Thom Aussems studied law in Tilburg and social-cultural work in Eindhoven.
He followed several postgraduate programs, including Real Estate and Investment Engineering. In the 1980s he worked in Rotterdam on urban renewal for the municipality.
Then he set up his own consultancy. From 1995 until 2018 he was director of the housing corporation Trudo in Eindhoven. Aussems played an important role in the development of Strijp-S in Eindhoven, the cultural and creative heart of the city.