I always thought I was going to go and work for one of ‘the big four’, become a partner and go from there – but after a few years in the role, I realised that a pure tax advisory path wasn’t for me. That’s when I switched to work in industry – for KPN Telecom – working much more “within” the business, dealing with commercial people, legal, HR, etc. That wider scope suited me much more and I’ve never looked back since.

What advice would you give to someone looking to make a similar career move?

Just go for it! Starting in a tax advisory role is always going to pay off in future because it gives you such a good technical grounding. In the Netherlands in particular, the market for tax people is very buoyant – so I’ve known plenty of people who’ve left the big four to go into industry – and plenty who’ve returned after a couple of year because it wasn’t for them. There’s no harm in making a move and turning back – otherwise you’ll never know.

What advice would you give to someone starting their career in finance?

Try to see yourself not as “the person who does the taxes” but as a true business partner – someone who works proactively with the company, looking at the wider business goals, and helping to find solutions that meet everyone’s needs – not just those of the finance department.

What’s your secret to building a strong network?

Get yourself out there! Whether it’s an informal chat by the coffee machine or an in-person seminar, it’s vital to keep striking up conversations with new people, sharing experiences and actively listening as well as talking. It’s not just about talking business, either – when you speak about your personal life, too, the other person’s much more likely to open up and relate to you.

What’s a memorable moment from your career – and why?

Early in my career, the first time I worked on a high-pressure M&A deal, unsupervised by the head of tax – because I was thrown in at the deep end and I didn’t drown! There was a lot of pressure on me and my small team. I went into the negotiations, talked to the other party, reviewed all the documents – it was a big win for me, and I’ll never forget the moment the deal was signed.

Talking of being thrown in at the deep end… what advice would you give to someone else in a similar position?

Trust in your experience and your gut feeling, think about what your next steps are – but don’t overthink it. For example, imagine you’re working on an M&A deal, a proposal comes in from the other side and you’ve got just an hour to respond. You can’t panic in a situation like that. You have to stay calm and not allow room for doubt to creep in. You have to keep swimming!

What advice would you give to aspiring leaders?

Don’t micromanage. I don’t like being micromanaged, and I don’t like doing it myself either. Instead, make sure you’ve got the right people in your team – people you trust, with experience, knowledge and a clear understanding of what you expect from them. Make it clear what they can do for themselves and what you as a manager need sight of – so they feel that sense of autonomy while understanding when they need to connect with you. I also believe in leading by example – walk the walk and others will follow in your footsteps.

What’s your favourite quote or motto, and why?

A motto that a trainer says at my kid's rugby club is: “Don’t try to be better than someone else – try to be better than your former self”. It might sound a bit cliché but there’s a lot of truth in it. If you improve by one percent every day, then in a year you’ll be at least twice as good.

What recruitment challenges do you feel tax managers are facing at the moment?

It’s a seller’s market. There are so many opportunities for candidates in tax now, retaining our experienced and motivated staff is the biggest challenge. At Roku, we do that by keeping people as happy as we possibly can. It starts with making sure they’re well paid, of course, but also giving them flexibility and helping them to feel engaged and involved – so they really believe in what the company’s working towards and feel proud of what we do.

What does life look like outside the office?

I like sports – I play hockey, I’m planning my next skiing holiday with family and friends and I love hanging out with my kids. We spend a lot of time at the rugby club – not playing myself, I might add, or I’d probably break every bone in my body! I love going to concerts, too… oh, and I’ve just bought a banjo (since I am a big country music fan). So far I’ve taken it out of the box – I guess the next step is to start practising!

Thank you to Jurg for speaking to Kieran Hayes, Recruitment Consultant in our Finance & Accountancy recruitment team in the Netherlands.

Views and opinions contained within our Executive Interviews are those of the interviewee and not views shared by EMEA Recruitment.