ELEVATING YOU WITH KNOWLEDGE, ENERGY & CREATIVITY
AMSTERDAM
I was brought up in ‘De Nieuwmarkt, one of Amsterdam’s oldest neighborhoods. As a young Montessori-kid, I had two passions: Skateboarding and Graffiti. Whilst I moved out of the city more than 20 years ago, I still consider Amsterdam as ‘My City’.
I really like the architecture of the Golden Dutch Age. Moreover: I like the people. It’s the sometimes weird but mostly funky mixture of creative souls, migrants & expats that creates a unique vibe! Amsterdam rules!
CREATIVE
After a career in Event Management and (later in) Advertising, I was hired as a Marketing Professional by Royal Dutch KPN.
Later on in my career, I was the key-matchmaker that eventually led to the long-lasting partnership between KPN and Swedish music giant Spotify. Preceding this I’ve created and launched multiple visionary TV-innovations.
LEAD
I sincerely am passionate about people and teams, and my style of working with them is non-invasive; people/teams who have worked with me would probably see me as the likable, and seasoned enabler who wants to make them shine, instead of making myself look good.
It is my first and foremost priority to help elevate every single devoted professional on the (virtual) floor by giving him or her a clear objective.
INDIA
I’ve always loved to explore other countries, mainly within Asia. And it was during my second or third visit to India, when I told myself: ‘I really like this crowed and bustling colorful country’. So, it was (almost) no coincidence that I was assigned to live and work in India for a five-year period between 2016-2021.
Working with the India-based tech-workforce was an enriching experience and it deepened my love for India. And it also taught me new things about the success factors while creating and maintaining great performing teams.
TEAM
When I’m working with people, for me the Team should always be the center of the universe. As a result, it should be less about ‘Me’ and more about ‘We’. As a lead or manager, I really believe one should manage the culture and ‘the system’, not the people.
Having said all of this, building high performance teams is all but easy. People are not always eager to speak their mind, very often driven by an absence of trust or a fear of conflict.
ASSETS
I am passionate about bringing things to life in a corporate setting. And there’s one thing that has always been helpful during my entire career: my ‘Likability Factor’.
For some reason, I can comfort peers when they start working with me. It helps that I’m a Good Communicator. In addition: I’m also very keen in creating an open and trustful culture.
PURPOSE
During my career, I’ve crafted strong beliefs about a wide variety of topics. One of my favorite ones is about behavioral leadership: ‘Micromanagement is the motivational equivalent of buying on credit. Enjoy the product now but pay a hefty price later.’
More than often, for me it’s all about creating the strongest motivational accelerator in a corporate setup: Purpose.
CHANGE
I like driving transformation. And while doing so, I believe that change should never be the end goal. Instead, it should be a journey towards some form of business improvement.
And whilst I believe one should always dream big, I also believe it’s important to be hyper realistic. Thus, it’s all about managing every project as if it is a military operation, while being as flexible and team focused as one can.
MARKETING
It’s hard to deny my passion for Marketing. In fact, I’ve always used marketing principles while working on Transformational Projects.
But my vision on marketing has changed over the years. Yes, I still believe in using a large megaphone if one wants to sell something.
But more than often I tend to use the ‘Form Follows Function’, combined with a lot of data.
CULTURE
Everyone who’s ever visited one of Google’s offices has probably seen it: a colorful setup with funky seats, table football and lounge rooms with pillows. It’s been a widely acclaimed culture as one of Google’s hallmark prospects towards aspiring employees.
However, I believe culture is not about fancy lounge chairs and lavish office parties. Instead, it’s more subtle. Culture is what would happen in a company when the lead or boss is not around for a couple of days. And remember: Culture eats strategy for breakfast.
FIT
I’m a strong advocate for learning. Every day offers an opportunity to learn new things. But staying ‘fit’ for a current role or prepare yourself for a future one goes well beyond having the right hard skills.
Unless you want to be a Dentist or Pilot, a lot of hard skills can be taught. On the contrary: having the right mindset and mentality is something which cannot be learnt. You just have them or not.
INSPIRATION
When I’m assigned to a challenging project, I love to fast forward. However, during the last 10 years I have learnt something new, which has helped me a lot: slow down. Going for a long walk in the countryside tends to inspire me a lot.
Thinking about a new project or challenge while enjoying things around nature has become one of my strategies to get inspirated. And yes, I also read a lot. I’m not always looking for answers. Instead, I read to put things into perspective.
OFFER
When I have time, I really like to cook. And I can prepare the almost perfect Indonesian Rendang for you. Or you can join me for a morning run. I started running almost 15 years ago and never leave home without packing my running shoes.
But you’re probably here for something else. You could approach me for public talks about a wider variety of topics, ranging from way of working, personal branding or building great professional cultures. In addition: I’m also open to mentorship. I’m happy to talk to you!