Builders in beeld - Bart Silven
At Build Finance, a team of enthusiastic financial and real estate professionals is ready to assist you daily. In our "Builders in the spotlight" section, we're pleased to introduce them to you. This time: Bart Silven, investment analyst.
How long have you been working for Build Finance?
I've been working at Build Finance since September 2021. That summer, I was looking for a suitable internship to complete my Master's in Business Analytics, specializing in Optimization of Business Processes, at VU Amsterdam. My goal for my graduation internship was to optimize business processes at a financial organization using data. This would allow me to effectively combine my passion for finance and data analytics.
When I posed my question to one of the owners of Build Finance, he responded enthusiastically. Build Finance had only been established a few months earlier, creating a strong need for optimizing business processes through data analytics. I then built machine learning models that allow Build Finance to predict payment arrears in the Dutch buy-to-let segment.
My graduation project was rewarded with an 8.5 and a full-time job. It quickly became clear that Build Finance could grow so much further in the field of data-driven decision-making. I thought it would be incredibly interesting to contribute to that."
What do you like about your job?
As an investment analyst, I'm responsible for automating business processes, analyzing data at the portfolio and loan level, and preparing investor reports. I also maintain contact with Build's investors (read: funders). What I enjoy about my work is that there are always opportunities to use data to make business processes more efficient. Not just for myself, but for the entire team. Using a handy programming or analytics tool can save you a significant amount of time in many processes
Which properties are useful here?
"Acquiring and maintaining domain knowledge is, I think, the most important thing. With the right domain knowledge, you understand all the data related to buy-to-let mortgages much better, which allows you to quickly resolve company-specific issues. I also find it very important to show initiative and have the courage to take the plunge every now and then. If I think I have a solution for a particular problem, I demonstrate why a particular solution might or might not work."
What are you working on at the moment?
I'm currently creating a forecasting tool for our commercial pipeline using Python and Excel. Based on our historical data and conversions, I'm trying to predict the approximate number and size (i.e., amounts) of loan applications we'll receive each month
What gives you energy or makes you proud?
I enjoy automating data-related processes in such a way that the entire team benefits directly. It's satisfying to see my colleagues adapt more quickly and save significant time on previously time-consuming tasks thanks to automation. This not only increases efficiency but also boosts job satisfaction!
