Inner motives have guided Peter Broeders’ life and career

At the time, Tilburg was an obvious choice. Peter was the first in his family to attend university. “I grew up in a business environment, and I wanted to contribute to the further development of the furniture factory – a genuine family business. Business Economics seemed to be the best choice, and Katholieke Hogeschool Tilburg  was highly regarded. After talks with my career advisor I eventually chose not to do a Bachelor’s in Business Economics, but a degree in Econometrics.” 

Study choices

During his Bachelor’s degree Peter remained his interest in organization and management, and this turned out to attract him more than the modelling side of econometrics. After graduating he therefore chose to do his Master's in Business Economics, with a thesis on Organization. “In my Master's phase I developed broader interests and also became politically active. My future lay in socially meaningful organizations in the non-profit sector.”

Partly because of these different contacts at that time, I began to ask myself what faith and the church meant to me

The desire to study Theology

After gaining his Master's, Peter chose for the Inspectie der Financiën in The Hague, a position which was a good fit with his political interests and activities: “I was a member of the national board of the CDJA, and when I started at the Inspectie der Financiën I met many other colleagues who were in the Jonge Democraten, the JOVD and the Jonge Socialisten. Partly because of these different contacts at that time, I began to ask myself what faith and the church meant to me; that resulted in a desire to study theology. It happened rather quickly – I’d been living and working in The Hague for only a year. It seemed obvious to fulfil this desire at my Alma Mater. Unfortunately, the part-time Theology program at Tilburg University offered no evening courses at that time, so I decided to study at Fontys. Gradually I discovered that I wanted to do more with it.”  

Lifelong learning

Peter, now married, moved back to Brabant to take up a position at Tilburg University as assistant director (and later director) of business operations at the IVA research institute. During this period, in 1997, and in the presence of his IVA colleagues, he received ordination in Sint-Jans Cathedral in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and subsequently followed the ‘experimental pastoral program’ in the Faculty of Theology. “I then started giving pastoral care as a deacon in my free time, alongside my regular job, for about ten years. It eventually became impossible to combine this with my job, however, so I withdrew from pastoral work and signed up with the Faculty of Theology to gain a Master’s degree. So you could say that – with a few long breaks – I’ve been a lifelong learner.”  

“My children always say that I can’t complain if they take a long time to do something, since I took thirty years myself. The choice to go back to the classroom also had an intrinsic motive: I wanted to continue developing intellectually and academically. And Theology has certainly done that. Of course, in a career, with all the training you do, you’re always learning as well. But quite apart from my interest in its contents, the Theology program has also given me a broader academic view – which was exactly what I was looking for.”  

Contributing to society 

“I feel at home in organizations that contribute directly towards society. I’ve always felt that way. I’m convinced that the message of the church is still very meaningful to how people live and particularly to how they live together. Both as a manager and in my administrative role I try to use my strengths and talents to benefit society. Right now I’m doing that through Kerk in Nood Nederland, where I have a bridging role: I share the stories of our brothers and sisters in pastoral need with our brothers and sisters in the Netherlands. Stories of strength and joy under difficult circumstances can be inspiring for people here. I try to tell those stories to inspire people to provide help where this is needed. And to those who want to help, who want to do good, we offer opportunities to do so.”  

Follow your intrinsic motives 

“My father’s adage was: first work for a boss. It didn’t matter where.” This advice encouraged Peter to develop his own career. “I’ve always chosen to do whatever was closest to my heart at that moment. I’d tell youngsters to do the same: try to find out what your deepest motives are, what’s closest to your heart, and follow that.” 

Where have your studies in Tilburg taken you?

Tilburg University closely monitors the quality of its degree programs, both in terms of their academic standard and regarding their alignment with the job market. That is why we keep track of our alumni’s careers, and as a graduate you can be of real help to new generations of students by telling us about your career.

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Date of publication: 26 June 2023 | Photography: Stichting Kerk in Nood Nederland, Jan Peeters