Alumna of the Month: Sophie van Gool

Sophie van Gool is alumna of the month. Every month, Utrecht University highlights an alumnus or alumna with a special job or achievement. This month it was Sophie's turn and not without reason.

Until a few years ago, Sophie van Gool (University College Utrecht, 2012), economist and entrepreneur, worked for a major consultancy firm on the ‘Zuidas’, a rapidly developing business district in the city of Amsterdam. She assumed that in the Netherlands, men and women are treated and paid equally, but she soon discovered the reality is different. At her firm, only one of the top 25 employees was a woman. ‘This isn’t right’, thought Sophie, and she decided to start her company Salaristijger (‘Salary tiger’), together with fellow University College Utrecht alumnus Erwin Hieltjes. Their mission: to close the pay gap in the Netherlands. They offer practical advice and coaching to women on how to make the most of their salary negotiations. They also provide advice to employers on monitoring and reducing the income gap.

This summer, Sophie’s book ‘Waarom vrouwen minder verdienen – en wat we eraan kunnen doen’ (Why women earn less – and what we can do about it), was published. In her book, Sophie explores the reasons for the persistent income inequality between men and women, the consequences, and possible ways to change this situation.

Earlier this year, University College Utrecht published an interview with Sophie and Erwin. Read the interview here.