The Learning Years
During Med-school (which I quit after three years), I was already an entrepreneur, running a successful travel agency for students that we eventually sold. From the late 1980s, I worked as a consultant, initially in advertising for agencies like Saatchi & Saatchi and DDB, and for brands such as Procter & Gamble, Volkswagen, IBM, and Mölnlycke. I progressed into brand and organizational strategy by founding Houston consultancy with a partner in 2000. Working with clients such as VW/Audi importer PON, Robeco Investment Bank, Suzuki NL and Suzuki Japan, as well as several Dutch companies with a strong brand presence, we focused on organisational change, training, and competency development based on brand positioning and strategy. Sometimes this also included informal coaching of directors.
The Investing Years
In 2009, I founded an impact investment fund for ambitious entrepreneurs with a non-native Dutch background. Suikeroom Durfkapitaal. Through this fund, we invested in enterprising people, and I ran workshops on informal investing. I reviewed applications for the fund, discussed business plans with entrepreneurs, and helped refine them. When necessary, I leveraged my network so they could achieve their goals faster. In addition, I worked as an interim manager, including for the City of Amsterdam, and later became managing director of two consultancy firms—a period that eventually led to a burnout.
The Recent Years
In recent years, I’ve learned where my true value lies. I focus (and take great pleasure) in supporting entrepreneurs, CEO's, teams, and in some cases managers. I continue to educate myself in different aspects of my work. My value is measured by the impact I have in the eyes of others. For this reason, I prefer to let the people who have trusted me speak for themselves. If you’d like to contact them as references—including anonymous ones—that’s possible. Read some of their stories here .