Meet the Manager – Peter Zeeders

Peter joined Alter Domus in May 2019 as Head of the Compliance team in the Amsterdam office.

Prior to joining Alter Domus, Peter worked within Private Wealth Management and Institutional Asset Management at Merrill Lynch, MeesPierson, and UBS Global Asset Management. After 15 years of experience within the Private Wealth/Asset Management industry, Peter moved into Compliance and worked as a senior compliance specialist at several banks and corporate services providers.

Why did you pursue a career in the industry??

During my career within the banking industry, I dealt with several compliance departments from the other side of the table (1st line of defence), and my experience then was that people saw compliance more as a burden than as an added value.

This made me think, and having worked for many years with these compliance departments, I felt that compliance could be more efficient and exciting, and wanted to bring my added value and experience to this area (2nd line of defence).

At Alter Domus, and in our Amsterdam office, I am happy to say that nowadays the compliance function is an integrated part of the business, and is no longer considered as boring and a burden as it was previously.

Within our office, we still make the joke that ‘het loket compliance’ (the compliance counter) is never closed, which means that the door of my office is always open, and compliance is there to help and support the respective business teams. Compliance and our operations teams cannot be seen separately from each other, they both need each other.

Do you think individuals who are just starting their careers should pursue a recognised professional qualification?

I would recommend and support every new joiner to get a qualification as a certified compliance officer, which does not only qualify you as a compliance professional, but it will also be an added value within your future endeavours and personal development.

At Alter Domus, there is strong support and encouragement for professional and personal development thanks to our range of study assistance schemes and internal training from the AD Academy.

What do you think makes Alter Domus stand out from other companies in the industry?

The Dutch Corporate Service market is currently very challenging, not only due to the fact that we have some of the strictest regulations compared to other areas, but also due to the current sanctions relating to the awful war in Ukraine.

Looking at our ambitions, our business ethics, and our vibrant and international office in Amsterdam, I’m really excited and convinced that we as a team and office can stand out within the Dutch market.

Besides standing out in the industry, within the Group the Amsterdam office stands out from some of our other offices, because we have our own beer tap and f??ball table, which many other AD colleagues are jealous of when visiting our office. We are also located near one of the largest and impressive city parks in Europe, the Amsterdamse Bos where you can walk or bike during lunch-breaks.

When you meet a candidate, what is the most important thing you are looking for??

The first thing I look for in a candidate is their integrity and honesty. These are qualities that I value highly and that everyone in our Amsterdam office embodies.

Knowledge is important, but the willingness of a candidate to develop and learn is ultimately more important. People with a good sense of humour and self-reflection will also fit well in our team!

We also value people who are not afraid to take speak up and who will be proactive. If a candidate shows these qualities during the interview process, they are already well positioned to succeed!

In the end, we are all different, but we all value teamwork and working towards common goals, and I am happy to say that we have a great team spirit that is reflected not only within the office, but also outside business hours.