Meet the Alumni Relations team

Sue Martin
Director Alumni Relations

Before moving into in Higher Education, Sue worked for the UK government for many years in the UK Border Force and as a diplomat with postings to Nigeria and Cyprus. From 2008, she held a variety of roles at the universities of Southampton and Reading, overseeing student recruitment, faculty management, business change, alumni relations and leading volunteering and fundraising campaigns. Sue believes in the virtuous circle of alumni engagement: students choose a particular institution because they are inspired by its graduates, and go on to become engaged and inspiring alumni themselves. In 2018, Sue joined RSM as Director of Corporate and Alumni Relations, taking on the additional role as Director of Alumni Relations for the whole of Erasmus University Rotterdam in 2020. Sue has three daughters, a fondness for classic rock music and once beat one of our vice deans in a (friendly) boxing match.

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Bharat Kumaraswami
Database Manager

Bharat was born and raised in the south of India, where his interest in digital systems sparked him to study IT engineering. After his studies, he pursued a career in multiple industries, including Sales, Management and Database Management. He moved to the Netherlands for his Masters in Business Administration at RSM, and ended up working for the business school. Since 2018 he has been managing, analysing and reporting on alumni data whilst using his IT skills to boost efficiency - first for RSM, now for both RSM and EUR. In the team, Bharat is best know for his trips to Has. He will never miss out on a chance to get a kapsalon.

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Bonita Qaiser
Alumni Relations Officer

Prior to her role in the Erasmus Alumni Relations Team, Bonita worked for the scale-up HousingAnywhere where she was a Promotion Coordinator and Relations Manager. She has an MA in International Relations from Utrecht University, has experience working with volunteers and as a communication specialist in an NGO and brings her passion for people to the team. Bonita is project lead for various projects, including Lifelong Learning and Student Engagement, which includes a mentoring initiative. Bonita absolutely loves nature and animals and has recently adopted a dog from the shelter!

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Han Hu
Alumni data analytics and research officer

Han has already had quite the academic career; she studied Journalism at the Shanxi University, a Master's in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics in Bejing and she is completing a PhD in Sociolinguistics at Leiden University in 2022. She feels at home in Rotterdam, where she worked for the municipality and two foundations (Nieuw Thuis Rotterdam, De Verre Bergen). The knowledge she gained about analysing large datasets is very useful for her role at EUR, where she is reponsible for managing the alumni data and researching, analysing and enriching alumni's details. When Han takes a break from online meetings, she likes to take a tour of her 50 (!) house plants. Studying leaves under a magnifying glass is her go-to moment of zen.

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Kim Elferink
Alumni Relations Coordinator

Kim joined the Erasmus Alumni Relations Team in 2021. After she had completed her MSc Applied Communication Science at the Wageningen University and Research Centre she worked for Omnicon PR Group and took care of the communication needs of various famous consumer brands. After this job, she desired adventure: she travelled around the world for over half a year, passing through Mongolia and China, Indonesia and Australia, to pass through New-Zealand and end up on Fiji. And now? Now she is building communities with alumni, supporting and organising events and she is responsible for various fundraising activities and other projects of the Erasmus Alumni Relations team. In her spare time, Kim likes to be active: both with paintbrushes on a canvas as with her stick on the field hockey pitch.

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Lida Dimitriou
Team Lead Alumni Relations

A Rotterdammer by choice, Lida joined the alumni relations team in 2023. Prior to that, she worked at the business school of Erasmus University managing various aspects of MBA programmes. Having worked in the UK and Greece before moving to the Netherlands in 2018, Lida has experience in the fields of leadership development, business education, consultative sales, and communications in international settings, including the U.S. State Department. Lida moved to the Netherlands inspired by the country's appreciation for openness, hard work, risk-taking and diversity. In her free time, she likes attending modern dance performances; working out by the Maas; or cooking simple Greek recipes for her friends –  the secret is in the olive oil!

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Lisanne Storm 
Student Assistant

Lisanne helps organise and coordinate alumni events for all the different faculties. Before she joined the Erasmus Alumni Relations Team, her interest in organizing events was expressed during the many events she organised for students, such as the Eurekaweek, charity activities, and galas, some of these during her full-time board year as vice president of her student association. She started as an Arts & Culture student and further developed her interest in the creative sector by pursuing a master's in Media and Creative Industries. After this, she started her Master in Management at RSM. In her spare time, she enjoys DJing, dancing, and fitness. 

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Selda Sahin 
Student Assistant 

 Selda is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Healthcare Management at the ESHPM faculty. Prior to this, she completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology at Utrecht University. Her transition to healthcare management stemmed from a desire to deepen her understanding of the field, ultimately leading her to Erasmus University. 

For nearly two years, Selda has been actively engaged with the alumni office, where she oversees social media activities and contributes to initiatives like the Erasmus Charity Run. Beyond her role in alumni relations, she has also been involved in various departments across EUR. Moreover, Selda serves as the President of the Student Association Mozaik, a vibrant multicultural organization. In this capacity, she orchestrates a diverse range of events and activities tailored to the needs of students, including those from first-generation or diverse cultural backgrounds. 

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Simone Pouw 
Alumni Communications Officer  

Simone (she/her) gained valuable experience having worked at an agency and a platform startup/scale-up, giving her experience in digital marketing, project management, and community engagement, providing her with a solid foundation to effectively engage with a diverse and global alumni network. This background has equipped her to handle the dynamic and interactive needs of the alumni community, supporting the university's initiatives to keep former students connected and informed, now and in the future. Simone is always up for a chat about music recommendations, travel inspiration, and where to find the best coffee. 

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Vanessa Temminck
Events Manager

The affinity with organising events surfaced for Vanessa after her education in tourism, where organising travels and events started to merge. She definitely chose for the latter and gained a lot of experience for international organisations like Europol, before ending up in higher education. Now, she is full-time event manager in the Erasmus Alumni Relations Team. She organises and coordinates in-person, online and hybrid events in collaboration with her teammates. When she's not working, you can find her in the fresh mountain air, whether on her snowboard or in the Scandinavian mountains.

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Yannik Becker
Student Assistant 

Yannik is a master's student in Strategic Management originally from Germany. While he helps the team by working on different projects, his focus is on data management. Having been exposed to an international environment and having lived in the U.S. for an extended period made him realize that he wants to work and study in an international environment, such as the Netherlands. With two internships in product management and consulting in the automotive industry, for which he has always had a high interest, he has gained valuable insights into global markets. Beyond academics and work, Yannik finds joy in bouldering, hiking, and motorcycling. 

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