Portrait of: Mark Slokker
Meet our team: today a portrait of Mark Slokker
Born and raised in Huizen, North Holland, 51-year-old Mark Slokker joined Kuipers & Claassen in October 2019 as Senior Assistant Accountant. He is broadly deployable and responsible for financial statements, income tax, corporate tax and VAT returns, payroll, client meetings, consulting, management support and managing juniors.
Where the idea of becoming a pilot came from in his younger years, he doesn't remember, but tough Mark thinks it was in those years. An honorable profession with a tough education. At that time, he was already more interested in the science subjects needed for that than languages. Yet it all turns out differently.
After completing secondary school at Christelijk College Stad en Lande, which merged with Groen van Prinsterer secondary school in 1994 to become what is now Erfgooiers College, Mark began studying econometrics at the University of Amsterdam. Econometrics, the science of economic modeling, involves techniques from probability theory, mathematics and statistics. With a preference for science subjects like math, economics and physics, Mark seems like a good choice. In practice, however, it turns out to be a very theoretical course. 'That theoretical stuff didn't appeal to me,' he states, 'and writing a thesis isn't for me either.' He is practically oriented. 'I rather think: What can I make people happy with?'
After graduating from his propaedeutic year, Mark quits college and goes to work. He joins the De Ruijter office in Amsterdam Noord as a payroll administrator, where he worked for about five years. Nevertheless, Mark starts another college course. This time SPD Business Administration which he follows at the Leiden Educational Institutes. Studying late into the night goes well for him. A few years later he has his State Diploma in Business Administration in his pocket, proof of solid knowledge and skills in the financial field. This laid the foundation for him to do his job well. After his employment with De Ruijter, Mark spent some 20 years working at his brother's accounting firm in Hilversum, where he also had a broad range of duties, as well as gaining a great deal of knowledge and experience. En passant, Mark broadens his tax knowledge with the CB tax consultant course.
That Mark is not just a financial professional is evident in the garden canopy that rises next to his house. Together with his youngest son, who still lives at home, he is living it up on the solid wooden construction. Photos show that it looks beautiful. He also knows his limits with odd jobs. He learns that plastering is not for him. If he doesn't achieve the result he wants in the process, he finds himself as an angry Mark. His always accommodating attitude is then momentarily out of sight. If the people around him are happy and it is pleasant, he gladly joins in. Enjoying a beautiful day, the sun, all together and the barbecue on.
Very resolutely, Mark names his girlfriend as his passion. After they first met while walking the dog - some ten years ago now - they formed a blended family that included his girlfriend's daughter. Mark's oldest two sons now no longer live with him. Their current dog, a good-natured Swiss white shepherd, is a reason to go out together regularly. Going for lovely walks in nature, with the occasional lunch on the way, or finishing off at home with a good glass of wine under their own garden roof.
While sports are not really his thing, Mark - a lover of rock-like pop from the '70s, '80s and '90s - occasionally crawls behind his acoustic drum kit in the attic. For a moment, the desire not only to let his neighbors enjoy his drum solos, but to have enough time to take it up professionally, shines through. Whether we will ever find Mark together with a bass guitarist and singer in the local hospitality venues in Huizen after his retirement remains uncertain for now. Still, even Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti can move him when he sings Nessun dorma, the last aria composed by Giacomo Puccini. It gives Mark goosebumps. So does the St. Matthew Passion, an oratorio composed by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Through his move to Kuipers & Claassen, Mark sees opportunities to contribute his knowledge and broad experience to the development that the firm wants to undergo. His willingness to help colleagues and share his experience are central to Mark, with the goal of creating a stable firm where knowledge is widely shared. A team player where the client is served, stepping in when needed and making sure the common goal is achieved. With a good balance between hard work and an informal working atmosphere, there is room for collegiality and appreciation. A great basis for professionally serving clients with a wide range of services with an eye for good personal contact. This is how Mark prefers to do his work.
Quotes
I was the eternal student.
I am self-taught.
I do attend.
Work is my hobby.
I like to joke around.
I am a team player.
I don't stay in my cubicle.
At night, I am at my best.
