Jakob, Chief Financial Officer at Project Access, oversees legal, fundraising, partnerships, and finance within the organisation. He initially joined the Danish operations team in 2021 as an outreach officer after having been a mentee himself. Before assuming the role of CFO, Jakob served as the Director of European Operations.
Jakob is currently pursuing a dual degree in Global Business Administration with Emlyon in France and SKKU in Korea. Consequently, he will be based in Seoul until the summer of 2025. Recently, Jakob undertook a project to consult a startup in London, assisting them in organising their inaugural event and fostering community growth.
Jakob talks us through his responsibilities as the CFO of Project Access, why he recommends studying abroad after his personal experiences, and what made him stay at PA!

1. What’s your experience working as the Chief Financial Officer of a non-profit organisation? Do you think it’s different to work for a non-profit than a for-profit organisation, and if yes, how?

I think we face two different challenges than for-profit firms which makes my work very different.

Firstly, it’s the streams of fundraising. We raise most funds with dedicated corporate partners and private donors. However, we don’t have the ability to go out and “sell” more. Rather it’s tedious grant applications and CSR hunting. It does mean that we get to work with some wonderful partners and form partnerships, not just monetary, but also developing services, or simply receiving services for free.

Secondly, it’s the way we evaluate projects to undertake. We don’t simply use an ROI metric, however, we also have to consider which projects will create the most impact for our mentees. That means that most projects we undertake don’t create any form of monetary return. Luckily, we have some really strong teams that make this evaluation process easy for us in finance.

2. Why do you recommend studying abroad?

Studying abroad is an incredible opportunity to push your boundaries and personal growth. Even if it's just for a semester, immersing yourself in a new culture and traditions forces you to set your own biases aside and gives you a unique perspective on how others see the world. It can be challenging, but the rewards are immense if you invest the time and effort. A bonus is if you’re studying abroad and learning a language. For example, my experiences in France and Korea boosted my proficiency.

3. What’s one thing about the education system that must change?

I think we need to reconsider the needs for standardised test fees. Language certificates, test fees, and application fees amount to a real barrier for many students to apply. We have started to see more universities in the US starting to stress SAT/ACT less. While I understand the need for the language certificate, I think the fee ($280 - $340) is too high.

4. What made me stay at PA is…

I think three things have kept me at PA for these three years.

For one, it was the opportunity to keep learning and applying some of the stuff you’re taught. That experience has been useful in helping me develop my professional skills. Moreover, the opportunity to take on a leadership role, and manage both teams, partnerships, and funds is a rare opportunity not many get.

Secondly, I would say the people. At least if you’re in one of our major cities (London, Paris, New York-ish) we have so many amazing people and access to one of the best student networks out there. Recently, we’ve been fortunate enough to subsidise travel to team events in e.g., London which has made the social side even better.

Lastly, which goes without saying, is the impact you feel. I think that is why I’m still involved with the Danish Operations Team. The chance to speak at high schools and boot camps is such an amazing feeling. Becoming a role model is such a unique experience - especially when I was there just three years ago.

5. If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?

If I were an animal, I would love to be an eagle. I think the freedom and independence of flying so high above the ground sounds amazing.

5 Questions with: Jakob Petersen